Autoblog

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

Jeffrey N. Ross — Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:58:00 EST

Filed under: Chevrolet, Chrysler, Dodge, Ford, Infiniti, Jeep, Kia, Lexus, Maybach, Mazda, Mercedes-Benz, Mitsubishi, Volvo

It happens every year. We bid adieu to some cars and trucks that will be missed, and say good riddance to others wondering how they stayed around so long. Whether they're being killed off for slow sales or due to a new product coming along to replace them, the list of vehicles being discontinued after 2012 is surprisingly long and diverse.

CNN Money has compiled a list of departing vehicles, to which we've added a few more of our own. In the slow sales column, cars like the Lexus HS 250h, Mercedes-Benz R-Class and the full Maybach lineup appear, while the Ford Escape Hybrid, Mazda CX-7 and Hyundai Veracruz are all having their gaps filled with more modern and more fuel-efficient alternatives. Obvious exceptions to the rule include models that still sell in decent numbers like the Jeep Liberty and the Chrysler Town & Country (which will eventually be replaced by a crossover-like vehicle).

Check out our gallery of discontinued cars above, then scroll down for more information.

Continue reading These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky

These cars are headed to the Great Crusher In The Sky originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 24 Aug 2012 14:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Next Kia minivan expected to pull cues from KV7 concept

Chris Tutor — Sat, 21 Jul 2012 10:01:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Kia

As we reported in May, the Kia Sedona minivan will skip the 2013 model year while its replacement is readied for market. A Kia spokesman tells Edmunds Inside Line that the company still considers the minivan segment important and that the current Sedona should continue to be available through 2012.

Though not confirmed, Inside Line expects the 2014 Sedona to take its overall minivan/crossover shape from Kia's KV7 concept car first seen at the 2011 North American International Auto Show. That backs up what we theorized last January in Detroit. Kia's VP of marketing hinted to us then that the KV7 wasn't purely a styling exercise and that could one day inspire a production vehicle. Don't, however, hold out for the concept's fantastical gullwing doors, swiveling seats, LED instrument panel or LED headlights.

"With the KV7 what we see coming eventually is materials on the vehicle that we'd like to see incorporated," Michael Sprague, Kia's marketing VP told us then. "Or getting a Kia that's Wi-Fi enabled, it's just a question of how soon."

Look for the new Sedona to bow sometime in 2013.

Next Kia minivan expected to pull cues from KV7 concept originally appeared on Autoblog on Sat, 21 Jul 2012 10:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Sedona not returning for 2013, replacement coming for 2014

Zach Bowman — Mon, 07 May 2012 19:00:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Plants/Manufacturing, Kia, South Korea

The minivan segment has grown from fiercely competitive to downright cut-throat. With fairly new iterations of vehicles like the Toyota Sienna, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Grand Caravan and Chrysler Town & Country, formerly acceptable entries like the Kia Sedona have fallen straight off the map. This isn't news to the Korean automaker, either. Kia spokesman James Hope has confirmed there will be no 2013 Sedona.

But that doesn't mean the company will stay away from the segment for too long. Hope made it clear Kia will be back with a new family hauler, though declined to share any details on the vehicle.

Odds are that means a new Sedona will come along in 2014 or so, though that's just speculation on our part. While Kia refreshed the minivan in 2011, the changes didn't cover much beyond a mildly reworked front fascia. The vehicle was still saddled with an embarrassing "Poor" rating in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety roof-crush test.

Kia Sedona not returning for 2013, replacement coming for 2014 originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 07 May 2012 19:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Five minivans earn IIHS Top Safety Pick award

Jeff Sabatini — Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Safety

If there's a vehicle segment where safety matters most, it's the minivan. So the good news for soccer moms and dads is that the best selling minivan in the U.S. has earned the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety's Top Safety Pick award. By virtue of acing its roof strength test, the 2012 Chrysler Town & Country joins the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna at the top of IIHS's rankings. The Dodge Grand Caravan and Volkswagen Routan doppelgangers get included, as well.

The bad news, however, is that the brand new Nissan Quest minivan didn't do as well, receiving only an "acceptable" rating in roof strength, which kept it from being named a Top Safety Pick. The Kia Sedona, which was last redesigned for the 2006 model year, was given a "poor" rating in roof strength, the worst score possible.

IIHS started requiring good results in its roof strength test for the 2010 Top Safety Pick. The tests are designed to predict performance in a rollover accident. IIHS says that its research indicates that a higher strength to weight ratio than the government mandated minimum of 1.5:1 helps reduce the risk of injury. Its recommended ratio is 4:1, which will earn a vehicle a "good" rating and make it eligible for the Top Safety Pick award if it also scores well in front, side and rear impact crash tests.

The Chrysler minivans scored 4.51:1 on the roof strength test, while the Quest managed 3.36:1, and the Sedona's, only 2.3:1. The strongest minivan roof on the market belongs to the Honda Odyssey, at 5.15:1. Toyota's Sienna scored 4.12:1.

Read the full press release after the jump.

Continue reading Five minivans earn IIHS Top Safety Pick award

Five minivans earn IIHS Top Safety Pick award originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 02 Nov 2011 10:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Video: Driver of shocking road debris accident interviewed by NBC's Today Show

Aaron Richardson — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:27:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Videos, Kia

Wendy Cobb NBC Today Show interview - Click above to watch video after the jump

The driver who very nearly filmed her own death has been interviewed by NBC's Today Show after video of her shocking road debris accident went viral. Wendy Cobb of Shelby, North Carolina was driving on April 1 when the accident happened.

Cobb says she was using her cameraphone to film two trucks who were holding up traffic so she could report the incident. As Cobb turned her phone toward the road in front of her, the truck and trailer in front of her kicked up a 2x4 lying in the road that shattered the windshield of her Kia Sedona minivan and very nearly impaled her. Luckily, Ms. Cobb's children weren't with her when the accident happened, or the results may have been far more tragic. According Cobb, the only injury she received was a tiny glass cut. Damage to her car was limited to the hood and windshield.

Cobb says she hasn't watched the video since the day of the accident, but has received plenty of emails from people who still think it was an April Fool's prank - check out the video after the jump. Thanks for the tip, Adam!

[Source: NBC]

Continue reading Video: Driver of shocking road debris accident interviewed by NBC's Today Show

Video: Driver of shocking road debris accident interviewed by NBC's Today Show originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 05 Apr 2011 14:27:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia says KV7 Concept presages some sort of production model; Hamstars to return?

Jonathon Ramsey — Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Minivan/Van, Marketing/Advertising, Crossover, Kia

Kia KV7 Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Kia KV7 Concept isn't only a concept. At the Detroit Auto Show this week, Michael Sprague, Kia's vice president of marketing, told Autoblog "We tend to use auto shows to presage what will be coming," and referenced the Kia Kue Concept from 2007 revealing the brand's design intent as precursor to the Sportage, then the Kia Koup Concept in 2008 and Soul Concepts in 2009 leading to their respective production versions.

The question is what we might see on the retail floor; certainly not the lounge-like seating, the full-length LED dash, or the gill-like LED headlights. Sprague tells AB, "With the KV7 what we see coming eventually is materials on the vehicle that we'd like to see incorporated. Or getting a Kia that's Wi-Fi enabled, it's just a question of how soon." Could this hint at a successor to Kia's aging Sedona/Carnival minivan?

Either way, it's likely that the brand's hilarious Hamstars won't be selling whatever the KV7 turns into. As to how much longer the furry rappers can keep it moving in the Soul's ad campaign, Sprague admits "We might have another one in us." Otherwise, the marketing push is that "we're going to market more sporty as Hyundai goes more premium," and the brand's creative like the Sweet Dreams ad stresses "making rational things fun."

Gallery: Kia KV7 Concept: Detroit 2011

Kia says KV7 Concept presages some sort of production model; Hamstars to return? originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 13 Jan 2011 13:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Sedona gets corporate face, new engine

Steven J. Ewing — Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:31:00 EST

Filed under: Minivan/Van, Kia

2011 Kia Sedona - Click above for high-res image gallery

Minivans are back in the spotlight again, thanks in part to the large effort Toyota put forward in reintroducing its Swagger Wagon, the Sienna. Since then, Honda has released its all-new Odyssey, Nissan has teased its all-new Quest, and Chrysler's reworked Town & Country and Grand Caravan twins are set to hit dealerships in the next few months. Kia, on the other hand, isn't making great strides in improving its minivan, the Sedona, though the friendly family-hauler does get some modest updates for the 2011 model year.

Most significantly, the Sedona is now powered by Kia's 3.5-liter V6 with output rated at 271 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. This represents a gain of 27 hp versus the outgoing 3.8-liter mill, though torque output is actually down by five pound-feet (we doubt you'll even notice). Power now runs through a six-speed automatic transmission, and because the Sedona retains its front-wheel-drive-only setup, the Sienna is the only minivan to offer four-wheel power.

Visually, the Sedona now wears Kia's new corporate grille, and LED turn indicators have been added to the side mirrors. Aside from that, no other major updates have been made for 2011, save the addition of standard Bluetooth connectivity across the model range. Pricing starts at $24,595 for the base Sedona LX, and the full details are available in Kia's press release, after the jump.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Sedona

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading 2011 Kia Sedona gets corporate face, new engine

2011 Kia Sedona gets corporate face, new engine originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Nov 2010 16:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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