Autoblog Praises Kia Niro PHEV For “Striking Just the Right Balance” In the Hybrid Realm

This past week, the well-informed and high-mile gleaned staff of Autoblog penned down some material about the eco-friendly and feature-filled PHEV, which is a vehicle that is oh-so-easy to be affectionate about. Many out there are searching for a vehicle that in all ways screams “normal”, and we can definitely relate to the fact that many who have been bitten by the Prius bug may be perpetually bored by their choice. Autoblog celebrated the way in which there is not a lagging throttle response, that will immediately hamper drive ability, and heartily contributes to the plausible 49 mpg rating.

One thing the gang from Autoblog lamented is that the Sport mode is “perfect for  the moments when you want a little zest from your plug-in hybrid”, and that at the end of the day, this is one incredibly efficient vehicle. Not “looking like a slug” as other hybrids do makes it automatically more viable than others, and all of us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis are adamant about its value and usefulness. Cargo capacity was ranked standout by the publication as well, and the 19.4 feet of available space behind the back seat is more functional since its boxier. Anyone looking to see exactly what type of passenger space is available, may be pleasantly surprised to see that a pair of 6-footers should be able to fit both front and back.

Many customers need the SUV body style to get what they want, and as the reviewers note here, it meets the “errand-getting, fuel-sipping urban runabout M.O. Of a plug-in hybrid without being weird, annoying, or depressing”. One important draw for buyers is what the analysts at Car and Driver deemed “Pounds without a Penalty”: due to the extra off-the-line surge provided by the more powerful electric motor, the added extra 177 pounds allow the Niro to greatly improve upon its dynamic character. Feeling more stable and planted on rough roads is the name of the game, and the six-speed dual-clutch automatic does the job at hand well.

The interior features the very clean and ergonomic dashboard with easy-to-use  infotainment controls, and buttons as well as knobs that are arranged logically. Come to visit us soon, and see how the EX Premium model is one of the best-equipped hybrids in the business: an 8.0-inch touchscreen with navigation, heated and cooled front seats as well as a heated steering wheel, and adaptive cruise control make for a great package as far as features are concerned. There's a lot to love here: as an excited new owner of a Niro, you are not only lessening your footprint on the planet, but showing others that you lead by example with your daily driving choice. Priced right for anyone who is looking to add the best in a conscious car to their regimen, the Niro is a step forward for times when doing so matters the most!

2019 Soul Spotted Traversing Through The Rocky Mountain Region

 Here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis, any up-close look available of upcoming vehicles gets a large amount of our attention, and pretty quickly at that! It was back in February when the ice scrapers were making their daily rounds about the lot here, when we got our first sneak peak at the upcoming Kia Soul. Cloaked in heavy camo and testing in the snow, that first encounter gave us quite a few photos, but we have not seen the nimble and very eco-conscious crossover much since then. TFLnow on YouTube came upon a prototype enjoying a pleasant blast of warmer weather in Colorado. Since there was no snow in the footage, it seems the sighting was quite recent.

The footage looks to be gleaned from Silverthorne, a town that looks like the setting   of a picturesque model railroad. Since the camo wrap was gone from the fenders, the sculptured body lines on both the door and fender are revealed more clearly, as well as a very close look at the new front clip beneath the covers. There is a new stacked headlight design that is shown more clearly through this as well, on top of LED tail lights that wrap around onto the hatch in a well-woven dramatic stackup.

 From these photos, it's a bit tricky to tell what kind of powertrain exists beneath the outer skin will finally be offered as an option with front-wheel drive serving as the base platform. There may be a turbocharged option on deck for all-wheel drive, and all of us here have appreciated just how far under wraps we were able to keep details of the new model. A full reveal will possibly take place in November at the L.A. Auto Show, or perhaps early next year in Detroit. This is a vehicle that has truly given drivers an excellent gift that “came in a box”, and the form and factor lives on, even after its original release 5 years ago.

It's the staunch new model that the Car and Driver staff lovably deemed  “funkadelic”  and popular after test driving this year's model, and the practical tall hatch/small crossover will lure many buyers in markets just like ours where customers frequently require all-wheel-drive. It has also truly been one of the true ambassadors of our brand, and one that we admit is sometimes even a more solid example of what we can produce and lay our namesake to than our beloved Stinger sport tourer. If recent news events regarding Eco-conscious issues have swayed you as they should, there are also rumors that a hybrid or plug-in hybrid variant may be added to the range. There are a lot of choices out there right now for those that want a truly dependable, durable, and budget-friendly SUV: come down for a test drive of the Soul soon, and see how the precise engineering of tomorrow will benefit you today.

J.D. Power Awards Highest Ranking to Kia Sorento for Powertrain Quality, Overall Design

This year's Kia Sorento has been widely praised for its engine offerings, handling, and design for months now. Every time a customer asks us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis about what types of recognition various models have been receiving out there in the world of reviews and media, we always are delighted to “get our bragging rights on” as far as that goes. The engine offerings on this year's Sorento include a turbocharged 2.0-liter 4-cylinder, that makes 240 horsepower, and resides just between the 4 and 6 cylinder engines in the lineup, offering up stellar power without a huge ding in the fuel economy department.

The base option 4-cylinder is a 2.4-liter unit that creates 185 horsepower, while the more powerful V6 is capable of cranking out 3.3 liters, and makes a full 290 horsepower. All three engines offer the option of a 6-speed transmission, and all-wheel drive is an option across the entire lineup, minus the entry-level L models. One of the best attributes about the V6 Sorento is its fuel rating: at 18 mph in the city it is the true definition of an Eco-friendly keeper, and 4-cylinder models without all-wheel drive can achieve up to 29 mpg on the highway.

Coming out triumphantly as “Among the Best” in the midsize SUV rating category, design, powertrain quality, as well as body and interior quality, you can be confident that coming down to check out the sporty SX trim yields you even bigger 19-inch wheels, as well as a blind-spot detection system with rear cross traffic alert, a ThinFilm Technology instrument cluster, and sunshades in the rear seat to protect passengers from the ever-present glare on I-70, and beyond. There is nothing quite as luxurious as the feel of a Napa leather seating surface, as well as a ventilated seat, and these are just two of the amenities offered with the top-of-the-line SX Limited Trim.

Car and Driver deemed the Sorento this year as “a solid three-row player with impressive flexibility”, and was very impressed with the Cool and Connected Package. Here you are allotted dual-zone climate control, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. As the dog days of summer continue with their massive amounts of heat and sunshine, ask us how you can cruise around in cool contentment with the best in tunes: the Infinity premium 10-speaker audio system will leave you in flat-out beats connoisseur's awe. Safety technology can add impressive automated emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-departure warning, and forward-collision warning with the Advanced Technology package. The all-wheel-drive system that ups towing capacity to 5000 pounds is ideal for anyone with a hefty haul coming up, and helps the Sorento claim its turf right alongside the wildly active Lake-and-campfire crew!

Automobile Mag Takes 2019 Optima SX and Sorento SKL on Respective Spins

The experienced team at the Automobile blog took the journey to visit the plant that the Optima and Sorento are manufactured in this past week, about an hour's drive south of the Atlanta metro area. Looking to gain some insight on handling, performance, and elements of consumer appeal, they were eager to get their hands on both of these cars for a thorough testing. When you are first coming into a city after a flight and exiting the baggage claim, it doesn't matter how many brand-new models you have driven as an auto review specialist: that initial post-flight jaunt is all-telling. Suspension, steering attributes, and safety features are all going to be scrutinized heavily by any seasoned veteran weaving their way out from a busy transportation hub. 

The fully-loaded 2019 Kia Sorento SX-Limited V-6 was the car of choice for the drive, with 19-inch alloys, rain-sensing windshield wipers, stainless steel pedals, and premium Nappa leather seat trim with ventilated front seats, second-row heated outboard seat cushions, heated steering wheel and LED headlights, as well as daytime running lights. An 8-speed automatic is brand new on V-6 powered '19 Sorentos, with a revised six-speed on the 4-cylinder versions. The team at Automobile appreciated the revised instrument cluster and two-way lumbar support right off the bat, as well as being quick on acceleration for the typical cluster and lane-changing needs on the highway.

 The Kia plant in Georgia can build up to 360,000 cars per year in any type of mix, and it is not at all difficult for them to switch between sedan and SUV production. The Automobile staff definitely thought the line workers were friendlier here than many other plants they had visited, and had a sense of amiable and approachable demeanor that was authentic. From the skyscrapers of the Detroit area to other production hubs such as Ohio, there have been ripples of all types of emotion over the last decade, and the workers here in Georgia have a happiness and sense of contentment that is reassuring in a still-somewhat-unstable climate.

The 2019 Kia Optima SX 2.0T was driven by the team in twisty, hilly country roads in western Georgia, and they thought that it was a solid and fun-to-drive mid-size sedan. The 18-inch alloys provided a compliant and smooth ride, and the predictable sense of linear steering was ranked as above satisfactory. Launching out of tight corners with the 245-horsepower, 2.0-liter turbo four was a cinch, and the amount of existing lag was deemed perfect. Stinger-inspired front-and rear-fascias are also a nice visual plus, and UVO link with navigation can easily come to the rescue. We hope that you visit us at Jim Butler to check out just how awesome both of these rides are: a growing family, young entrepreneur, or anyone moving into a new phase of life will be well-versed and ready for four-lane victory with either of these current models.