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Kia goes (dark) green

By Jesse Crosse Motor Industry 23 September 2008 11:00 Kia has unveiled a portfolio of new environmental technologies, including a 1.4-litre Ceed with stop-start (due in the UK in 2009), a Ceed hybrid and the latest version of its fuel cell-powered Sportage. The Korean manufacturer is investing heavily in research and development and will increase its spend on R&D from £2.2 billion this year to £2.6 billion by 2010, combined with a 40 percent increase in manpower at its research centres around the globe. The money is being spent on developing downsized, turbocharged engines, efficiency improvements to conventional engines such as friction reduction and the separation of accessories like water pumps from the engine.

Consumer Reports' Luddites strike again

I am a technological wizard. At least that's the conclusion to which I've come after reading the January issue of Consumer Reports, which calls Cadillac CUE, the automaker's new infotainment system, “maddening.” After all, I had figured out CUE in a matter of minutes while acclimating myself to our Best of the Best ATS sedan last month. CUE, short for Cadillac User Experience, uses a touch-sensitive screen, capacitive switches and tactile, vibrating feedback to help drivers perform various functions.

Fiat UK launches design competition

Fiat Group Automobiles UK, has announced a nationwide design competition to find fun new ways to travel. The competition starts today. The contest, called the ‘Smiles per Hour Design Competition', is a UK-wide search for budding inventors of tomorrow to create interesting and amusing ways to enjoy a journey.