2005 Kia Sportage Lx on 2040-cars

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Kia: The Perfect Getaway

Former 007 Pierce Brosnan took on a new role for the 2015 Super Bowl, featuring in a spot for the new Kia Sorento. The fifth man to take on James Bond, Brosnan is being pitched a new project, although he doesn't seem to be totally on the same page as the executive that's trying to sell him. Where the actor expects a sniper and a missile launcher, he's confronted by a owl and a moose, respectively. It's a pretty humorous spot, all together. As for the car, you can read all about our first-hand experiences in the new Sorento.

Kia unveils Horki sub-brand in China, kicks off with concept car

While we were busy ogling new vehicles like the Mercedes-Benz GLA Concept, Maserati Ghibli and Hongqi L9 at the Shanghai Motor Show, Kia was busy unveiling an entire brand. Through its Chinese joint venture, Dongfeng Yueda Kia (or DYK), the South Korean automaker has introduced its new Horki sub-brand and a concept car, simply called the Horki Concept.
The name Horki comes from the combination of two Chinese characters "Hor" and "Ki," which translates to "China driving." As this suggests, the brand will only be offered in China, and this concept sedan shares its platform with the 2014 Kia Forte. We didn't happen to catch the car live at the auto show, and apparently neither did Kia, since it only provided us with some drawings rather than live (or even studio) shots of the actual concept car. Thankfully, our friends at Newspress managed to ferret it out, so we have a couple of live pics to share after all.

Hyundai, Kia launching dedicated hybrids in 2017

The currently weak green car market isn't stopping Hyundai and Kia from staging an ongoing electrified onslaught, and it's primed to just keep growing. Already familiar with the field thanks to vehicles like the Sonata Hybrid, Tucson Fuel Cell, and Kia Soul EV, for the 2017 model year the Korean siblings are launching their first dedicated hybrids, according to Automotive News. Since last year, the hybrids have been spotted testing several times while wearing heavy camouflage. Hyundai's version will reportedly be styled as a Chevrolet Volt-fighting sedan. Conversely, Kia will go for a more directly Prius-challenging hatchback. Underneath, they'll share a powertrain consisting of a direct-injected, 1.6-liter four-cylinder and electric motor. Both will use the same platform based on the next-gen Elantra and Forte, according to Automotive News. In addition, Hyundai will get a pure EV version of its model to launch in California in 2017, while Kia reportedly won't. According to Automotive News, the companies' strategy is reportedly to be ready when gas prices eventually rise again. "When they come back up and people start looking for hybrids again, it'll be very nice to be able to give buyers an option besides just the Prius," said Adam Kraushaar, president of a New Jersey Hyundai dealer. Further complimenting the electrified plans, a plug-in version of the Kia Optima Hybrid is also reportedly on the way. With its launch, the two brands would have a total of nine hybrid, EV or fuel cell vehicles on offer by the 2018 model year.