AutoGuide.com Shares 5 Amazing Stats About the Kia Stinger

Every week we are gleaning the web thoroughly to find reviews and news about everything Kia-related, and lately we found this awesome feature from AutoGuide.com!  Host Andrew Park is perched at the Canadian Tire Motorsports Park, excitedly preparing to tell us 5 awesome reasons to love the Kia Stinger. His first area of intense infatuation was in the acceleration department, as the video shows the Stinger blasting off without a car in the world on the slightly damp track. 

Prime Acceleration Power: Here the stat is presented with ultimate bragging rights that the car goes from 0-100 km/h in just 4.9 seconds. The base model provides a 3.3-liter V6 paired to a smooth 8-speed automatic transmission and is by far one of the best values out there in the enthusiast-minded sports sedan segment. 

Beyond Imaginable Braking Capacity: With all of the engine power at the Stinger's disposal, you need solid stopping power to meet you safely on the reverse end. Here is where the Brembo 13.8-inch front brake rotors, and four-piston calipers, poised and on deck to slow down the 19-inch wheels boasting summer tires really shine. 

An Abundance of Cargo Space: Aggressively breaking through the notion that sports sedans are not that practical for the daily drive, the Stinger rallies moxie by offering up 40.9 cubic feet of cargo space. The rear seats are split 60-40, doing away with the need to compromise heavily between practicality and raw performance. With the liftgate and moon roof, you get a few added touches of luxury that seem to “take you into German territory” as far as comparisons between foreign rival models go. 

Benefits of Dynamics Stability Damping Control Suspension: The Standard Stability Damping Control Suspension is always working overtime to ultimately give you more control of the driving experience. Custom, Eco, Sport, Comfort, and Smart all the modes that are included within, and immediate adjustment to the suspension among other elements make a notable difference during the drive. Sport mode allows for the rawest and exciting form of enjoyment for the track, and will leave you giddy and tingling after every single run. 

Kia's 5 Year/ 100,000 km Comprehensive and Powertrain Warranty: One of the traits of every car we provide for our loyal customers here at Jim Butler Kia of St. Louis that remains so satisfactory is the warranty. On top of the comprehensive and Powertrain categories, best-in-class roadside is included as well. Don't forget to ask us about the GTS version of our luxurious sports sedan: limited to only 600 units, the 2020 GTS features the brand-new Kia D-AWD system, control logic, 720-watt Harmon Kardon premium audio system, and Clari-FI signal enhancing technology. 

Latest K900 Praised by Automobile For Having “Beautiful and Plush Crafting, Primed Sense for Indulgence”

When the first-generation K900 hit showrooms 5 years ago, it was powered by a 32-valve V8, but despite its stature and purpose, at times lacked the promise that is needed for a true automotive home run. Arthur St. Antoine of Automobile mag now revisits the K900 in full effect, and claims out of the gate that it “offers enough goodness that budget-conscious luxe-sedan shoppers would be doing themselves a disservice if they didn't check it out”.

Based on very similar mechanics as Hyundai's slightly larger, ritzier Genesis G90, the second version of the K900 is a step up in space. It has grown 2.3 inches in wheelbase, boasts much greater legroom, and has a very extravagant vibe. When you are here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis for a test drive, don't forget to check out the benefits of the VIP Package: here you see the flip-down center rear armrest that includes controls for the power seats, audio system, and climate control, wireless phone charger and rear-seat ventilation, offering a limousine-style sense of luxury for everyone on board.

The new engine is the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 that can be found in the sporty Stinger GT. Sporting 365 horsepower, it is not quite as powerful and potent as the old 420-horsepower V8, but the 376 lb-ft max torque number remains the same, and the engine pairs perfectly with the Stinger's 8-speed automatic and paddle shifters. When Arthur put it to the test he deemed it very quiet and smooth, with acceleration being impressive for a frame that is nearly 5,000 pounds. The turbo-six can power the K900 to 60 mph in just over five seconds, and EPA fuel economy is now up from 15/23 mpg city/highway to 18/25.

As far as the selectable driving modes, Sport mode firms up the steering and the ride, and also allows a bit more of the glorious engine noise to flow on inside. Smart mode uses technology to predict the desired responses based on what the driver is doing at the wheel, and Comfort is where the sedan usually provides its best all-around ride. Compared to the track-ready and salacious Stinger, this is a car that provides a refined and gentle ride, and a stylish outing to the symphony or holiday ball would seem like a perfect jaunt.

The Automobile mag gang ranked overall visibility as “superb”, and appreciated the simplicity and practicality of the infotainment interface. The display in the K900 is much larger than what you encounter in the Telluride, and the rigid structure speaks for itself at every turn. Elegance has many faces in today's car landscape, and picking the K900 as your upper-level crowd (and family) pleaser makes entirely a heaping amount of shrewd sense!

Forbes Magazine Claims Kia Niro EV “A Win For Electric Mainstream”

Dale Buss of Forbes Magazine is correct in saying that the push towards electrification in the auto realm is more firm now than ever before. All of us here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis and other dealers nationwide have stepped up and banded together to provide the best warranty coverage and customer service of any brand out there. Now we have managed to produce an all-electric model that the American mainstream can feel very comfortable in, and Forbes featured it this past week as an example of the very exciting future to come.

The platform is a cross between a large sedan and an SUV, dashed with a bit of hatchback flavor. It is loaded up well with features that give it a very high score when it comes to value, and it now really becomes the solid anchor for the line that one just provided a PHEV and hybrid. When a Niro gives you the range you've got left for a drive, we claim to be the most accurate on the market, and we will not keep the driver guessing as to how much remains.

Another much-appreciated element is the placement of the plug for the electric cord in the front fascia, as many EVs and PHEVS do. The difference with just those few feet can ease many frustrations when it comes to charging in a typical suburban garage. The Forbes crew also took note that many Kia models rank heartily at the very top of the yearly J.D. Powers and Associates rankings.

The Niro that Dale took for a drive was the EX Premium, which cranks out 201 horsepower, provides quick-charging capability for its front port of you've got a fast charger, boasts 17-inch allow wheels in the EX Premium trim version, and puts down EPA-rated fuel economy of 122 MPG in the city and 102 MPGe on the highway. He categorized the overall driving of the Niro as pleasantly sharp, and that luxury levels are quite high for a daily driver.

Where the Niro shined above and beyond for this group was the cockpit technology. UVO systems are a consumer's widely-chosen favorite and Apple CarPlay and Android come standard. One thing that we think you're going to love about the Niro most is that you can take the presence of cars like the early Prius and throw them out the window at high speed: it doesn't LOOK like an electric car. This is the type of vehicle that will ease the public's fear of the unknown and help provide a valuable stepping stone into what will be commonplace within 4 years: all-electric and Eco-conscious fleets!

Kia Telluride SX V6 Reviewed By Automobile Mag as “Friendly as a Golden Retriever, and Astoundingly Good”

Arthur Antoine of Automobile mag got his chance to test drive the 2020 Kia Telluride last week and admitted wholeheartedly that he was very excited when the fully-loaded SX model arrived on his doorstep. His colleague Jamie Kitman just the week before had said that the SUV was “astoundingly good”, and he was eager to see if the vehicle would live up to its promise and prestige. He began the ride in Comfort mode and noticed right away that the glide was similar to that one would experience in a Range Rover.

Once on the highway, he also claimed that the engine barely made its presence known, and thanks to the gearing of the standard 8-speed automatic, the 3.8-liter twin-cam V6 that cranks out 291 horsepower hums along pleasantly while cruising at highway speeds. When Arthur made the switch to Sport mode, the quicker throttle and steering response were noticed right away. During cornering the brake-based torque-vectoring system helps to rotate the chassis, and ultimately make you feel as if the Telluride is not as big as it is.

Everyone on staff here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis does pay homage to the ways how other SUV makers flaunt the go-anywhere capabilities of massively-rigged components and very advanced off-road systems. With the Telluride, our engineering team focused heavily on what we fell the majority of SUV owners who don't take flight from paved roads often want. An 8-passenger version with a second-row bench is available, and the second-row twin's captain chairs that come standard on the SX were ranked by this testing crew as incredibly comfy. The Telluride's towing rating is 5,000 lbs, and the driver's seat is leather-trimmed, ventilated, heated, power-operated, and within proximity to all pertinent controls.

Safety and convenience features have been knocking it out of the park as far as Kia is concerned: The Telluride SX sports smart cruise with stop and to go rear cross-traffic alerts, forward-collision alert, park-distance warning, lane-keep assist, and much more. The onboard blind-spot view monitor allows for the driver to access a live camera view to see if oncoming cars are right next to you or one lane over. The blind-spot monitor that appears on the head-up display provides you with a useful icon that lights up if any other vehicle is in your blind spot.

You don't even have to move your head to make it useful, and it is great for highway incidents where someone flies past your left. The final verdict for this test drive was that the SX is a value-rich vehicle with solid moves, and a character as friendly as a Golden retriever: Come to visit us this fall and see for yourself how punchy yet practical this SUV is, and go for a thorough spin!

Spy Video from Motor1.com Shows 2020 Kia Sorento Caught Flexing at Nurburgring

Just about a month after the last time a prototype of the next-generation Kia Sorento was caught via spy shots, the bounty of the internet gleaned us a few more, this time at the famed Nurburging. In these videos we received most recently, it is caught wearing its usual production body and headlights, minus any fake body panels, which finally offers up a good view at its final shape. The taillamps seen were not what you'd usually find among a production cluster, but just temporary test units. This particular testing model seems to be the same one that was sent digitally to our desks here at Jim Butler Kia of St Louis earlier this year.

Since this is the third time it has been spotted by numerous media outlets and photographers, this could mean that hefty endurance tests are being carried out at this world-famous track. Even though it was decided that the Sorento did not seem like it was in its natural habitat, it's important to consider that this is a large SUV, and even with a bit of body roll in the corners, the suspension will be geared towards comfort instead of aggressive performance.

At this time there are not many details about the engine selection that will reside in the new generation of the Sorento, but it's probably a safe bet that various electrification plans are imminent. The current 3.3-liter V6 and 2.4-liter inline-four are expected to carry over, cranking out 290 and 185 horsepower respectively. Most of the other reports we are seeing claim that this three-row SUV should arrive at some point during the first half of next year, but a precise unveiling date is not yet known.

Jeff Perez of Motor1.com enjoyed a test drive of the 2019 model near Crested Butte, Colorado last year, and immediately claimed that it offered up a great sense of comfort as well as capability. This year's model offered brand-new 19-inch wheels, a new diffuser, and plenty of chrome accents. For 2020, all trim levels for the Sorento offered seven-passenger seating, and it proved to be 100% responsive on some of the trickiest roads the Rocky Mountain State had to offer. Snowbanks, dirt roads, and even black ice were no problem at all while lurching through these Colorado roads equipped with the V6.

If you opt for the EX trim and higher, the Sorento now comes standard with a forward-collision warning system, adaptive cruise control, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alerts, and a surround-view monitoring system. If your business or family happen to be experiencing the blessing of rapid growth, the tech offerings, hauling capability, and 5,000 – lb tow rating will all be enormous assets to the daily productivity of your hard-earned bounty!