2014 Kia Forte 5-Door Comes in 201HP and 173HP Guises [Photos & Videos]

One of the main attractions of the 2013 Chicago Auto Show is the all-new Kia Forte 5-door. Earlier today, we posted the first images of the 2014 Forte hatchback but now Kia has released all the details – and it’s more than a pretty face.

Designed at Kia’s design studio in Seoul under the direction of the company’s President and global chief designer Peter Schreyer, the Forte 5-door is, like its sedan sibling, sportier and more attractive than its predecessor is.

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Redesigned Toyota 2014 Tundra Pickup Truck wants to be a Ford F-150 when it Grows Up

The most "American" model in Toyota's lineup is without question, the Tundra full-size pickup truck; and how could it not be since it was designed and built here in America specifically for domestic buyers.

Nevertheless, for all its Americanness, the Tundra hasn't really been able to compete against the country's best-selling pickup for 36 years and best-selling vehicle for 31 years, the Ford F-Series, which sold 645,316 units last year, a 10 percent increase over 2011. By comparison, Toyota sold 101,621 examples of the Tundra in 2012, up 22.6 percent from 2011 when it delivered 82,908 units.

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First Pictures of Kia's Chicago Auto Show Bound Cross GT Concept

Joining the 2014 Forte hatchback at Kia's stand at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show is a new concept model for an upmarket, mid-size crossover named the Cross GT.

The Korean carmaker said that the study hints at the future of its design language as well as to a "new a premium Crossover Utility Vehicle (CUV) that is larger than the new 2014 Sorento" for its North American lineup.

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Chevrolet Unveils 148HP, 42 mpg 2014 Cruze 2.0-liter Turbo Diesel, Priced at $25,695

Rising gasoline prices along with the vast improvements made in diesel engine technology in the past few years mean that car manufacturers are much less reluctant to introduce oil-burning models in the U.S. market that, unlike Europe, clearly isn't too fond of them.

Chevrolet chose the Chicago Auto Show to unveil the Clean Turbo Diesel variant of its best-selling Cruze small sedan. The 2014 model that will be sold in the U.S. and Canada is powered by a 2.0-liter turbodiesel engine that puts out 148HP and 258 lb-ft (350 Nm) of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

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New 2013 Ford Shelby GT500 Convertible kicks out 650HP, limits top speed

Twenty years ago, Ford debuted the 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra at the Chicago Auto Show and introduced the world to its high-performance skunkworks department, known as SVT or Special Vehicle Team.

Today, Ford celebrates SVT's platinum anniversary the only way it knows how: with another Mustang variant. And as suspected, it comes in the form of a topless Shelby GT500.

The 1993 SVT Mustang Cobra (which, along with the F-150 Lighting, launched Ford’s performance division) delivered 235 HP from its 5.0-liter V8. Today’s Shelby GT500 is a whopping 415 HP more powerful, proving that the horsepower game has moved on significantly these days. The result is an output of 650 ponies and 600 lb-ft of torque.

“The Shelby GT500 convertible is every bit the performer that the coupe is”, said SVT Global Performance Vehicles chief engineer Kerry Baldori. “All of the significant changes we made in the program were instrumental in delivering a convertible that could really shine on the track but still be driven on a daily basis.”

In addition to the carbon fiber driveshaft, upgraded clutch, transmission and axle, SVT fitted its own specially developed Bilstein electronic adjustable dampers, along with six-piston Brembo calipers squeezing massive discs up front.

Like the coupe, the Bilstein setup is part of the Performance Package (why it's not included as standard is beyond us) and Ford will also offer a Track Pack that includes an external oil cooler, differential cooler and transmission cooler to keep temps in check when flogging the drop top around the tarmac.

And before you ask: No, the GT500 coupe's 200 mph top speed doesn't carry over to the Convertible. In a rare moment of sanity, Ford's engineers saw fit to limit the GT500 'vert to 155 mph – like the rest of the roofless Mustangs. Hit the jump for the full details.

Buyers can also opt for the upgraded Track Package that adds an external engine oil cooler, rear differential cooler and transmission cooler.

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Kia Track'ster concept: latest pics

Kia has previewed its new Kia Soul - based Kia Track’ster concept ahead of its launch at the 2012 Chicago Motor Show next week. The concept previews how a sporting three-door version of the Soul crossover could look, and it could end up being made as a third Soul variant alongside the five-door and a convertible.

According to California studio Chief Designer Tom Kearns, the study is an extension of the Soul’s "rebellious, individual and urban character".

Kia says that the Track'ster is envisaged with a 247-horsepower (250PS) petrol engine, which we assume would be based on the 1.6-liter or 2.0-liter turbocharged four cylinder units shared with its parent company Hyundai.

Although Kia insists there are no plans for Track’ster production at this stage, such a model would make sense for the Soul line-up, particularly in the US. Kia sold more than 100,000 Souls in the US last year, and the convertible version – previewed by the Soul’ster concept, another Californa-designed model – remains under evaluation for production.

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