Kia is well known for its quirky, comical advertisements, and for this year’s Super Bowl, the brand is taking it to the next level.
The automaker will air a 60-second TV spot during the big game on February 7, one that stars the always entertaining Christopher Walken. You are now reading this news post in Walken’s signature voice.
The commercial, titled “Walken Closet,” will highlight the all-new 2016 Optima, and although the 18-second teaser above doesn’t give much away, the spot clearly has something to do with socks. Beige socks. Also, non-beige socks, as evidenced by the photo below.
According to the brand, “the new ad will continue to spotlight the next-generation Optima as the vibrant alternative for those determined not to blend in.”
We attended the Optima’s First Drive event in Aspen, Colorado late last year, and we were impressed with the vehicle’s handling and well-appointed cabin. For more info on the car, check out our initial drive impressions here.
In non-Walken-related Kia news, the brand has announced that it will expand its GT performance lineup with a new hot hatch in the next two years. Dubbed the Rio GT, the hatchback will butt heads with the lovable Ford Fiesta ST sometime around 2018.
Like its American rival, the Rio GT is expected to equip a turbocharged 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine, sharp handling, and (hopefully) a manual transmission. Its rumored output of 180 horsepower is noticeably less than the Ford’s 197 hp, however, so the Kia’s new platform — which is the same architecture that will underpin the standard Rio in 2017 — will focus more on decreased weight and linear cornering. As far as the interior is concerned, Kia says the cabin and infotainment system will take a “quantum leap” forward.
BYD has launched the third-generation Qin Plus DM-i in China, and the first thing that caught my eye is its price. According to CarNewsChina, the plug-in hybrid sedan starts at 79,900 yuan, which is about $11,980. That’s an incredibly low price for a brand-new car, especially by US standards.
What’s even more impressive is the range. The Qin Plus DM-i can drive up to 137 miles on electricity alone, which should cover most people’s daily commutes without using a drop of gas. Once the battery runs out, the 1.5-liter engine takes over. Thanks to its 17-gallon tank and roughly 91 mpg with a drained battery, the combined range reaches up to 1,423 miles.
Apple won the PC market’s worst quarter, but that’s not the entire story. It won the race by stumbling less than everyone else.
PC makers shipped just 57 million computers worldwide in Q3, which might look good, but it’s a 21% year-over-year plunge (via Counterpoint Research). And despite Apple’s Mac shipments falling by 11%, to 5.6 million, its market share rose from 8.7% to 9.8%. How did that happen?
Update (October 22 23:54 PT): In response to our query, GM clarified that offline recording support is already available on eligible vehicles. Like Tesla's Sentry Mode, it requires owners to connect a USB drive to save incident recordings, which can be viewed on the vehicle's infotainment screen. The upcoming Connected Cameras feature will build on this by giving owners remote access to these recordings via the revamped OnStar app, allowing them to check footage without walking out to their car.
General Motors has announced plans to add a new Connected Cameras feature to its OnStar service starting next year, giving drivers a way to monitor parked vehicles remotely and capture footage of certain incidents.