Weekly automotive digest: car news and latest model announcements

It’s Friday evening and we’ve got some updates for car enthusiasts! From this moment on, we’ll bring you the latest fleet news for the automotive industry. And now let’s get right to our weekly digest.

Promising debuts 

1. Kia has recently confirmed the new name for the brand-new Sedona minivan. It will be called Carnival in the US, and Sedona soon becomes a thing of the past. The car is expected to be more powerful than the outgoing model, as it has an 8 speed automatic and a 3.5-liter V-6. Sedona, by comparison, has a 3.3-liter V-6. Speaking about the interior, Carnival will be more modern-looking thanks to higher quality materials and a bigger touchscreen infotainment system. But don’t expect to see something ultra-luxury inside, like curtains or an advanced air purifier (recalling the Korea model). Wait for the newcomer on February 23, 2022. 

2. If you are a Hyundai fan, memorize the same date. The company is also revealing the first Ioniq sub brand car named Ioniq 5 next year on February 23. Automakers drew inspiration from the design of the 45 concepts, and that goes for the interior and exterior. That’s why we would describe the interior as clean, spacious, and minimalistic. You won’t find many buttons there. There are only an armrest, storage, and two cup holders between driver seats, wrapped in wool, sugar cane, and recycled PET plastic bottles. The steering wheel of Ioniq 5 may remind you of those in cars from Kia and Genesis luxury brands. 

Distinctive redesigns 

1. Hyundai decided to redesign Kona gasoline-powered and Kona Electric in bolder ways. What should we know about the new look? To start with, it features a bigger honeycomb grille, more dark cladding upfront, streamlined headlights, and thin light signatures. Konas are a bit longer than the previous models, and the taillights are considerably thinner. The N Line is shorter, it has body-colored cladding and 3 vents above the grille. The highlight of the new interior is an 8.0-inch touchscreen (while  N Line has a 10.2-inch one) and a simplified dashboard. Of course, a digital gauge cluster is also available. Hyundai raised second-row legroom, compared to outgoing cars. Kona and Kona Electric will arrive in spring 2022. However, you’ll have to wait until next year to purchase Kona N.
   
   

2. The redesigned 2022 Mitsubishi Outlander is the first fruit of Mitsubishi and Nissan’s alliance for Ameriсan petrolheads. Outlander is noted for lots of chrome trim, a well-known grille, a set of lighting arrangements. It consists of headlights, daytime running lights, and fog lights. The car has enough space for seven passengers. The orange trim is another one of the model zests. It’s no wonder that software used in the infotainment and digital gauge-cluster displays is borrowed from the Nissan cars. The Mitsubishi Outlander will go on sale in April 2022. 

Other automotive news

1. Lexus has recently gained a Feefo Gold Trusted Service Award, confirming the highest standards of driver satisfaction. In a nutshell, Feefo offered Lexus owners to evaluate their vehicle by considering features and specifications, fuel economy, build quality, and price. The average rating was approximately 4.8 stars out of 5. And the NX model obtained more than 150 five-star drivers’ reviews. 

2. After delaying the delivery of the Mercedes-Benz 2021 EQC electric SUV by a year, the German company nixed a plan to bring the car to the US. According to a report by Autoblog, electric SUVs won’t be offered in the US due to some market developments. 

3. Nissan is planning more UK investments for green technology implementation. To be more specific, the British plant will receive more than 1 billion pounds in the next couple of years, as the manufacturer moves towards greener techs, including e-power systems. Nissan is keeping up cooperation with the alliance partner Renault. 

4. The new Infiniti QX55 crossover will have a considerably higher price than QX50. The model will come standard with a more than $8000 higher cost. 2022 Infiniti QX55 is expected to arrive in dealerships in April. 

We’ll come back with other automotive highlights in a week. So if you’re already fascinated, don’t forget to bookmark this page and check it out next Friday evening.