Super Moody Group

Production of the Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid has begun at the Hyundai Motor Group (HMG) Metaplant near Savannah, GA. The small SUV is so popular that it is also built at a dedicated Kia facility in West Point, GA. Think about what that says about the popularity of Kia in the U.S. People like Kia vehicles.  Metaplant is Impressive HMG is the parent company of several brands, including Hyundai, Genesis, and Kia. Hyundai Motor Group's gigantic 2,900-acre site is in Ellabell, GA, near Savannah. This is an impressive feat, considering the groundbreaking was just over three years ago, and now it’s cranking out new cars.   Today, the Metaplant is up and running, and it is producing electric cars like the Hyundai Ioniq 9, the Hyundai Ioniq 5, and now the Kia Sportage Turbo Hybrid. The Metaplant is a modern state-of-the-art facility that includes flexible assembly lines that lack the typical fixed tracks, in addition to the more familiar fixed, moving assembly line. The plant is also a ...

The new Nissan Rogue Hybrid is a different kind of hybrid. The Rogue is all-new for 2027. With the introduction of the new Nissan Rogue Hybrid e-POWER, the term “Series Hybrid” will be used quite a bit under the banner of e-POWER. Nissan has had this technology overseas for years. It’s a hybrid, but not in the traditional sense. Here’s how it works: A series hybrid uses gasoline and electricity to make power, just like a traditional hybrid. However, the gasoline engine does not drive the wheels. Instead, it works like a generator that creates electricity, which is then stored in a battery. The electric motor or motors pull power from the battery to move the car. In essence, the Rogue hybrid works like an electric car. Sometimes, this setup is referred to as an “Extended Range Electric Vehicle.” Hybrid MPG When driving an e-POWER Rogue, it feels like an electric car. There’s the familiar instant acceleration, the same quiet driving demeanor, and the same regenerative braking.   The ...

Looking for a good hybrid? The Jeep Cherokee is worth a test drive The new Jeep Cherokee is quite good. However, there’s a problem with Jeep, and it isn’t about the vehicles; it’s the fans, the lovers of all things “Jeep,” who don’t love all Jeep things. Jeep is the kind of automaker where people have very strong opinions,  but mostly seem stuck in the past. Nowhere is this more evident than in online comments. Something tells me a lot of negative comments are made by guys on Facebook Marketplace looking for a used Warn winch, not a mom looking for a Kia Sorento competitor.  On the surface, this level of enthusiasm is the exact kind of thing every brand wants. Imagine if a significant portion of the “dining out” public were superfans of Taco Bell. I bet Taco Bell would love it. With Jeep, it’s a mixed blessing, at best. The problem is, all those Jeep superfans seem unable to let the brand grow. It’s good to have fans, but not every new vehicle can be yet another version of the...

This 2027 Kia Telluride is the 5 millionth vehicle built by Kia in West Point, GA. Now available as a hybrid, it's popular vehicles like this Telluride that will have many mainstream buyers getting hybrids in 2026.  2027  Kia Telluride is now offered as a hybrid  -Photo by Brian Moody

Updated March, 2026 Looking for an amazing deal on a used car? Get an electric car.  See the full NBC 7 San Diego story  -  Reporter Sergio Flores does an excellent job of explaining it concisely. The prices are incredible. Here are just a few examples: CarGurus - in New Jersey, a 2023 Nissan Leaf with 21,000 miles for $10,000 Capital One Auto Navigator - in Atlanta, a 2023 Mercedes-Benz EQE 350 4Matic Sedan with 46,000 miles - $33,000. This was an $80,000 car when new!!  Cars.com - in Dallas, a 2024 Kia Niro EV with 11,000 miles - $20,000.  All of these cars, and others just like them, will still be under warranty. Mercedes-Benz has a 10-year, 155,000-mile warranty on some EVs. Most electric cars have an 8-year / 100,000-mile warranty on the battery and drive components.

There seems to be some confusion about the Chevy Volt - here are a few facts: The Chevrolet Volt uses a gas engine to make electricity when the batteries run down. The 1.4-liter gasoline engine never powers the wheels. (Uh-oh, this turned out not to be true). Chevy suggests premium fuel, but it will work on regular unleaded. Fully charged, the range is 40 miles total - that's 20 miles each way. While driving, the gasoline-powered generator kicks on automatically, but you really can't feel it. The gas engine can charge the batteries and store some electricity. In "Mountain Mode," the car's gas engine can run and will put a little power back in the batteries. The retail price is $41,000 - some people will qualify for an IRS tax credit, not cash back. The Volt will not qualify for HOV status in California. The Chevrolet Volt is built in the US, including most of the battery pack. Chevrolet will warranty the batteries for 8 years or 100,000 miles. -Brian Moody

Chevrolet makes a hybrid Tahoe - it gets 21 city / 22 highway. But the company's own non-hybrid SUVs do better than that. The 2010 Chevrolet Traverse gets a combined average of 19 mpg topping out at 24 mpg on the highway. The smaller 2010 Equninox does even better with a 26 mpg combined EPA estimate and 32 mpg on the highway. Although the Toyota Prius does get a real world 50 mpg, many more affordable small cars do nearly as good as other hybrids - Kia Forte EX w/ fuel economy package 36 mpg highway, 2011 Ford Fiesta w/ automatic transmission 29 city / 40 highway, 2010 VW Jetta SportWagen TDI 30 city / 42 highway. Other cars like the Ford Focus, Hyundai Elantra Blue, VW Golf TDI and Honda Fit do well too but most are priced at or below $20,000 (the VWs are a little more) So maybe skip the hybrid and save some money.