Drew Dowdell

Kia unveiled two SUV concepts at the Seoul Motor Show this week. Both concepts preview design directions for the brand. First up is the Kia Masterpiece (Shown Above and right). Sporting a profile similar to the Kia Telluride, the Masterpiece is a take on a more rugged SUV. The front end shows off a new variation of Kia's Tiger Nose grille that extends outwards across the entire of the concept with 12 vertical bars in a Hummer-like fashion. The body has been raised and it has a strong all-wheel drive system to match its go-anywhere looks. Secondly is the Signature Concept (Shown Below). This is an update to the Kia SP Concept that was seen late last year and is slated to come to the US at some point. Kia says that this concept is nearly production ready and the production version will be revealed later in 2019. Up front, the Tiger Nose grille connect to thin LED lamps. Its strong shoulder line, with a glasshouse which tapers towards the rear of the car, lends the compact SUV an air of understated sportiness. View full article

As I was saying. Individually, these car industry cuts are a drop in the economic bucket... but they keep piling up and piling up and while the numbers for say Honda in Swindon may only be about 3,500 direct jobs, it is probably going to end up being closer to 75,000 jobs in the UK just related to Honda's closure.

Mercedes-AMG has introduced the A 35 Sedan, a pint-size power house for people wanting a compact sedan with sporting character. The A 35 backs up that claim with a 2.0 liter turbo that generates 302 hp at 5800 rpm and 295 lb-ft of torque in the range between 3,000 and 4,000 rpm. Power is sent to all wheel via a 7-speed DCT. Naught to 60 takes just 4.7 seconds. As drivers select different drive modes, there is an automatically controlled exhaust flap to modify engine sound. To increase structural rigidity, AMG has added a special "shearing plate" underneath the engine to increase front end stiffness and two additional braces at the front of the underbody further add stiffness. Faux leather with microfiber inserts and red contrasting top stitching are standard, as are the red seatbelts. MBUX multimedia system and digital cluster also come standard. Drivers can control certain functions of the car with voice activation by saying "Hey Mercedes". As expected, much of the rest of the A 35, including dimensions, carry over from the standard A-Class Sedan, which you can read more about below. We will hopefully get a closer look at the Mercedes-AMG A 35 at the New York International Auto Show on April 17th. View full article

I think this vehicle is too small for 500k a year. If it were 3 series sized, then maybe.

BMW is planning on a new EV on a platform shared with Daimler according to reports. The new car, called the i2, would be about the same size as the current BMW i3, but without the expensive carbon fiber body. The i2, aimed for a 2024 launch, would have a starting price less than 30,000€ ($34,000). BMW wants to have a 300km (186 mile) range. BMW recently revised the i3 to have a larger battery. The revised battery is 42.2 kWh and gives the i3 a range of 153 miles. Sales of the combined models from both BMW and Daimler would be targeted around 500,000 annually. View full article

Hyundai announced the name of their new crossover, the Hyundai Venue, that will debut at the New York International Auto Show in three weeks. The Venue will slot below the Hyundai Kona in their lineup, bringing their total crossover count to 6. The Venue follows the new Hyundai Kona, a redesigned Hyundai Santa Fe, and the new three-row Hyundai Palisade . Hyundai's crossover sales rose by 24% in 2018 while car sales dropped 13%. The Venue will debut in New York at the Jacob Javits Center on April 17th. Related: View full article