Chinese Cars in Canada, RAV4 Review, Looking at Kia's Newest Rides

Summary

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Car Stuff Podcast: “Chinese Cars in Canada, RAV4 Review, Looking at Kia's Newest Rides”

Date: April 6, 2026
Hosts: Tom Appel and Jill Ciminillo
Guest: James Bell, Head of Corporate Communications and Public Relations, Kia

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Episode Overview

This episode dives into several timely automotive topics including Chinese EVs and Stellantis’ Canadian manufacturing plans, a hands-on review of the new Toyota RAV4, and the latest news from Kia—straight from a top PR executive. The hosts blend industry insight with light humor, discussing market trends, technology, and new vehicle launches, with an eye on the evolving global car landscape.

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1. Chinese EVs and Stellantis: Leap Motor in Canada

Main Theme: Stellantis is considering producing Chinese Leap Motor EVs at its Brampton, Ontario plant, enabling easier distribution in Canada and Europe while dodging tariffs.

Key Points:

• Stellantis & Leap Motor JV: Stellantis has a joint venture with China’s Leap Motor, primarily distributing Leap EVs in Western Europe (67,000 units sold last year) ([03:55]).
• Potential Plant Usage: Brampton plant, currently underutilized, could become the North American manufacturing site for Leap Motor, especially as other product lines (like Dodge Charger and Jeep Cherokee) are redirected ([04:57]).
• Leap Motor’s Vehicles: Builds a small city car, compact crossover, and mid-sized crossover, all well-reviewed though not widely reported in US media ([04:58]).
• Strategic Motivation: Producing EVs outside China may help Leap and Stellantis reduce tariff impact and serve growing Canadian and European markets ([04:57]).
• Broader Trend: Expect more stories about Chinese carmaker strategies and global expansion in the coming years ([05:21]).

Notable Quote:
"Leap Motor, watch that name because we haven't talked about them before. Really interesting thing I heard on Autoline..."
— Tom ([05:26])

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2. Quick Market Stats: Idling Habits & Gas Pain Point

• Car Idling: Americans idle their cars twice as long as Europeans—likely due to more extreme temperatures and the popularity of remote start systems ([05:26]).
• Gas Spending: Americans spend an average of 3.2% of take-home pay on gas; the behavioral “pain point” is 5%, at which people start changing habits (using Uber, biking, going hybrid/EV) ([06:30]).

Notable Exchange:
"Currently, Americans are paying about 3.2% of their take home pay for gas...the pain point apparently is about 5%."
— Tom ([06:30])
"Yeah, I feel bad for people who make their living by driving...that really cuts into their income."
— Jill ([07:19])

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3. 2026 New York Auto Show Recap: Volkswagen, Kia, Subaru, & More

Volkswagen Atlas Redesign ([08:41])

• Redesigned for 2027: Next-gen Atlas has minor size increase but significant interior upgrades.
• Powertrain: Only turbo four-cylinder engines now.
• Cross Sport Version: Yet to be unveiled, likely coming soon.

Kia EV3 Launch ([11:04])

• North American Debut: Smaller sibling to the EV9, more upright stance, max ~320 miles range, expected to start in the mid-$30Ks.
• Tesla Charging Standard: Inclusion of the "next port" (Tesla’s NACS).
• Market Strategy: Affordable, practical EV option coming this fall.

Notable Quote:
"It was kind of a surprise when they dropped the EV3 because I wasn't sure it was going to make it stateside."
— Jill ([11:51])

Kia Seltos Refresh ([12:57])

• “New Generation”: Now offers hybrid for the first time, more upright, “baby Telluride” look, refreshed inside and out.

Subaru Getaway ([14:03])

• New Three-Row Electric SUV: Off-road focus (8.3 inches clearance), shares platform/influences with Toyota Highlander EV.
• Toyota Highlander EV: Also three-row, per discussion ([15:01]).

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4. First Drive: 2026 Toyota RAV4 (Hybrid Only)

Overview:
Jill test drives the fully redesigned, hybrid-only RAV4, discussing comfort, emissions tech, quirks, and real-world highway performance.

Key Insights:

• All-New Platform/Design: Interior and exterior are both heavily reworked for 2026 ([15:36]).
• Drivetrain: Both hybrid and plug-in hybrid available; seamless powertrain transition ([18:26]).
• Comfort: High marks for passenger space—even for tall riders on long trips; cargo space fits three carry-ons and backpacks easily ([16:22], [18:26]).
• Fuel Economy: Early mileage is lower than EPA numbers (32–33 mpg actual vs. 43 city/37 highway claimed), likely needs more break-in and less aggressive highway driving ([16:58]).
• Tech Quirk: The driver distraction monitor is hyper-sensitive—turning it off disables hands-free “Traffic Jam Assist.” Jill found it overbearing for regular use ([19:50]).

Notable Quotes:
"The seats are a little firm, but that would probably loosen up over time...comfortable for the long haul."
— Jill ([16:58])
"Every hybrid I’ve driven from Toyota in the last couple of years has been fantastic."
— Tom ([18:33])
"The driver distraction monitor…was literally squawking at me every two seconds."
— Jill ([19:50])

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5. Special Guest: James Bell, Kia Corporate Communications ([24:06]–[40:32])

Kia’s Recent Performance:

• Market Share: Edging towards top five in US sales (850,000 units vs. Hyundai’s 900,000 in 2025) ([25:21]).
• Rebranding Success: Transitioned from “used car alternative” to aspirational, design-forward brand with award-winning EVs and hybrids ([26:04], [26:52]).

Branding Fun:

• The new logo sometimes mistaken for "KN" or even “Nine Inch Nails”—but increased web searches help Kia’s brand awareness in unintended ways ([27:14]).

2026/27 Key Models & Strategies:

• EV3: Strong European sales, “top selling affordable EV in the UK”; US market “standing back” from full EVs, but Kia ready with hybrids and gasoline options ([28:12]).
• Hybrids Increasingly Popular: War/political events push renewed demand for hybrids, especially Telluride Hybrid, which is now available ([30:31]).
• Seltos: New generation, sharper design (baby EV9 and Telluride cues), hybrid coming 60–90 days after gasoline model ([32:09]).
• Telluride: Redesigned for 2027, output increased to ~130,000/yr; hybrid launch delayed slightly, creating “pent-up demand” ([34:19]).
• Stop-Sale Clarification: Minor recall for top-trim Telluride hybrid due to power seat safety concerns—small number of units, gasoline models unaffected ([36:55]).

Advice for Shoppers:
"If you don't mind the color, you could probably find a couple...if you want something specific, I would recommend getting in for an order"
— James Bell, on Telluride Hybrid availability ([38:25])

Other Memorable Moments:

• Ad Campaign Authenticity: New Telluride commercials show real off-roading, not CGI ([38:59]).

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6. Industry Trends & Bold New Concepts

Hyundai Boulder: A New SUV Concept ([49:43]–[56:14])

• Surprise Reveal: Not a pickup, but a body-on-frame, off-roady SUV concept; evokes Ford Bronco and Land Rover Defender vibes.
• Intent: Signals future design language for Hyundai’s planned midsize pickup, not necessarily destined for production as an SUV ([51:25]).
• Market Analysis: Off-road SUV market (Wrangler, Bronco) has softened; sales/incentives up, demand divided—another entry likely faces headwinds unless it stands out ([54:17]).
• Global Context: Kia’s Tasman pickup exists abroad; a US truck would need local assembly and competitive pricing against Ranger and Tacoma ([55:06]).

Notable Quote:
"Going into the show, all were assuming they would reveal the pickup…instead, it’s an SUV. Surprise, surprise!"
— Jill ([51:25])

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7. Fun & Light Moments

Quirky Segments:

• Humorous discussion of performance engine names and a playful Easter “egg grade quiz” ([43:53]–[48:41]).
• Social media plugs and gentle ribbing about daily content posting and hygiene routines ([42:48], [43:28]).

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Timestamps for Key Segments

| Segment | Timestamp | |-------------------------------------------------|------------| | Stellantis & Leap Motor (Canada & EU) | 03:12–05:26| | US/EU Idling, Gas Pain Point | 05:26–07:19| | VW Atlas, Kia EV3, Seltos, Subaru Getaway | 08:41–15:04| | 2026 Toyota RAV4 Hybrid Review | 15:36–22:00| | James Bell (Kia PR) Interview | 24:06–40:32| | Hyundai Boulder Concept, Industry Analysis | 49:43–56:14| | Fun banter, quizzes, social media plugs | 42:48–44:09|

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Notable Quotes

• On Americans & Gas Prices:
  “The magic number apparently is about 5%. That’s the pain point.” — Tom ([06:30])
• RAV4 Quirk:
  “...it was literally squawking at me every two seconds. And if you turn off that monitor, you cannot use traffic jam assist…” — Jill ([19:50])
• On Kia’s Strategy:
  “Kia was a brand that for the first 20 years of its existence in the US was very happy to be a used car alternative…And going back, you know, 10, 12 years ago, the company said, no more of that. We want to be aspirational…” — James Bell ([26:52])
• EV Market Vision:
  “…it seems as if the US market is kind of standing back from the future a little bit…Meantime, we cannot make enough hybrids.” — James Bell ([29:03])

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Tone and Style

The episode is marked by good-humored banter, thoughtful industry analysis, and accessible explanations for enthusiasts and casual listeners alike. Jill brings sharp real-world impressions from new vehicles, while Tom drives the conversation with statistics and market context. The guest spot with James Bell adds a behind-the-scenes PR perspective from one of the industry’s most dynamic brands.

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Bottom Line

This episode is a must-listen for anyone curious about the shifting automotive landscape: from Chinese EVs entering North America, to practical reviews of vital crossovers like the new RAV4, and the strategic moves shaping Kia’s rise. The podcast’s insider tone, sprinkled with levity, makes dense industry news both clear and engaging.

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Transcript

[A]

At Strayer University, we help students like you go from is it possible? To anything is possible by offering access to up to 10 no cost gen Ed courses so you can reach your goals affordably and fast. Visit Strayer Edu to learn more. No Cost Gen Ed is provided by Strayer University affiliate sofia. Eligibility rules apply. Connect with us for details. Strayer University is certified to operate in Virginia by Chev and has many campuses, including at 2121 15th Street north in Arlington, Virginia.

[B]

Whether you drive a car, need a car, or just occasionally bum a ride

[C]

with friends, you've come to the right place.

[B]

Join Jill and Tom as they break down everything that's going on in the auto world.

[C]

New car reviews, shopping tips, driving green

[B]

electric cars, classic cars, and plenty of great guests.

[C]

This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. All right. This is the Consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. I am Tom Appel. Thank you for joining us today. When you have a moment, check us out at Consumer Guide. All sorts of good stuff there, including our 2026 Best Buy picks and my latest reviews. I just reviewed the Chevrolet Tracks Active, which is a hell of a lot of vehicle for 30 grand. There's a lot there to like if you think that cars have gotten too expensive. There is stuff to look at and one of the things you should be looking at, Chevy Tracks all right. On the phone. Too lazy to drive in. Jill Simonello, she is contributing editor here at Consumer Guide, North American Car of the Year juror and a prolific freelanc. How are you, Joe?

[D]

Good, good. It would have been a little bit of a commute today since I'm currently in Indianapolis.

[C]

Yeah, he could have made it.

[D]

Yeah. Three hours to then turn around and come right back to Indianapolis so that we can go to the final game tonight for NCAA men's basketball. I'm phoning it in today, so I

[C]

don't know how that works. You went to the Final Four? Did you go to both of the Final Four games?

[D]

Yes. So, yeah, we were there for the first game and then the abysmal loss of Arizona to Michigan. And so tonight we'll see Michigan and UConn play.

[C]

Okay, so UConn beat the Illini.

[D]

They did. They did. And we were literally sitting in a sea of orange. There were so many Illini fans at

[C]

the Illini travel and they show up. I've been to a lot of Northwestern games, and when the two play each other, that stadium, I forgot the name of the stadium at Northwestern. It's all Illini. Despite the fact that students get free tickets. It's all Illini.

[D]

Yes. I mean, and it was, it was. It was a sea of orange, but it was, you know, I mean, they were both interesting games to watch. It's great to be there. I love watching sports, you know, in the actual, like, venue that they're being played at.

[C]

So, to my special Illini friends, Sarah, Suze and Ted, I'm sorry, I stay local. I just always want the most local team to win. And I have nothing but respect for Leoni. All right, anyway, so you're still down there. You're going to one more game and then you'll be here next week?

[D]

I will. I'm like, what's next week? Yes, I will be there next week. I will be in studio next week.

[C]

Sounds good. I would like to talk a little bit about China and Stellantis. Are you ready?

[D]

Sure. What do you got?

[C]

So we've got two factories that Stellantis runs up in Canada. All right. There's Brampton and Windsor. Windsor is humming. They're going to still when the Windsor plant right by Detroit there is going to continue to produce minivans. Moving forward, however, Brampton's future has been in doubt because Stellantis, Chrysler, Dodge not selling a lot of the new Dodge Charger, and that was going to go there. Additionally, the Jeep Cherokee was going to go up there, and now that's going into Belvedere down here in Illinois. So we have a factory up in Canada. Not doing anything. Or maybe it is. Are you ready?

[D]

Okay, I'm ready.

[C]

Here's the deal. Stellantis has a joint venture. We don't hear about it a lot in the US With a Chinese company called Leap Motor. L, E, A P Motor. One word. Leap motor builds only EVs and Stellantis is selling and distributing them in Western Europe. So part of what we hear about Chinese EVs making their way into Europe is actually being facilitated by Stellantis and. And this joint venture. And Stellantis moved 67,000 Leap motor cars in Western Europe last year. So not a small amount, not a huge amount, but they're working together and they're building this thing up. But Leap Motor would like desperately to build vehicles outside of China. Fill in the blank now. Okay, so Brampton looks like it could be. Maybe this is all just rumor at this point. Nothing confirmed. The future home of Leap Motor, Stellantis will be building cars for Leap Motor there for distribution in Canada and probably in Western Europe and thus avoiding an awful lot of tariff action in either direction.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Leap Motor currently sells three different vehicles. A small city car, a compact crossover and a mid sized crossover. They seem to be well reviewed. I couldn't get too much information about these vehicles in terms of how much the public likes them, but Stellantis did manage to move almost 70,000 of them, so they must be, you know, viable. So we'll see where this goes. It's an interesting story and we will probably be talking about this more in the future.

[D]

Yeah, I mean, definitely. I mean, I think we're going to be talking about a lot of Chinese cars in the future.

[C]

Yep. But Leap Motor, watch that name because we haven't talked about them before. Really interesting thing I heard on Autoline and I forgot who the source was. But Americans allow their vehicles to idle twice as long as do Europeans. Just saying. So if we're looking to save gas, we're not actually doing it. Now this is an entirely fair comparison because it does get hotter and colder here and we do idle to warm things up. Do you ever use the remote start on a vehicle when it has it?

[D]

Definitely on electric vehicles because usually we have app access and I will, you know, start things from the app.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

But we don't often have app access in my parking space. Space is not within like Bluetooth distance from my apartment.

[C]

Yeah.

[D]

So if I don't have an app, I can't do remote start.

[C]

Okay. My daughter has remote start on her Gasoline powered Mazda CX30. She hasn't used it yet and that's free for a year. And then after that they want to charge you every month for it. So maybe it's best she not get used to it.

[D]

That is true.

[C]

All right, real quick. I heard another number also on Autoline and I also forgot the source, but it's interesting. Currently Americans are paying about 3.2% of their take home pay for gas. At current gas prices, 3.2%. The magic number apparently is about 5%. That's the pain point. At which point Americans start to make decisions about doing other things. You know, riding an Uber, riding their bike, buying a hybrid, or even considering electric vehicles. So we'll watch gas prices from here. They seem to be climbing still, but. But 5% is apparently the magic number. Now no American sits there with their calculator trying to figure out when they hit 5%. It's obviously something that they feel, but it's an interesting line in the sand. And it seems crazy that 5 cents out of every dollar you earn would go to gasoline.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, it really does. And you know, I feel bad for people who make Their living by driving, I mean, including the Uber and the Lyft drivers, because that really cuts into their income by having to pay for the gas.

[C]

It does. And they don't have a lot of power to do much about it, unfortunately. So speaking of idle time, you've, you've, you've probably seen this and people in Chicago know this, and I'm sure that this happens at airports elsewhere too. As you drive to the airport and you get onto one of the access roads that takes you into the airport, it's just lined with Uber drivers ready to go.

[D]

Right.

[C]

And they're just sitting there and hopefully their engines aren't running, but they probably are. And that's expensive.

[D]

Well, it's not only Uber drivers, but it's also people who are going to pick up, you know, people at the airport. I'm like, there's a cell phone lot and it's actually not awful.

[C]

Yeah, the cell phone lot at o' Hare Airport in Chicago is a bit of a pain because you have to actually go back around.

[D]

It's not that bad.

[C]

No, I know what you're talking about. It's not super convenient, but it's better than driving around.

[D]

I think you're thinking of the old cell phone lot. But at any rate, I digress.

[C]

Maybe. But anyway, you were at the Detroit Auto show.

[D]

New York Auto Show.

[C]

New York Auto show. Thank you. Which generated way more news than an auto show has in a while.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Now, we're going to be talking to the good folks at Kia in a little bit, but do you want to run through this real quick and just let us know what showed up there and what you thought?

[D]

Yeah. So the night before the auto show media day, Volkswagen actually did the reveal of its 2027 atlas.

[C]

Oh, I have a question about Atlas. Go ahead. I have a question, though.

[D]

I was gonna say we have story and photos on consumerguide.com right now. And it's, I want to say it's like just a little bit bigger, but it is a complete redesign. Next generation, but it's. To me, it looks more like an evolution. And you're going to see the biggest differences at the front and the back of the vehicle in terms of design changes. And the interior is completely reworked and totally upscale.

[C]

Well, that's cool. I always thought of the Atlas as slightly upscale and I think I liked it more than other people. They recently made that move to just four cylinder power. It's a turbo four, and that four is a little bit high strung. Maybe not ideal for a heavy vehicle, but because it always seems to be working hard. But I like the feel, I like, I like the zip. I like, I kind of like the sound, actually.

[D]

Yeah, you know, I mean we're a Volkswagen owner, my family is. And so, you know, we, we definitely like how Volkswagens drive. And I would say if you're looking for something that is sportier and fun to drive, but it's not going to cost, you know, have a BMW or Audi price tag, you know, the Volkswagen Atlas is a nice option. You know, I'd say Volkswagen or Mazda are my two. Like if you're looking for something sporty, Those are the two SUVs I always recommend.

[C]

And Volkswagen makes good use of space. Like when you get in there you're like, oh, this is airier and roomier than I expected. Did they mention. And I forgot to ask this question and I edited the piece you posted and it didn't even think of the question at the time. What about the crossboard?

[D]

They did not mention the cross board at all. I am going to make an assumption that they will do a reveal of that at a later date, but I don't imagine that it will like, I mean I don't like the exterior interior design. I don't imagine it'll be that different. It's just gonna have two rows.

[C]

I'm like 5050 on predictions right now for the year, but I doubt they're dropping it and I think it does pretty well for them and it hits a different price point. Yeah. So that's their fastback vehicle and that. Yeah, I think that'll just come later. So for now you're buying either the new Atlas or, or the old Atlas Cross Sport.

[D]

Yeah. And they didn't. I don't think the new Atlas is on sale until this fall. That's why I think there's time for them to also reveal, you know, the Cross Sport, you know, maybe, maybe they drop it at the LA Auto show and then it goes on sale shortly after.

[C]

That could be.

[D]

But I don't. They haven't released any pricing information or anything on the new Atlas. So I don't think this is an imminent for sale vehicle.

[C]

Gotcha. All right. Kia EV3. What's that?

[D]

Yeah. So new electric SUV from Kia. I, it was really funny because when I was last seeing the, the Kia folks, I asked them about the EV3 because this has been on sale in other markets for I want to say about a year now.

[C]

Yeah, this is there in Europe.

[D]

Yeah, yeah. Is it coming? Is it coming? And they're like, and they wouldn't give me an answer, but alas, here it is. So it was kind of a surprise when they dropped the EV3 because I wasn't sure it was going to make it stateside. But smaller version of the EV9 essentially, more upright stance to it, so not like the EV6, which to me looks more like a wagon, so has more EV9 design cues. And that is supposed to be on sale this fall as well. And it has up to 320 miles of electric range. So I mean, there's some interesting. And I want to say it also has the next port. So there's some, some good things coming from the EV3 and it should hopefully be more affordable. So I don't know, I don't think it'll be like 30,000 affordable, but, you know, I think it'll be maybe in the mid-30s. So we'll see.

[C]

So the next port, for people who don't know, that's the Tesla setup.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

All right. The Kia Seltos has been redesigned. This is Kia's small crossover, the smallest crossover in the US and it's closely related to the, the Hyundai Kona. And this, this is pretty much. Is this some like a heavy refresh?

[D]

I think they're calling it a new generation.

[C]

Okay.

[D]

Because it is, it is very, very different. And it will a hybrid. And the current Seltos does not have a hybrid. And you know, again, the interior completely refreshed. The exterior looks like. I keep calling it a baby Telluride. It has the much more upright stance to it. The new lighting signatures are taking a page from the Telluride book. It's very handsome. You know, I liked the Seltos before, but I really love how this new Seltos looks. I think it's very handsome.

[C]

All right, we talked a little bit about this before. We were more or less right then. The Subaru getaway. We're gonna talk about the Hyundai Boulder, I think after the quiz. Okay, I wanna talk about that at length and I've got tbd, so stay

[D]

tuned to the end.

[C]

I've got my doubts. I've got my doubts. I wanna address those doubts. But the 2027 searu getaway. What's that?

[D]

You know, as we've discussed, it's essentially the three row SUV EV built on the same platform as the Toyota Highlander. It will, at least in some trim, get more than 300 miles of range. It also has the North American charging standards for the next port, with Tesla charging 420 horsepower. As a Subaru, it's designed to be a little bit more off roady and it'll have 8.3 inches of ground clearance. But it has, like, if you look

[C]

how much ground clearance?

[D]

8.3 inches.

[C]

Okay. A little bit. Yeah.

[D]

But if you look inside, it looks incredibly similar to the Toyota Highlander that they revealed.

[C]

So the big difference here is the Highlander that's becoming electric is two row, and this is three row.

[D]

No, I think the Highlander is still three row.

[C]

The Toyota Highlander ev.

[D]

Yes.

[C]

Is three row. Yes. Oh, okay.

[D]

I'm sure I'll get a text message from Sam Fiorani soon, who I did see at the New York Auto Show. I have a photo to send you.

[C]

Good.

[D]

Of us, but no, I'm like 99.9. Certainly sure that it's also three row, because I remember thinking, oh, they only put two seats in the third row.

[C]

Right. Okay. All right. We're going to talk about the Hyundai Boulder after the break. But that was introduced in New York as well. But right now I want to talk about something you drove that I have not driven and I'm dying to drive. And that is the new, all new redesigned RAV4, which is now hybrid only.

[D]

Yeah. So all new for this model year. And it is hybrid and plug in hybrid. I have the hybrid version and exterior, completely new. Interior, completely new. It has a new operating system for the infotainment system. It has some. Some interesting features, clever features. So it has like the armrest that you can flip over and it turns into like a tray, but you're not supposed to eat on it, which I would probably eat on it anyway if I were turning it into a tray. But they have, again, completely new powertrains. So I drove down to Indianapolis in it, and it was me, my husband, and one of my husband's fraternity brothers who was, I think, 6 4. And we relegated this poor guy to the backseat.

[C]

Was he drunk?

[D]

He was certainly drunk after the Arizona game where Arizona lost. And we took him back to his hotel. But on the way, on the way here, he sat in the back seat and he actually sat behind my husband. And I was like, you may want to sit behind me. You're going to have more leg room. And he got in and he was like, no. He's like, I'm perfectly comfortable. I have a lot of room back here.

[C]

I'm asking about a sobriety just because anyone who's referred to as a frat brother, I just assume is not sober.

[D]

Well, no, he was sober.

[C]

All right.

[D]

So at least for part of the

[C]

way We've got the good legroom. Go ahead.

[D]

Yeah. So good leg room. And he said he was really comfortable. The seats are a little firm, but I think that would probably loosen up over time. They weren't uncomfortably firm, so I didn't get out and feel stiff, but, you know, so comfortable for the long haul. It, you know, it was quiet, it was good on the highway. I will say the vehicle that I am driving right now only has like 400 miles on, on it and I feel like I put like 250 of those miles on it. So, you know, I can't, I don't think I can give an accurate representation of what the fuel economy is because it hasn't really been broken in yet because I'm only getting like 32, 33 miles per gallon and you should be getting 43 in the city and 37 on the highway. And you know, we did pretty much all highway driving, but I think, you know, I'll zero it out on my way back to Chicago and we'll see if I, if I do any better now that I. It's got some more miles on it, but, you know, it just, it's comfortable, quiet. I love the Toyota powertrain, which is very seamless when it goes from gasoline engine to, you know, electric only driving. And the power boost is nice. You can hear the engine a little bit under hard acceleration, but overall, like I, I've thoroughly enjoyed it and you know, for road trip purposes, we fit like three carry on suitcases, three backpacks, and you know, a couple of other little catch all things in the back. No problem. Could have fit more.

[C]

Yeah. Now that Toyota is forcing you into the hybrid, just sit back and take it. It's. Yeah, it's a perfect.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Every hybrid I've driven from Toyota in the last couple of years has been fantastic.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

And they get, they get the mileage now. You're not seeing the great mileage, but you drive fast on the highway too, which can cut into hybrid fuel economy. But I've got hybrid fuel economy range here that combined from 38 to 43. The low end is the woodland, which, which has a woodsy thing going on, the off roady thing, and different wheels and tires. A little bit more ground clearance and ground clearance will hurt your fuel economy.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

What trim level are you driving?

[D]

I'm in the limited. I'm in the limited.

[C]

Top trim level. Okay. That gets pricey.

[D]

Yeah, yeah, it does. This is like $47,000. $46,883.

[C]

Yeah. A bunch of money. Here's the bad news for people who are thinking about a RAV4 right now, they have a supply issue and they're having a hard time turning over from the old version to the new version. And there's about half as many available as they need. So sales were way down in the first quarter, not because people don't want them, but because they can't build them.

[D]

They just can't build them fast enough.

[C]

Nope. Nope. And again, this was the best selling non pickup truck in the US Last year. It won't be this year just because of these early sales issues or production issues. I'm sorry. Yeah, but, but yeah, good stuff. So just overall as good as the old one? Better than the old one.

[D]

You know, so far I'm going to say it's better than the old one. But there's one glitchy thing that is driving me nuts on the vehicle, the driver distraction monitor. So there's a camera on the steering wheel that monitors driver distraction. Every time I, like, look into my rear view mirror to see where traffic is behind me or if I'm checking the infotainment screen to look at the navigation system, it's like squawking at me, telling me that you need to look forward, you need to look forward. So I ended up turning off the driver distraction detection because it was literally squawking at me every two seconds. And if you turn off that monitor, you cannot use traffic jam assist, which is an available feature on this vehicle, which allows you to drive hands free in stop and go traffic. So it's like if you're going to be in stop and go traffic, you maybe want to turn that monitor on so you can drive hands free. But if you're driving around and long distance and you're not going to be using it, you're probably going to want to turn that off because it is very sensitive.

[C]

It's funny, in most cars I drive, I have trouble with the drowsy driver function.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Part of the issue is that I spent a lot of time on Northwest highway, and if you take Northwest highway, it's just a route from the city to the northwest suburbs of Chicago. But if you take that route, you find out it's not very straight. There's a lot of gentle curves and bends, and I'm obliged to ignore them, especially if the traffic isn't around me. And all of a sudden the little coffee cup shows up suggesting that I either need a rest or to sober up, neither of which is technically accurate. All right, so the new RAV4 is on sale now. You're saying it's good. The hybrid fuel economy we don't know about yet. What else you got?

[D]

Overall, I think it's a great vehicle. It's comfortable, it's a good highway cruiser. I think it will be a really good city cruiser. Like as I've been driving around Indianapolis and Fishers, Indiana, like my, my fuel economy is going up but you know, speed limit on Highway 65 heading down is 70. So I'm not driving 55 as you pointed out. I'm driving faster and you know, but overall I think this is, I think it's a great vehicle and I just, I can't wait to try the plug in hybrid version.

[C]

Yeah, I'm dying to drive that thing too. All right, we're going to take a break. When we come back, we talked to James Bell, head of corporate communications and public relations at Kia. Stick around.

[B]

Questions or comments?

[C]

Drop us a line.

[B]

Carstuffsumerguide.com that's carstuffinsumerguide.com

[E]

Insurance isn't one size fits all. That's why drivers have enjoyed Progressive's name your price tool for years. Now, with the name your price tool, you tell them what you want to pay and they'll show you options that fit your budget. So whether you're picking out your first policy or just looking for something that works better for you and your family, they make it easier. Easy. To see your options, visit progressive.com find a rate that works for you with the name your price tool. Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates Price and Coverage match limited by state law

[F]

There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University what can't you do? Visit Capella.

[G]

Do you have $10,000 or more in credit card debt? Maybe you're even barely getting by making minimum payments. With credit card debt hitting record highs, National Debt Relief offers real debt relief solutions for people struggling to keep up. These options may reduce a large portion of credit card debt. For those who qualify, you don't need to declare bankruptcy and you may be able to pay back less than you owe regardless of your credit. National Debt Relief has already reduced the credit card debt for more than 550,000 consumers. So don't wait. If you owe 10, 20, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card debt, you can now take advantage of this financial debt relief as the cost of living Increases. To find out how much you could save, Visit National Debt Relief.com. that's NationalDebtRelief.com

[B]

welcome back to the Car Stuff podcast.

[C]

And we're back. This is the consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. I'm Tom Obama. She is Jill. Jill, how's it going?

[D]

It's still good.

[C]

Still in Indianapolis sometime in the 90s and I can't remember exactly when my sister in law moved out to LA and she, she called me once from LA to ask me what a Kia was and at the time she was watching ads on TV for the Kia. Sofia. Which was arguably one of the worst cars in the United States at the time. Kia's come an awful long ways. It's that, that they have to be cars that I absolutely want to buy and own. On the phone with us is James Bell. He's the head of corporate communications and public relations for Kia. James, how are you, sir?

[H]

What an intro. Right into Sofia.

[C]

Yeah, come on. You have three in your garage. You're restoring a fourth.

[H]

You know, we have been, if anybody has one, we are sniffing around and kind of building up a bit of a, a historical legacy collection. So, so take that.

[C]

All right, James. Kia's had a spectacular last year. They've got a lot of stuff going on this year. Talk a little bit about the brand itself and how it's doing in the U.S. there's a lot of momentum here and it's kind of exciting. And people now talk about Kia like, you know, that's, that's front and forward on their list of things they want to buy.

[H]

Perception often lags reality. We are the kind of in a neck and neck race of which we believe been beating as of late Hyundai for the top five or top six or in the, in the top five or top six car companies in the US which is pretty incredible. When I joined Kia Little Almost 10 years ago, we were kind of scraping around eight or nine. And so that's, that's real change. That's, that's taking share from other manufacturers whose names will go unspoken. But I'm sure Jill will tell us who they are.

[D]

Well, right now, no, my lips are

[C]

sealed to a 20, 25, 2025 Kia moved 850,000 units and Hyundai just 900,000. So that gap is very small now. 25,000 units. You guys can make that up this year.

[H]

Oh, we will. Especially if you look at retail. Wink, wink, if you know what I mean. I think, I think we're, we're in a much better situation retail. But yeah, I Think you know, your little intro story about Sofia makes sense. Kia was a brand that for the first 20 years of its existence in the US was very happy to be a used car alternative. Can't afford the new car. I want, don't want a used car, I'll get a Kia. And going back, you know, 10, 12 years ago, the company said, no more of that. We want to be aspirational, we want to bring, we want to make value valuable again. We want to make, just redo this brand. And especially it seems to me like it was this really nice kismet between the move towards electrification and Kia coming with some award winning EVs and then the rebranding and the new logo at the same time that other brands were a little stagnant, maybe a little complacent. So it's just been a wonderful combination of factors and I don't know, I couldn't be happier than being at this car company right now. I can assure you of that.

[C]

I completely forgot about the new logo. I've gotten to completely accept it. So that worked well.

[H]

Tom, you know, I can tell you we were very worried about you. So I'm glad you found acceptance.

[D]

Well, I do have to say my husband was always like, oh, the KN brand. And I was like, yeah, come on, let's, let's get over it. It's Kia.

[H]

Well, it's, we get either Cayenne, which is fine because if people Google search KN car, well, guess what, it goes to Kia. So we're pleased with that. Or the Nine Inch Nails brand, which I don't mind that at all.

[D]

Okay.

[H]

I mean, I, I only report it as I hear it. Jill, trust me, I can't make up all this stuff.

[C]

There is a, this is absolutely fact too. If you live in the Chicagoland area and you somehow score a car from your parents, the first thing you do is slap an NIN sticker on it. It's like a rule. I don't think.

[H]

No, we're just trying to help people in advance. How about that?

[C]

I don't think the kids listen to Nine Inch Nails. They just slap the stickers on the car.

[H]

It's a cool logo.

[C]

So, James, you guys made some noise. We were going to talk about the Telluride, but you guys made some noise in New York. You want to walk us through that?

[H]

Yeah. I mean, I think that's a great segue into what we're able to do now, especially in the electrification space we introduced. We'd already shown the EV3. It's already on sale in other markets around the world. In fact, I was speaking to my associate at Kia UK last week and he said since introduction it's been the top selling affordable EV in the UK market and doing equally well across Europe. So we knew we had a kind of a winning combination there. But as we all know quite well, we're living in interesting times and it seems as if the US market is kind of standing back from the future a little bit and not incentivizing electric vehicles and kind of putting a focus back on gasoline power, which is unfortunate because the world is going electric. So it was fun to be in New York and roll out a nice shiny new EV3 and have media come up and scratch their head and say, well wait a minute, we thought EVs were dead. And my response was, you're not paying attention. And so that's what I love about this company. If in the US market as we have a new kind of interest, let's put it that way, in gasoline powered cars we have a collection of very efficient fuel, you know, four cylinder, turbocharged, four cylinder engines ready to go. So we can stay in the gasoline space, no trouble. Meantime, we cannot make enough hybrids. Especially with the impact of the current situation in Iran. We're seeing some interest in better fuel efficiency, efficiency again, hybrids coming right into that space. And then on top of it, unlike some of our competitors, we're still bullish in the EV space because inevitably what happens over these next couple years in America, eventually America is going to have to catch back up with the rest of the world.

[C]

Right?

[H]

And Kia is ready to help that make that happen.

[C]

You know the strange thing too, James, and talking about electrification was people probably don't remember, and even I don't always remember that the public was super reluctant to to adopt hybrids and they had all these fears about hybrids and now can't build enough of them. Now you mentioned that you guys are selling a bunch of those right now. Have you already seen measurable increase in a measurable increase in hybrid interest since the beginning of the war?

[H]

Oh well, hybrids were really became a big focus for us and we cranked up production of all of them from the carnival hybrid down to the sportage hybrid. Like immediately after the current administration started making their moves, we could see that that EVs for that for that customer who is ready to go gasoline free. But maybe still a little skeptical. A hybrid would have been a great choice before the incentives were taken away. Maybe EV was that next step. Now it slid back to hybrids. Fine, we're Ready. We've got some award winning hybrids, so we were ready to go there. Now to your question about the war and the impact on fuel prices, we're seeing a just skyrocketing interest, especially in the Telluride hybrid, only been on sale for what, two or three weeks now. In combination with EVs getting back on people's shopping lists, we're seeing on our website a lot more interest in the EV6 and EV9. And now with the EV3 starting to make some noise which, which is interesting because that kind of goes against what the administration is trying to accomplish. But we can leave that for another conversation.

[C]

Yeah, I'm just going to toss this out there. The EV9. So good. So good. Yeah. If you need a big three row crossover, that's electric, man, that's the way to go. Speaking of electrification, now the seltos redesigned for 2027 and you guys are adding a hybrid, but not right away.

[H]

Well, not far off. Yeah, the gasoline powered version will be out first, I think the hybrid follows, I'm going to think 60 to 90 days thereafter.

[C]

Oh, okay. I thought it was like next year, okay.

[H]

Oh, no, no, no, nothing like that. No. This is Kia, Tom. We go fast, man. Hashtag Kia speed, we roll. No, I'm glad you brought up the Seltos because the first generation Seltos was a fine little machine. It was the definition of what we would call a launch and leave where marketing didn't really put a lot of financial support or ad campaign dollars towards it. And the darn little thing did great. I mean 40 to 45,000 of them a year with really little push, I guess you could say. So we, we knew we had a good combination size there and value proposition that was just finding customers on its own. So what if we made it look cool, gave it a hybrid powertrain, loaded up with all the technology that you see in the EV9 and the Telluride, and then make it available in a, you know, an entry level, affordable crossover suv. And look cool is the key part. You know, the design is really draws in a lot of kind of a downsized DV9 with the a pillar kind of kind of front of vehicle work of the Telluride. So it's, it's very clear when you see it that it's a Kia, but it's a Kia done in a completely different way and in a very different footprint. And. Well, let me, let me just say I sent a photo to my 23 year old daughter when we launched the car and she wrote back Immediately, Dad, I'd like to have that. So I guess it's good.

[C]

Yeah, it was on my daughter's short list too. And we test drove the. There was previous generation, but wow, that presents well. Launch and Leave, by the way, is going to be the name of my book about Saturn. Thank you. Thank you for that.

[H]

There's the Tom that we know and love, right, Jill?

[D]

Exactly. Launch and Leave. Got it.

[C]

So let's talk, let's talk some Telluride. One of the things I didn't know about the Telluride and I thought it was just selling well and that's great because it's a great vehicle. It was a great vehicle, it's been redesigned. But one of the things I didn't realize is that it was capacity constrained. You guys actually weren't building enough of these things for us dealers. I should know stuff like that, but I miss things. So for 2027, vehicle's been redesigned and you guys are bumping up capacity too, right?

[H]

Yeah. When we first launched that car in 2020, I think we were able to do 46,000, 47,000 per year. Quickly exceeded the market demand. Bumped it up, bumped it up, bumped it up to where? Now we're doing about 100 and I'm going to say 130,000 out of our factory in West Point, Georgia. The goals for the new Telluride, I'd get in trouble if I told you what they are, but they're much more and it's off to a fantastic start. The only thing that, that kind of bumped the launch a little bit was not having the hybrid and the gasoline version available at the same time.

[C]

Right.

[H]

There was a short, I don't know, five, six week gap there and we had people coming in saying, I really want the new Telluride. When's the hybrid coming? Oh, it's coming on this day. I'll be back on that day. And that's now what we're seeing. Either people were buying the gasoline powered because that's what they needed for their life, or they were holding for the hybrid. But more importantly, they were buying a Telluride. And so, yeah, we, we feel really good. You know, our sister company at, at Hyundai with the Palisade is off to a good start. That only bodes well for what we're going to do since we consistently beat them down into the dirt every year.

[D]

So out of curiosity, you guys play rough?

[H]

I do. They don't. Sorry, Jill.

[D]

No, no, that's okay. I was just wondering like, what the thought process was to skip the 2026 model year because you went from 2025 straight to 2027.

[H]

You know, this is a classic thing, Jill. As you know, I was once on the media side of fence, and I know how y' all like to pontificate and speculate on how certain things are done. There's no master plan to that. That was strictly an issue of looking at the phase out of the current 25 model, how production and sales kind of were both dialed down. Well, sales stayed up, but production dialed down at the same time that the new 27 was coming on. So it was just a. It was just a clean break, really. So there was. Yeah, there's no. There's nothing devious there. It was just looking at the calendar, looking at production scheduling, and said, let's just move right on. So, yes, a 2026 Kia Telluride will be forever unobtainium.

[C]

Like a 1984 Corvette.

[H]

You beat me to it, Tom.

[C]

Well, oh, no, that was 1983 Corvette.

[H]

83. Oh, yes, you're right. You're right.

[C]

Yeah. Producer Randy's correcting me. Yeah, I think there were two 1983 Corvettes and one of them had the rare, rare 15 inch wheels. But we don't need to talk about that now. No, no, no, James, there's a Telluride stop sale, or there was one briefly. Is that going to affect shoppers much? No.

[H]

So thank you for bringing that up. Actually, I'd like to make sure everybody understands that as well as possible. So there was a situation with our sister company's Palisades, the power operated third row. It was an issue with a child that was trapped in that very, very, very bad. We looked quickly, immediately, as this company does, and said, well, do we have anything that has a similar exposure that could hurt our customers? We do not have the power operated third row, so we knew we didn't have that issue. But we do have a similarly on very high spec, trim level, a power operated second row.

[C]

Okay.

[H]

So we. We issued a small. It's only on 568 vehicles. Very small recall for the second row, which again, doesn't have the real perilous nature that the third row could have. But to use the word which is absolutely true in this case, out of abundance of caution, we decided to recall that 568. But to answer your other question there, Tom, the vehicles that are on hold from being sold is just the very top trim level of the hybrid version. The rest of the Tellurides are flying off the shelves as quickly as we can make them.

[C]

And speaking of that, real quick, because we're running out of time. If I am shopping for a Telluride hybrid right now, I suspect that interest has increased because of gas prices. What is your advice to customers looking for one? Can they get one right away? Should they try to get an order in? How should they proceed?

[H]

If you don't mind the color, you could probably find a couple of them at your local dealership. Now, if you want something specific, I would recommend getting in for an order, but no, there. I mean, we just put out our sales release for the month of February last week, and they're already selling at a great clip. So no, no worries. If you're interested in it, head on down to your local Kia store, and

[C]

you're in really good shape. If you want white, gray, or silver,

[H]

well, that always goes to stand, sadly, North American market.

[C]

James, what else should we know about the Telluride?

[H]

I think probably there's an ad that was started running during the Olympics, and now there's some new versions of it going on again. With some of the basketball playoffs starting to get kickoff. When you see the Telluride looking real tough and mean, climbing over mountain ridges and around sand dunes and all that, there's no CGI there. That's that machine really doing the job. In fact, we had to, with partnership with our lawyers. We wanted to add some of that really aggressive footage into the final production. They weren't so excited about it, but that's the vehicle doing its job. Now, I'm not saying the Telluride is ready to go conquer Moab or King of the Hammers or something like that. It's not. But that's also not how they're being used. It is the perfect vehicle to be comfortable, smooth, efficient, luxurious, you know, to go to the grocery store, load up on camping goods, and then take that stuff anywhere you want to go. So I think we have a special little Skunk works team here inside Kia America who got their hands on the engineers for the new Telluride very early and pushed forth some pretty aggressive suspension and capability tuning. So it's. It's a real machine. And so when you see that ad, that's our baby doing its job.

[C]

All right, James, we run out of time, but the Kia Telluride is on sale now, and the EV3 and the Seltos go on sale when?

[H]

A little bit later this year. The Seltos by late summer and the EV3 not long after.

[C]

James, thank you so much for your time today.

[H]

Always a pleasure. You Two. Thank you.

[C]

All right, that was James Bell, head of corporate communications and public relations at Kia. We're going to take a break and when we come back this time, quiz time,

[B]

Questions or comments?

[E]

Drop us a line at car [e-mail]

[B]

that's car [e-mail]

[I]

this episode is brought to you by Progressive Insurance. Do you ever think about switching insurance companies to see if you could save some cash? Progressive makes it easy. Just drop in some details about yourself and see if you're eligible to save money when you bundle your home and auto policies. The process only takes minutes and it could mean hundreds more in your pocket. Visit progressive.com after this episode to see if you could save Progressive Casualty Insurance Company and affiliates. Potential savings will vary. Not available in all states.

[F]

There's a fire inside you you can't ignore. Stand still. Not a chance. You're a lifelong learner who's come this far. Now we are here to help you keep going further. Capella University. What can't you do? Visit Capella. Edu to learn more.

[G]

Do you have $10,000 or more in credit card debt? Maybe you're even barely getting by making minimum payments? With credit card debt hitting record highs, National Debt Relief offers real debt relief solutions for people struggling to keep up. These options may reduce a large portion of credit card debt. For those who qualify. You don't need to declare bankruptcy and you may be able to pay back less than you owe regardless of your credit. National Debt Relief has already reduced the credit card debt for more than 550,000 consumers. So don't wait if you owe 10, 20, or even hundreds of thousands of dollars in credit card debt, you can now take advantage of this financial debt relief as the cost of living increases. To find out how much you could save, visit nationaldebtrelief.com that's nationaldebtrelief.com Foreign.

[B]

Stuff Podcast and we're back.

[C]

This is the consumer Guide Car Stuff podcast. I'm Tom. She is Jill. Jill, are you ready for the quiz?

[D]

I am not. But it never ends. So here we go.

[C]

You're not going to be ready for today's.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

You should just seriously lower your expectations on this one.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

All right. You want to talk social media first? Sure.

[D]

Yes. I would love to talk social media.

[C]

I know you would.

[D]

Yes. So you can find me on TikTok, Instagram, Facebook, YouTube, LinkedIn, Threads, Blue sky, all the things Ilsiminello. So J I l l c I m I n I l l o Lots of I's there. Or more simply you can just search for the hashtag card Azure. And on any social media, I typically tag my stuff with that and you should be able to find me there. I load new to tick tock and YouTube every day.

[C]

Wow. I don't do anything every day.

[D]

Yep. Nope, I do that. Except for, you know, yesterday was Easter. I did.

[C]

I shower. I shower every day.

[D]

Well, that. That's good. Your wife, I'm sure thanks you for that.

[C]

All right, it is quiz time. Oh, I'm car guy Tom on Twitter and X. I don't think I mentioned that earlier.

[D]

You did not. I was just thinking you didn't mention your social media.

[C]

Yeah, yeah. Lots of fun lately on I'm Blue Sky. All right, are you ready for today's topic?

[D]

We already established that I am not.

[C]

All right. Muscle car engines.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

I figured this is one you would love. You may not know that I will

[D]

not know any of.

[C]

Yeah, but muscle car engines also have colorful, colorful names.

[D]

They do.

[C]

I'm going to give you an engine. You just have to tell me if it's real or not. This would be an engine with a colorful name. The muscle car era, of course, from the 60s to 1971. Really? 72 being the beginning of the malaise era where low lead fuel and a bunch of other things including emission equipment just kind of put the kibosh on the fun but for a while.

[D]

So you're not going to count any current day muscle car names?

[C]

No.

[D]

Avengers.

[C]

Okay. I don't. You know, almost nothing that was built after the original muscle car era was really a muscle car car. I know we call things that, but whatever. All right, so five questions plus the bonus question. You need to get three total for a victory. The bonus question, as always, related to the topic of the day. All right, are you ready? Number one, is this a real muscle car engine? The Mopar 426 Hemi.

[D]

Well, that's not a very fun name. Mopar. Mopar 426 Hemi.

[C]

Do you know what Mopar is?

[D]

In a vague sense, yes.

[C]

Mopar was basically the collection of Chrysler brands at the time. So it was Chrysler, Plymouth and Dodge. Yeah, they shared drivetrain issues. Chrysler not involved in the muscle car era, but Dodger, Plymouth were big time involved. So Mopar 426. I mean, you can drop the Mopar. It was really the 426 Hemi. Was that a real engine?

[D]

I'm gonna say yes.

[C]

The 426 Hemi. Yes, that was a real engine and it was A bad boy, too. Interestingly, at the time, Mopar buyers had a choice between the 426 or the 440. Sometimes the 440 was called the wedge. The 440, the lower horsepower was the better street car. It was a little bit more drivable around town. The Mopar was very, very revy and hard to drive. You have one point. Are you ready?

[D]

I'm ready.

[C]

The Mercury 401 Whomper. W h o m p e. Rumper. Mercury 401 Whomper. You say no, no, no to the Whopper.

[D]

I'm saying no.

[C]

There was no Whopper. You've got two points.

[D]

Oh, wow. Okay.

[C]

All right. The Ford Boss 429. Oh, boss 429. Was that a real thing? The Boss? I'm saying yes, it was. You've already won.

[D]

How did I pull this out?

[C]

I don't know. Okay, we got more to go though.

[D]

Either. I must have heard it somewhere.

[C]

Must have.

[D]

All right. Somewhere.

[C]

The AMC. The American Motors 399 Fire Dog.

[D]

Oh, see, I know I'm less familiar with amc.

[C]

Everyone is.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Except Joe Ligo.

[D]

Exactly. Who we've had on a couple of times.

[C]

I need to finish watching Joe Lego's the Last Independent Automaker documentary. Because it's very good, guys. Quite a filmmaker. AMC399 Fire Dog.

[D]

Fire Dog. I'm gonna say no.

[C]

Nope. No. Fire Dog. Wow. I can't believe this is the topic. You might clear the board.

[D]

Wow. Okay. Me neither, actually.

[C]

Finally, the old.

[D]

I remembered more than I forgot. Apparently.

[C]

Apparently. The Oldsmobile 525 Thruster. Oldsmobile.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

Their big car during that period was the 442. The Cutlass 442. I'm gonna say yes to the 525 thruster.

[D]

Yeah.

[C]

No. Nope. No such thing. Made it up. Okay, you got four. Nice job. Bonus question. You ready for the bonus question?

[D]

Ready for the. I'm more ready for the bonus question than I was for the quiz. So here's to hoping I. I get this one.

[C]

Well, this is Easter related.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

The United States Department of Agriculture was signed into existence by Abraham Lincoln in 1862. One of the things that they regulate is the sale of eggs.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

You use eggs. Happy Easter.

[D]

I. I do use eggs. Happy Easter.

[C]

I need you to tell me which of the following is not a USDA grade of egg for sale in America. Are you ready?

[D]

Yes.

[C]

All right. AAA or B? This is the least exciting bonus question ever. AA or B?

[D]

Oh, God. Like, I know grade A.

[C]

One of those is Fake B.

[D]

I'm gonna.

[C]

He's also big.

[D]

Fine.

[C]

Flashlight batteries.

[D]

Yeah, I'm gonna say B.

[C]

No, B is real.

[D]

Huh?

[C]

Yeah. Aaa, then. Yeah, that's the fake. Okay, so I've got this. I think our listeners are going to want to know this Grade aa.

[D]

They definitely want to know this.

[C]

Clean, unbroken shell with thick, firm egg whites and round yolks. Ideal for poaching and frying. Grade A, similar to Grade aa, but with reasonably firm whites, the standard quality found in grocery stores. And finally, Grade B, thinner whites and whiter, flatter yolks. Shells may be slightly stained. These are often used for liquid, frozen or dried egg products.

[D]

Ha. You know, I've never heard of B. But then I'd never heard of double A either, because I knew A was the thing.

[C]

I think this quiz, we lost, like, 5% of our listeners.

[D]

They're probably like. But no, I told them to stay tuned to the end my Boulder.

[C]

Yeah. Worst quiz ever. But we are talking about the boulder, and I want to talk about that. Tell us about what that is, and then I will share with you my skepticism.

[D]

Okay.

[C]

Which I know you're looking forward to.

[D]

You are a skeptic, and I always look forward to it. Okay, so the Boulder. Going into the New York auto show, we knew Hyundai had a launch. I knew it was a design concept, but we didn't know what that design concept was. You know, Hyundai famously does a lot of design concepts at auto shows, and you will see things from the design concepts that filter into future products. But going into the show, we. I would say we, as a journalistic media organization, all were assuming that they would reveal the pickup truck body on frame that Hyundai has said is coming to market by 2030. So I feel like this was Hyundai's big April Fool's joke, because it was on April fool and it was a global launch, and so there was no embargoed information. Nobody knew what was coming out until they lifted, you know, the cone off of the car.

[C]

Even the folks at Automotive News had no idea.

[D]

No, no, no, no, no.

[C]

Or they said they had no idea.

[D]

No, they had no idea because I, like, was, you know, doing the nod. Nod, wink, wink at the Hyundai folks. And they're like, no, we are telling nobody.

[C]

Does that ever work?

[D]

This is a global reveal. The nod. Nod, wink, wink.

[C]

Yeah, sometimes. Yeah. That's how you get out of charge.

[D]

I swear I won't say anything.

[C]

Yeah. So tell us about what the builder is.

[D]

Yeah. So then. So it was really funny because they. Even as they were getting Ready to reveal it. They're like, you know, we're coming out with this new pickup truck in 2030, you know, and since, you know, we've let go of the Hyundai Santa Cruz, you know, this is what we are revealing. And they pull the cone up and it's an suv. And the design director gets up to talk about it. He's like, surprise, surprise, surprise. You all thought we were launching a pickup truck today. And so what this is, it's a body on frame suv, Very upright stance, you know, has a little bit of a Ford bronco look to it. I had some people in my feed say it looked like a Land Rover defender. I had some people in my feed, some say it looked like a hummer, but very upright, off roady looking SUV. It has very flared out fender flares. It has 37 inch tires with I think they were 18 inch wheels, but very big beefy. I think they're mud terrain tires. You could not see the interior. They did show pictures of, you know, an interior online, but we as the media could not see on the inside. So it was primarily an exterior design concept. But you know, steeply raked approach and departure angles, lots of skid plates everywhere. So definitely intended to go off road. And the one thing that they did tell us is that this would have a body on frame architecture, which is, you know, a typical architecture you would find like a pickup truck or off road vehicle on. So they did say this is a design concept. They did not say that they're bringing out this suv, but that this will set the stage for the pickup truck that we will see in the next four years.

[C]

Yeah, I mean they're feeling, they're feeling around to see if there's some demand for this. And I think maybe there isn't part of what's going on here. As you noted, this is body on frame and body of frame architecture is for serious trucks. It helps you tow, it helps with payload, and it's good for off roading as well. The problem with body on frame architecture is that the vehicle ends up higher and you end up with a more awkward set of design parameters. So you can't make things as low or sleek as you might want to. But should Hyundai or Kia want to get into the small pickup class with this, not a bad way to go. As for the truck itself, this is direct competition. Were it to launch with the wrangler and the Bronco. And right now you've seen this happen. When the bronco first launched, it seemed like there was almost all this new interest in going off road. And the Wrangler thrived and the Bronco thrived. But since then, both of them are dying. Sales are slipping. They have to incentivize them. Jeep is doing crazy things, are launching new trim levels every month for a year to try the.

[D]

12 for 12.

[C]

12 for 12. Yeah. Trying to keep interest up in this vehicle. And the Wrangler's as good as it ever was. And the Bronco is very good. And I fit better in the Bronco. And they're both extremely capable off roaders. But the problem is they're very expensive. They're very expensive and they're fighting for the same audience. And they divided that audience in half. And dividing that audience again would be tough. And there wouldn't be enough sales, I think, for Hyundai to really crack into that unless the vehicle was spectacularly good for some reason.

[D]

Well, so I don't see them launching the suv. I literally think this is just a design concept for the pickup truck that is coming out. And you know, if you follow global automotive stuff, Kia has the Tasman, which is a midsize pickup truck in other markets.

[C]

Yep.

[D]

So, I mean, they already have the architecture out there.

[C]

Why have I forgotten this? Where's that at? South Africa and Australia. Right.

[D]

I think so.

[C]

I just wrote about this and I forgot. Okay.

[D]

Yeah, so they already have the architecture out there. So I mean, what they would need to do in order to make this a viable product in the United States is they would have to build it here. So we're looking at the Metaplant and they would have to make it cool enough and competitive enough to be able to beat like the Ford Ranger and, and the Toyota Tacoma.

[C]

So here's the thing about this. They need probably to build that vehicle here, as you noted. Were they to build a body on frame factory or an assembly line at a factory that could build something like this or the pickup, they would probably try and build both, I think, just to amortize volume cost with volume. So we'll see where this goes. It's interesting, it's cool looking and I'm going to get a point picture that you wrote me for Consumer Guide, a very nice summary of all the vehicles that were launched at the auto show. I'm going to get that put together probably tomorrow, which is Tuesday.

[D]

Okay. Yeah, but you know, I just, I was really impressed with the quality of the launches and the things that they did at the show. One thing that we, when we talked about the Subaru getaway, you know, they also launched the Subaru 4 Forester Hybrid Wilderness, or I guess it's a Subaru Forester Wilderness hybrid. And their presentation, their auto show reveal was probably the coolest reveal I've ever seen. They had like little drones with lights on them that mimic stars or fireflies kind of moving around in the air. And you know, it was, it was a really cool presentation. And I like, that was probably one of the best like reveals I've seen it on our show in a while.

[C]

All right, guess what we did.

[D]

We had another really great show.

[C]

We did real quick. For people who get this in time, I joined John Records Landecker on WGN Radio Tomorrow, Tuesday at 8:30 if people want to listen in. Big thanks to James Bell, the head of corporate communications at Kia. Thank you, Jill, for phoning in. Thank you to producer Randy and the good folks here at the Talk Zone. Let's talk more about cars again next week. Next week.

[E]

Remember to check us out@consumer guide.com the

[B]

car stuff podcast is produced by J Turn Media.

[E]

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