What do the Jeep Wrangler, the Volkswagen Beetle, and the Kia Soul have in common? Mechanically, not much. You are not likely to see a Beetle doing any off-roading, and there were probably not many Wranglers at Woodstock in 1969. One is American, one German and one Korean. So what, if anything, do they […]
Category: Kia
All-Electric F-150, Silverado Diesel & Why The Charger (Still) Rules
Annnnd we’re back. AutoInfluence with all of your current auto news headlines for the week of July 26th. This includes the all-electric F-150, the Silverado 1500 Diesel, and California Emissions standards taking home a big win thanks to a few automakers in particular. In fact, let’s get that last one out of the way […]
Goodwood Festival of Speed & This Week’s Current Auto News
Did you miss us? We missed you. That’s right, AutoInfluence is back after a two week break and there’s plenty of current auto news to cover – from everyday industry headlines to the 2019 Goodwood Festival of Speed and the Q2 Truck Sale shootout to the impactful death of two industry giants, there’s plenty […]
Tesla on Fire (Literally), the American Made Index & Electrified Porsche.
Annnnd we’re back. AutoInfluence with all of your current auto news headlines for the week of June 28th. And FINALLY. What a week it was! We have rumors of one iconic muscle cars’s retirement, FCA change-ups, Tesla firefighting, results of this year’s American Made Index, Porsche electrification and the rumor of one model’s death […]
Leasing a New Kia: Is It Right For You?
For buyers looking to get into a new Kia, lease deals may be a more attractive option than buying outright. Leasing is perfect for drivers who are inclined to trade in the car every few years in order to stay in a newer vehicle, or those who don’t drive many miles in a given year. […]
The 2019 Buick Encore or 2019 Mazda CX-3?
Trying to decide between the 2019 Buick Encore vs 2019 Mazda CX-3? Both the Encore and CX-3 are excellent vehicles in the subcompact SUV class. They are stylish, advanced, easy to maneuver and offer plenty of onboard technology. However, there are some major differences between these two SUVs. Each vehicle features varying standard features, performance […]
Fathers Day, ’Death Wobbles’ and Tariffs Dodged
Annnnd we’re back. AutoInfluence here with all of your automotive news going into Fathers Day Weekend. But before we get to the individual headlines, a quick follow-up on last week’s threat of tariffs being placed on Mexican manufacturing – a story which all but moved forward mere minutes after we had posted the previous episode […]
Can the 2019 Kia Forte Change Our Mind?
It’s been just over a decade since we got our first look at the first-gen KIA Forte, an offshoot of the very same Hyundai Elantra that had pretty much failed to captivate our hearts. Fueled by our general lack of enthusiasm for the brand as a whole, it was unlikely that the Forte (in any […]
Exploring KIA’s Hits (& Misses)
When someone tells me they’ve spent (or planned to spend) any time at a KIA dealership, I find it all too easy to ‘go cynical’. As someone who came of driving age in the mid-90’s, I was a fresh driver/car-buyer during those early years, when KIA’s presence started to gain a greater visibility in […]
It’s Your Weekly Auto News, Featuring ‘Space Orange”!
Annnnd we’re back… AutoInfluence with all of your automotive news headlines for this week of May 17th. Starting with… Ford Much to the chagrin of stateside enthusiasts, Ford unveiled the wagon-styled variant of the Focus ST, an offering that isn’t available in the U.S. Offering a welcome 58 cubic feet of passenger / cargo space, […]
Tesla Killers & Name Games…it’s This Week’s Automotive News Headlines!
Annnnd we’re back, AutoInfluence on Mothers Day Weekend with all your automotive news headlines since…well, since seven days ago. Why? Because we want to be just as dependable as your mom is, except you can damn well bet that we’re not gonna clean up after you. Ford / Lincoln While an official unveiling of the […]
They Want to do WHAT to the Camaro?! (& Other News)
Annnnd we’re back…AutoInfluence kicking down the door to the month of May with all your automotive news. But don’t worry. We promise we’ll rehang the door once we’re done here (it’s the least we could do, since we forget to say hi to your mom in last week’s episode…) Ford / Lincoln This […]
What Can a Kia Dealership Do for You?
Over the years, car dealerships have gotten a bad reputation—often a well-deserved one—due to the way some salespeople and dealers have acted. Things like using high-pressure sales tactics, advertising bait-and-switch models, and pushing someone into financing they really can’t afford have all contributed to this. At this point, one of the last things you […]
It’s ‘HEMI DAY’! (and there’s a Hellephant in the Room…)
Annnnd we’re back, AutoInfluence on Friday, April 26th with all the automotive news headlines you could ask for, while celebrating a holiday that (we think) deserves to be made into a three-day weekend. But we’ll get back to that in a few minutes…let’s get down to the news! Ford As we’ve reported time and […]
Exploring the 2019 KIA Sorento
In a world growing evermore saturated with competitive crossovers and SUVs of various sizes, it goes without saying that it has gotten progressively more difficult for any offering to stand out. But the 2019 KIA Sorento almost seems to make it look easy and, after almost two decades and three generations, the Sorento only seems […]
Everything We (Were Surprised to) Like About the 2019 KIA Optima
Since so many automakers seem content in allowing traditional midsize sedans to be erased from existence, it’s refreshing to shift our attention over to one that’s enjoying some praise right now. And while nearly twenty years and nearly four full generations have come and gone since its original introduction, the 2019 KIA Optima feels […]
The 2019 Kia Optima: Building Upon a Solid Foundation
Currently in its fourth generation, the Optima has been one of Kia Motors’ most successful offerings for years now, and it doesn’t look to be going anywhere soon. Also available as a hybrid and plug-in hybrid variant, the 2019 Kia Optima includes updates which set it apart from the competition. Built in Georgia, the […]
Start Spreading the News…We’re Talking About the New York & Shanghai Auto Shows!
Annnnnnd we’re back, AutoInfluence with another round of automotive news headlines – this time for the third week of April. Of course this means highlights from both the refined presentations of the tech-centric Shanghai Auto Show as well as the New York International Auto show, and it’s American-sized portions of everything covered with a […]
Auto Shanghai? NYIAS? Sure. But First, the Automotive News Headlines for April 8th
Annnnnd we’re back! AutoInfluence here on Friday, April 12th making our way through automotive news headlines for the second week of April – leading up to the highly anticipated one-two punch of Auto Shanghai and the New York International Auto Show. That said, grab a drink and a snack, get comfortable, go to the bathroom […]
From Ford To Tesla (And Everything In-Between) Here’s the Latest in Automotive News for 4/5
Annnnnd we’re back. AutoInfluence here with the latest automotive news headlines from the first week of April 2019. So let’s drop the hammer and get down to it. FORD Despite a 1.6% decrease in overall sales for the first quarter of 2019, Ford continues to increase the scope of their near-unchallenged leadership of […]