All posts by Francis Mitterrand

2025 Kia K4 – Compact sedan powered by ICE

Kia is not giving up on ICE cars, and their latest model, the Kia K4, is one of them. It is a compact sedan and the successor of the Kia Forte model, with a completely different design.

The design of the car is adorned by the body color, which at first glance gives the impression that it is a two-door car. However, if you look closely, you will notice the rear door handles hidden in the C-pillar. The headlights have a “T” shape, which also adorns other Kia models such as the Sorento. The design continues with a straight roof line to the rear part where there is a vertical line of taillights that extends almost to the rear bumper.

Inside, the seats are covered in Slate Green material, which also covers the dashboard, center armrest and steering wheel. It is not known what kind of material it is. There is also a centrally positioned 30-inch screen through which all important functions can be controlled. However, Kia kept the buttons, so the air conditioner can still be operated manually.

When it comes to the powertrain, the Kia K4 will be offered in two versions. The entry version is powered by a 2.0L naturally aspirated gasoline engine with 149 hp (111 kW) and 132 lb-ft (179 Nm) of torque, mated to a CVT gearbox. The second version is powered by a 1.6 L I4 engine with 193 hp (144 kW) and 195 lb-ft (264 Nm) of torque, mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission.

The car was premiered at the 2024 New York International Auto Show in early March, and will be available as a 4-door sedan and a 5-door hatchback.

Source: KIA

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Polestar Charge gives access to almost 700k chargers in Europe

Car manufacturers are rapidly working on the electrification of their cars, but the number of charging stations is not keeping up with their growth. Tesla is the largest investor in electric vehicle infrastructure and the owner of 50,000 Supercharger charging stations, and now Polestar has announced that with the company Plugsurfing, it is launching a charging service in Europe called Polestar Charge.

Polestar Charge is an application that gives access to almost 700,000 chargers with a single charge service on the largest charging networks on the old continent. This is the first time Tesla Supercharger has given app access to its chargers.

This feature will be available before Polestar starts delivering the Polestar 3 and Polestar 4 in Europe. The app will be integrated with Google Maps to make it easier to find chargers.

“We know that an important part of owning an electric car is the possibility of convenient charging. With access to the largest networks in Europe and smart integration into Google Maps, we’ve made it easy for Polestar drivers to enjoy life with an electric car instead of worrying about where they’ll find their next charge,” comments Thomas Ingenlath, CEO of Polestar.

Source: Polestar

Tesla officially started paid advertisements for the first time

Tesla is an all-electric car manufacturer whose CEO Elon Musk has always been against advertising their models, but now that has changed as well. On the social network X, it was announced that Tesla officially started paid advertisements on Instagram for the first time.

Instagram has over 2 billion monthly active users, or ~25% of the global population, and Tesla’s first advertisement was announced with a short video of Model Y. The car is offered at a special price of 36,490 USD.

For some, this may come as a surprise because Tesla has operated successfully for years without advertising its cars. At every event organized by the company, the focus was on Elon Musk.

Instagram is not the only social network where Tesla advertises. They did the same on TikTok and YouTube. The company did not reveal further plans, but it can be sensed that the personality of Elon Musk is not giving the expected results and the focus is slowly shifting to advertising.

Source: Sawyer Merritt via X