Kia K9 sedan, camouflaged Sportage spied testing

Kia was doing a bit of vehicle testing around Mammoth Lake, Calif., last weekend, and Autoweek reader Kristoffer Gjevre was there to capture the convoy. His photos show a camouflaged small SUV/ crossover and a completely undisguised K9 sedan backed up by Hyundai Santa Fe and Veloster support vehicles. Based on the roofline and A, B and C pillars, that small crossover appears to be a Kia Sportage -- and the heavy concealment at the front and rear of the vehicle suggest updated fascias may be in the works.

Spoken street names useful in navigation units, magazine says

If you're in the market for a portable navigation unit, features such as spoken street names and reality view/lane assist are worth the money while traffic information, connected services and voice recognition are not as essential, says Consumer Reports magazine. Less expensive navigation models are even offering the service via which the unit will speak the names of streets or highway numbers rather than telling drivers to merge or turn in a specific direction. Reality view/lane assist is a feature commonly packaged as one that displays three-dimensional views of exits, signs and intersections as well as the best lane to be in for upcoming driving maneuvers.

Honda Insight hybrid gets a new look inside and out for 2012

The 2012 Honda Insight hybrid bowed on Monday with refreshed exterior styling, more standard features and improved fuel economy--with a base price of less than $20,000. Honda says it was aiming for a more high-tech look this time around. On the outside, a reworked grille design is flanked by restyled front and rear bumpers.