Catching Up to Speed: Tuesday, September 2, 2008

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A quick roundup of other automotive stories ...

Kia hopes to get hip with Soul

In moves seen before with the Honda Element and the Scion xB, Kia Motors will debut its new Kia Soul at the Paris Motor Show in October. The crossover conjures images of Jolly Rancher candies both in color and shape (there are also photos of a lime green model) and should hit our shores in the spring. (Source: Kia Motors press release and Autoblog.com)

Honda may unveil the ‘Prius fighter’ sooner than excepted

Autoblog reports that the concept version of the Japanese company’s much-buzzed-about new ride may be unveiled Thursday. Rumored to be using Toyota’s tires as a bull’s-eye, the low-emission hybrid is said to be cheaper than the Prius and can seat four or five.

Consumer Reports’ guide to buying a new car

Thinking of buying a new car in the end-of-summer sales? CR recently released a handy guide to driving off the lot without getting the run around. They break down employee pricing, incentive trends and other tricks of the trade.