Kia to Unveil Crossover Concept, Superman Car at 2013 Chicago Auto Show

Kia's showing in Chicago next week will be a mix of concept, in the Kia Cross GT, and just plain conceptual, in its Superman-inspired Optima Hybrid. Both cars are set to be unveiled at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show, which runs Feb. 9-18 at McCormick Place.

Kia released a sneak peak of the Cross GT concept this morning. The photo shows what appears to be a seven-seat crossover larger than the 2014 Kia Sorento. Kia describes the Cross GT concept as "inspired by nature, driven by technology" and stated that it "hints at the future of Kia’s design language in the form of a premium Crossover Utility Vehicle." We’ll have full coverage of the concept next week from the show.

2011 SEMA Highs and Lows: Photo Gallery

Walking onto the show floor at SEMA is like being dropped into the bottom of a rugby scrum. All five senses are abused at once, and if you're not careful, you could be caught listening to a 20-minute sales pitch about why this leather protectant goes well with your new turbo boost gauge. It can be a daunting, overwhelming and downright scary place. But there's plenty to look at.

2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Package: SEMA Photo Gallery

Over the past few years, Lexus has tried to be more than just a maker of reliable but bland luxury vehicles. The Lexus IS F, CT 200h and LFA try to move the brand toward that sporty and aggressive strategy. While the previous-generation Lexus GS sport sedan had some F Sport options, Lexus has decided to anoint a complete F Sport Package to its redesigned 2013 Lexus GS series. The package includes new bumpers, mesh grille, rear spoiler, diffuser and larger wheels. 

We covered the F Sport Package earlier last week, but intrepid Cars.com photographer Ian Merritt spotted the real thing at SEMA. Check out his photos below.

Kia Forte Hybrid Concept Revealed at SEMA

Kia unveiled a slew of customized vehicles today at the SEMA show in Las Vegas and one of them was a unique Forte Hybrid Concept. The hybrid powertrain includes a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine that operates on propane and is coupled to an electric hybrid system, which uses lithium-polymer batteries.

Liquid propane can be used to power internal combustion engines just like gasoline, but LPG spews fewer toxins and smog-forming pollutants into the air, according to the U.S. Department of Energy. It’s also less expensive than gasoline.

More on Jay Leno's EcoJet Concept

We were all pretty surprised earlier this week when Jay Leno announced his collaboration with GM on the EcoJet concept. Leno — a well-known car freak — fulfilled every kid’s dream — or maybe just ours — of getting to design a crazy concept car from scratch with the backing of one of the world’s largest automakers. Keep reading for more photos of the concept, and see our original post here.

More on the Mazda CX-7 Adrenaline Concept

Yesterday we brought you initial information on Mazda’s tricked-out CX-7 crossover concept at SEMA. Today we’ve received official images of the Adrenaline concept and are a bit more impressed by the level of customization. The fade-to-yellow paint job is a bit too wild for our tastes, but we’ll take the customized cargo compartment with matching luggage. We even like the wild interior, complete with yellow inserts in the seat fabric and steering wheel. Keep reading for more images.

Mazda Adds Speed to CX-7 Concept

The Mazda CX-7 is a heck of a crossover SUV in stock form. Now the company’s performance shop, Mazdaspeed, has gotten its hands on a CX-7, just in time for this year’s SEMA show. Since the CX-7 already has the same engine and driveline as the Mazdaspeed6, they decided to give it a six-speed manual transmission, too. Engine power was boosted from the 244-hp norm to an even 300 horses. The vehicle’s height was also lowered significantly. Add extreme 22-inch wheels and copious amounts of body work, and you get one mean-looking Mazda.

While the paint scheme, interior and, most definitely, the wheel size will never make it to a production car, we don’t doubt Mazda is considering a Mazdaspeed version of the solid-selling CX-7 to go along with ones it has produced for the Mazda3 and Mazda6. 

[Source: Mazda, photo via Autoblog]

VW Debuts R GTI Concept at SEMA

Last year, Volkswagen unveiled some very cool, very high-powered in-house performance variants of their Jetta, Passat and Touareg with a simple R badge. These were some cool-looking concepts that led many to think that VW would offer them in limited numbers. Alas, it never happened. So we’re a bit dismayed to be teased once again this year by a great looking, amped up VW, this time called the R GTI.

The new GTI by itself is a great performer. Add on a more powerful turbocharger to the stock car and somehow VW and partner APR wrangle 375 hp out of the hot hatchback. There are much larger tires and wheels — 19-inch at that — and a limited slip-differential to get all the power to the road, while Brembo brakes help stop the sucker. A much larger intercooler is needed for the turbo and that led to a change in the grille design that makes the GTI look pretty mean. 

The GTI will probably never see these treatments at the factory but because VW used major aftermarket manufacturers and parts a few VW fanatics could probably replicate this in their own garage. We expect VW to develop an R version of the GTI as either a R32 or R36. Those are likely to feature a V-6 and not a turbo four-cylinder, but we’re hoping for the R GTI’s front end to make the transition regardless. 

Honda Sport CR-V and Fit Sport Extreme Concepts

Honda handed brand-new cars to various aftermarket tuning houses to show off what someone could do to the company’s new Civics, Fits and Elements at this year’s SEMA show, but we’re only interested in what Honda wants to do to these vehicles. I guess we just don’t want to get our own hands dirty. To that point, the company debuted two concepts we think have merit and could enter the lineup relatively soon.

2007 Subaru Forester Sport X and Sport XT

Subaru used this year’s SEMA show to debut two new Sport trims of its popular Forester SUV. We think of it as more of a wagon, but that’s not stopping Subaru from giving the boxy hauler a sleeker appearance via a new grille, larger 17-inch wheels and other slight body modifications.

The Sport X comes with the same 173-hp four-cylinder as the standard Forester, and the Sport XT comes with a turbocharged 224-hp four-cylinder that hits 60 mph in less than six seconds. We’ll update you when pricing and availability are announced.