2014 Kia Sedona: What's Changed

• Most significant changes: a revised grille and standard LED running lamps and fog lights give it a fresh face
• Price change: both trims increase by $1,000–$1,710
• On sale: later this month
• Which should you buy, 2013 or 2014? There’s no 2013 model, so 2014 is your only option

The biggest news for Kia's minivan is that it's not dead. After taking model-year 2013 off, the Sedona is back for 2014 with a revised grille, additional interior features and a price bump.

Base LX and uplevel EX trims return. For 2014, LX models start at $26,750 and EX versions at $31,750; model-year 2012 LXs started at $25,750 and EXs at $30,040 (all prices include an $850 destination charge).

The van returns with an updated face that wears standard LED running lights and fog lights. Inside, there's a new interior storage console designed to hold tablet devices. Heated leather-trimmed seats and automatic climate control are newly standard on EX trims. Pretty much everything else carries over, including the 269-horsepower 3.5-liter V-6 and six-speed automatic transmission. It's still EPA rated at 17/24 city/highway mpg.

Kia Announces Pricing for the 2014 Cadenza

Kia announced this week that its reentry into the full-size sedan segment, the 2014 Cadenza, will start at $35,900 (including an $800 destination charge) when it hits dealerships later this month. The sedan — powered by a 3.3-liter direct-injection V-6 good for 293 horsepower and paired with a six-speed, sport-tuned automatic transmission — will be available in one trim level with two available options packages.

The Korean automaker calls the Cadenza, which debuted at the 2013 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, its "most powerful and technologically advanced" vehicle ever offered in the U.S. It is also Kia's first full-size sedan since the Amanti’s departure a couple of years ago.

"Aside from a unique blend of European-inspired design, dynamic performance and high levels of refinement, Kia's newest flagship offers class-leading interior room and standard features," Kia said in a statement.

How Korean Tensions Could Affect American Car Shoppers

Following a nuclear test and subsequent global sanctions, escalating tensions on the Korean peninsula have North Korea issuing near-daily threats against its southern neighbor and the U.S. — and the latest developments have left nearby nations girding for conflict. Keep holding your breath; one top U.S. admiral told Congress he couldn't recall a more tension-fraught period since the Korean War ended in 1953. Should aggressions against South Korea occur, it would doubtless affect the country's huge auto industry, and the shock waves would hit U.S. dealerships in a matter of weeks.

Just how big is the South Korean auto industry? Here's a snapshot. Hyundai claims its massive Ulsan facility, which employs more than 34,000 people on the country's southeast coast, is the world's largest auto plant. And GM Korea, which runs five assembly plants in South Korea and a sixth in Vietnam, builds a quarter of all Chevrolets sold across the globe.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Kia Forte 5-Door

The 2013 Kia Forte 5-Door delivers a lot of bang for the buck, making it a good choice for small families looking to stretch their budget, says Cars.com Family reviewer Carrie Kim. This five-seat hatchback is lacking in the looks department with a design that seems too basic for the fun-loving Kia brand. Looks aside, Carrie found the Forte 5-Door to be a good fit for hauling her toddler and all her gear.

2013 Kia Forte 5-Door Family Review

Recall Alert: 1.7 Million Hyundai and Kia Vehicles

Hyundai and Kia are recalling approximately 1.7 million vehicles because of a brake light problem, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration reports. According to the agency, 1,059,824 Hyundai vehicles are affected, including:

• 2007-2009 Accent and Tucson
• 2007-2010 Elantra
• 2007-2011 Santa Fe
• 2008-2009 Veracruz
• 2010-2011 Genesis Coupe
• 2011 Sonata

Its sister company Kia is recalling 623,658 vehicles, including:

2014 Kia Soul Video

Kia's Soul has been a huge success. Cars.com's Kelsey Mays shows why the redesigned version has just as much promise. The video does a good job of showing the roominess of the cabin as well as the upgraded interior and a slew of surprising features for the class. Kelsey also explores the cargo area which is beefed up from the current model.

2014 Kia Soul: Up Close

The original Soul was nothing less than the first product that suggested Kia was more than just a clone of parent brand Hyundai. (Unfortunately, it might have been the last, too.) Its first redesign, for 2014, maintains the Soul's defining characteristic — its profile. Many car designers claim they styled their vehicles to look as if they're in motion even when they're standing still. With a roofline that slopes downward from the front to the rear, a stationary Soul also looks like it's in motion — backward. Whatever the case, I've always liked that aspect.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

However, once I walked in any other direction around the vehicle, I wasn't sure Kia had done much to keep the model distinctive — at least not in a positive way. Something about the more prominent headlight clusters says Mini Countryman to me. Around back, I love the now-Kia-signature taillights, which have a diffuse neon-looking glow formerly seen only on concept cars. I'm less wild about the gloss black finish that surrounds the taillights and rear window and traverses the liftgate. It's overdone, busy. Perhaps trim levels lower than the two Exclaim models at the show will be more modest.

2014 Kia Soul: Photo Gallery

With break-dancing hamsters on the scene, Kia revealed its newly redesigned 2014 Soul at this year's New York International Auto Show.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

One of Kia's top-selling models, the Soul is all-new with a restyled bumper and front end, and neat, flush taillights that look like they're borrowed from the Track'ster Concept that bowed at last year's 2012 Chicago Auto Show. Overall vehicle length and width have grown, while interior cabin space and cargo volume are also up a notch. The new 2014 Soul becomes Kia's first model to offer an Android-based UVO multimedia system, which complements an 8-inch touch-screen display.

Check out the photo gallery of Kia's redesigned Soul below. Cars.com photos by Evan Sears.

2014 Kia Forte Koup: Photo Gallery

The sedan and hatchback versions of Kia's compact Forte were redesigned for 2014; a new coupe, or Koup in Kia lingo, also joins the roster this year. The new Forte Koup mirrors its siblings' newfound flashy styling, fitting right into the lineup.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Base EX and sporty SX models are available. The EX uses a 173-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder; uplevel SX versions get a little more oomph from a 201-hp, turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder. Check out the gallery below. Cars.com photos by Evan Sears. 

2014 Kia Optima at the 2013 New York Auto Show

• Competes with: Hyundai Sonata, Ford Fusion, Mazda6
• Looks like: Updated enough to stay current with the competition
• Drivetrain: 2.4-liter four-cylinder, 2.4-liter hybrid, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder; six-speed automatic transmission
• Hits dealerships: Third quarter of 2013

Debuting this week at the 2013 New York International Auto Show is a refreshed 2014 Kia Optima. The changes to its appearance are few but across its four trim levels, the new Optima has added and updated features in an attempt to stay competitive in the booming midsize-sedan market.

The Optima's exterior has alterations to the front and rear including the brand's signature tabbed grille. There are also refreshed rear diffusers, a sweeping trunk lid and new front-LED positioning along with fog lights and newly designed taillights.

More 2013 New York Auto Show Coverage

Tech features include push-button start, a new 4.3-inch LCD instrument cluster and an optional 8-inch multimedia screen featuring Kia's UVO eServices, an eight-speaker Infinity sound system, HD Radio, SiriusXM Satellite Radio and SiriusXM Traffic. An optional blind spot warning system includes rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking sensors. Kia says newly designed seats should improve comfort.

When the 2014 Optima arrives at dealerships in third quarter of this year — pricing will be announced closer to the sale date — it will offer car shoppers a choice among LX, EX, SX and a new SX Limited trim levels. Base-model features include dual exhaust with chrome tips, solar glass, side mirror turn-signal indicators, front fog lights, heated side mirrors, chrome-accented exterior door handles and 16-inch alloy wheels. Upgrades reserved for the top-level SX Limited trim include unique 18-inch chrome wheels, LED fog lights, red brake calipers, an electronic parking brake, chrome-accented side sills and premium Nappa leather seats.