Yes, Virginia, there is a Santa Claus, but he has a bright red beard, rather than a snowy white one, and he began his annual trip a bit early this year, with a coterie of automotive journalists substituting for the usual elves, set to deliver 23 beagles rather than toys. I was one of those who made this year’s journey…and like the rest of my colleagues, it made for a unique and heartwarming holiday adventure.
It came as far from a surprise when Kia confirmed plans to introduce a new version of its long-in-the-tooth Forte sedan at the New York Auto Show last spring. Nor were we shocked to learn the new model would get an entirely new name. But, after finally getting a chance to drive the 2025 Kia K4, we were struck by just how much better it is than the outgoing four-door model. Here’s our review.
It’s been a big year for Korean carmaker Kia, U.S. sales set to reach a new record. To keep momentum going it’s launching plenty of new products in 2025 and looking to enter still more “white space” beyond – a pickup one opportunity under study. But planning ahead is on hold until at least “January 21,” said the brand’s U.S. marketing chief, with the incoming Trump administration poised to address such issues as EV sale mandates and incentives, as well as tariffs on foreign-made vehicles.
With sales of electrified sales climbing, even as inflation and interest rates fall, Ford, Toyota, and Honda all reported strong sales in November. General Motors also hinted it had a big month while Tesla pulls back on Cybertruck.
November ended on a high note, at least from an automotive perspective, with sales of new vehicles delivering solid year-over-year gains for those brands that have so far reported their numbers for the month. And several Japanese and Korean brands ended November with new sales records.
In this week’s episode of the podcast, we talk about some of the important debuts that happened at the L.A. Auto Show, VW’s Cupra brand coming to the U.S., and we go for a spin in a new vehicle. We also make a rest stop and take a look at This Week in Automotive History.
Today’s cars are safer than ever, or so they should be considering all the active and passive safety equipment onboard. But that isn’t necessarily so and, surprisingly, some of the best-equipped products don’t fare all that well when you check federal data. Case in point? Tesla turns out to have the industry’s highest fatality rate, according to a new study.
The 2024 LA Auto Show is now being turned over to the public, but not before scores of new vehicles — ICE and electric — made their debut in the City of Angels. Headlight.News went to Los Angeles to ensure we had the latest news from this year’s event. Check out the stories.
This week’s LA Auto Show may be more low-key than in some years — but Kia heated things up with three debuts on Thursday, including updates to the Sportage SUV and EV6. It also rolled out a new GT version of its three-row EV9.
Battery power appears to have electrified the jurors of the North American Car, Truck and SUV of the Year awards. Eight of the nine finalists are offered in all-electric or hybrid form. Here’s who’s on the list.
Looking for a stylish, well-equipped SUV with room for up to six, good performance and low energy costs? Hyundai is betting it has the right product for you. The Korean carmaker’s 2025 Ioniq 9, a spacious well-equipped 3-row EV, makes its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this week. And Headlight.News got a chance to check it out before the official unveiling at the LA Convention Center.
Better late than never, it seems, for Vietnamese EV start-up VinFast, the automaker finally delivering the first batch of its second model-line offerings, the VF 9. But those interested in the 3-row SUV will still find only limited availability through a handful of dealerships in California other states.