Tag Archives: kia

Auto shows are in full swing. Manufacturers drop press release after press release. Suddenly, it seems like the car industry has almost finished healing from its ransacking at the hands of COVID and supply chain shortages, and new cars are more abundant and more alluring than ever. Affordable cars, dream cars, daily drivers, and high-performance piss missiles, oh my! It’s a fun, if polarizing, time to be a car nerd or even just a new car buyer, so let’s take a peek at some of the hottest new cars worth looking out for in the foreseeable future.

Genesis Magma lineup

Car gods, be praised! We whined, and they listened. Genesis has finally unveiled concepts for the Magma family, its future high-performance lineup in the same vein as BMW M, Mercedes AMG, Lexus F, and Audi Sport GmbH. Details of the cars are unknown, but there will be a mixed crop of EV and gasser Magma cars. First to hit the scene will be a full-production GV60 Magma EV and the limited-run G80 Magma Special.

2025 Toyota 4Runner

After a quintillion years in car years, the current-gen Toyota 4Runner will soon be the outgoing one, as Toyota teased an all-new iteration on their social media. Details are scarce other than a close-up image of the tailgate badge and the knowledge that it’ll most likely be based on the same architecture underpinning the Tacoma and Land Cruiser. Expect a 2024 reveal and a 2025 product release, as well as carryover 2.4-liter turbocharged hybrid and non-hybrid powertrains from the Taco and Land Cruiser.

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2025 Porsche 911 hybrid

Unlike most of the cars here, the 911 hybrid has not been officially revealed or teased in any capacity. But it’s coming. Test mules have been spotted meandering around Europe. Their appearances have only gotten more frequent with the turn of the new year, and some claim that we should expect an official debut come summer of 2024 when the 992.2 facelift arrives for the 2025 model year. We expect a 911 Hybrid to rock a turbocharged flat-six and a small lithium-ion battery driving all four wheels and enabling some trick torque vectoring.

Kia K5 hatchback (wagon)

Just look at it. Isn’t she a beauty? An affordable wagon. Leave it to the Koreans to at least style a car in a manner that at least exudes the vibe of upscale-ness, inside and out, even if we know it’ll be built to a low price point to sell at a low price point. Expect the standard K4 sedan’s naturally-aspirated 2.0-liter four pushing 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet through a CVT and its 1.6-liter turbocharged powertrain pushing 190 horsepower and 195 pound-feet through an eight-speed auto.

2025 Ford Mustang GTD

I know it’s probably beating a dead ‘Stang by now, but the GTD isn’t out yet! And it’s no less cool moseying around from rotating auto show pedestal to rotating auto show pedestal. For the seventeenth time, bask in its GT3 race car-inspired, soon-to-be-Nürburgring-lapping glory as Ford’s new six-figure halo car for Mustang and motorsports fans alike. Ford aims for 800 ponies out of the GT500-derived 5.2-liter supercharged V8 and a sub-seven-minute ‘Ring time.

‘Electrified’ Honda Prelude

Like the 911 Hybrid, the Prelude’s specs are all up in the air. But we know it’s coming. It has to atone for the death of the Accord and Civic coupes and the rise of the GR86/BRZ and Nissan Z. The concept shows off Michelin tires surrounding some stout Brembos, and maybe there’s even a hybridized Civic Si or Civic Type R motor under that hood.

2024 Dodge Charger

Considering Dodge’s recent moves toward electrifying its lineup, starting with the Dodge Hornet R/T, it’s no surprise that the new Charger Daytona swaps its iconic Hemi V8 for a 400-volt EV powertrain. For car enthusiasts, though, nothing quite matches the resounding charisma of an internal combustion engine. And they can still get that with the Hurricane-equipped Six Pack variant.

2025 Hyundai Ioniq 5 N

In a piece for TechRadar, Leon Poultney called the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N “the first genuinely fun EV.” And he’s not alone. While I haven’t had the chance to drive one,  in my New York Auto Show demo ride, I was blown away by how well it simulated the experience of being in a gas car—minus the carbon emissions.

2025 Ram 1500 Ramcharger

I’m no truck guy, but the powertrain Ram conceptualized for the Ramcharger is like a Chevy Volt on steroids. Although it can plug into a DC fast charger for 145 miles of all-electric road time, this isn’t a full BEV. And despite the 3.6-liter V6 under its hood, the gas engine has no mechanical connection to the wheels. Instead, two electric motors—one in the front and one in the back—propel the Ramcharger, with the help of a 70.8-kWh battery not much smaller than that of a Tesla Model Y. Only when the battery dies does the engine go to work, burning fuel to recharge the battery if the battery runs out of juice and you can’t reach a charging station.

2025 Lucid Gravity

We’re all tired of third-row SUVs. Believe me, this Mazda CX-90 review sucked the soul out of me for like two months. Still, the Lucid Gravity appears to be one of the more polished examples in its class. Fans of the genre will appreciate its soft-touch premium interior, expansive infotainment displays, and for the Tesla-averse, physical inputs where they’re needed. Best of all, the front trunk doubles as a seat for reverse tailgate parties.

2027 Rivian R3

Remember the Lancia Delta? No? Well, then you probably live in America, where the five-door Italian hatchback was never released. Nonetheless, the Rivian R3 borrows from the Delta’s design language—or at least its wider-stance Integrale variant. The R3, however, is a cute little electric crossover built on Rivian’s new compact crossover platform—one I could very much see myself in when the Tonale lease is up in a few years. Oh yeah. I said a few years since Rivian was so kind, giving us from its 2024 unveil to its speculated 2027 release to drool over it.

Platform Beyond Vehicle — A perfect summation of Kia’s vision for this next generation of vehicles. The Kia PBV is positioned to be the single vehicle that meets most, if not all, your needs. A key line in the sand for sustainability, but is it even possible to build such a vehicle? Kia certainly hopes so.

Revealed at CES 2024, The Kia PBV concept is more than a single vehicle or platform. Kia wants to be the end-to-end “Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider” for businesses and consumers. The key idea behind the PBV is Modularity.

Life modules will allow you to extend and customize your vehicle for every purpose. Deliver your cargo in the morning and take your family camping in the evening. The tech is still behind closed doors, but Kia calls them “Easy Swap” life modules, secureable with mechanical couplings and electromagnets. A skateboard electric powertrain will have a fixed driver cab, and the rest of the vehicle will be hot-swappable.

Kia PV5 to launch first, followed by larger PV7 and tiny PV1

The Kia PV5 will be this platform’s first proof of concept with innovative and intuitive technology and will likely be the most commonly sold variant, being available in passenger and cargo van configurations. With the consumer model in mind, Perovskite solar roof cells will supply power to the vehicle and provide electricity along the rails for users to use immediately.

New Kias: see prices at CarGurus

The modular tile system allows you to change your seating and add a desk, lights, or other accessories. So you can face your friends for more intimate drives and fun or have your mobile hustle-station on hand when driving to the meeting. The steering wheel can be equipped with an iPad or Smartphone and put away for more front cabin space. For mobility-impaired people, a lift will place you perfectly in the vehicle with magic folding seats!

The Kia PV5’s high roof is designed with automated commerce in mind for more commercial use. Kia says it can accommodate multiple “cabinets”, essentially large boxes with items in them, enabling large-scale single-trip deliveries. Real-time management software can access delivery information at the touch of a button.

And your spunky little Kia PV1 completes the trip with automated last-mile delivery. Its active electromagnetic suspension allows up-and-down and tilt movement of the floor with 4-wheel steering and a crab-walking mode (like a baby Hummer EV).

The Kia PV5 will hit the market in 2025 with a pricing goal set around $35,000. The PV7, the larger, longer-wheelbase model, is expected in 2027, and the smaller PV1 soon after that. A robo-taxi and pickup are also potential additions to the lineup.

Hold your horses on that used Kia or Hyundai purchase! A combined 3.37 million Hyundais and Kias from the previous decade are being recalled due to reports of an engine fire risk. Owners are being instructed to park outside and away from structures until repairs are completed. Such news of the Korean duo comes courtesy of a filing with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, as detailed below.

Owners of the approximately 1.64 million select Hyundai and Genesis vehicles listed below should park their vehicles outside and away from homes until their vehicles have been repaired, due to a new recall for the risk of fire.

Hyundai’s safety recall (NHTSA ID: 23V-651000) applies to the following vehicles and model years: 2012-2015 Accent, 2012-2015 Azera, 2011-2015 Elantra, 2013-2015 Elantra Coupe, 2014-2015 Equus, 2011-2015 Genesis Coupe, 2013-2015 Santa Fe, 2013 Santa Fe Sport, 2011-2015 Sonata HEV, 2010-2013 Tucson, 2015 Tucson Fuel Cell, 2012-2015 Veloster and 2010-2012 Veracruz. 

Owners of the approximately 1.73 million select Kia vehicles listed below should also park their vehicles outside and away from homes until their vehicles have been repaired.

Kia’s safety recall (NHTSA ID: 23V-652000) applies to the following vehicles and model years: 2014-2016 Cadenza, 2011-2013 Forte/Forte Koup, 2015-2017 K900, 2010-2015 Optima, 2011-2013 Optima Hybrid, 2011-2017 Rio, 2010 Rondo, 2011-2014 Sorento, 2011-2013 Soul and 2010-2013 Sportage. 

The vehicle’s anti-lock brake system module could leak brake fluid internally and cause an electrical short. An electrical short could result in significant overcurrent in the ABS module, increasing the risk of an engine compartment fire while driving or parked.   

NHTSA

As reported by NHTSA, the engine fire risk is a matter of potential brake fluid leaks, which can lead to an electrical short, causing a fire. Hyundai has announced its plans to inform owners to have their ABS module fuse replaced at a local dealer. Owners should follow instructions to refrain from driving their Hyundai or Kia unless they bring it to their dealer to remedy.

Thankfully, this shouldn’t affect new buyers or used car buyers shopping for some Korean metal from the last few years. According to the release, the engine fire recall seems to only affect Kias from 2010 to 2017 and Hyundais from 2011 to 2015. So new buyers are, in theory, safe. But that’s still a fat chunk of cars to call back for a wellness check.

Such a recall is sure to blemish the reputations of the highly respected pair who have worked tirelessly to transcend their past associations with mediocrity with genuinely compelling products. This is especially disconcerting given how brake fluid, while flammable, is rarely ever a cause for car fires. But then again, this isn’t the first instance of widespread modern car fires, and it surely won’t be the last.