

“While no car can be made theft-proof, criminals are seeking vehicles solely equipped with a steel key and ‘turn-to-start’ ignition system,” said James Bell, head of corporate communications for Kia America. Officials at Kia America expressed similar sentiments.

The “Kia Boys” were the subject of a documentary about the theft of the vehicles. According to a NICB report, 40% of the cars stolen in the second half of July in St. “They tell us they learned it on the internet or learned it from another friend, those persons get arrested, they go to jail and tell the other people, and it continues to spread like wildfire,” said Sergeant Cody Lance of the St. TikTok has since deleted the original video, but the exploit is easy enough that thieves took note. Someone posted a how-to video to TikTok, and the practice began to spread, first across the upper Midwest, then around the country. The problem appeared to start in Milwaukee, Wisconsin with groups of “ Kia Boys” stealing cars and joyriding. Simply put, if a thief can break the lock on the keyway, then any tool that can turn the ignition switch to the “On” position will work to start the vehicle. In general, this means of car theft has been well-known since cars first received keys as a security measure in 1910. Vehicles that rely on a coded key fob and push-button starter are not subject to this exploit. The problem is limited to Kia products made between 20 and Hyundai products from 2016-2021 that use a plain metal key to start the vehicle. The videos sparked a “Kia Challenge” in which young men post videos of themselves committing felony auto theft that has spread around the country.
Hyundai models list how to#
after a TikTok video showed how to steal the vehicles. That said, if you live in California, you can spend more than $60,000 on the hydrogen-powered Nexo SUV.Hyundai and Kia vehicles have jumped to the top of “most stolen” lists across the U.S. The top-level Calligraphy trim level starts over the $50,000 mark and crosses the $52,000 threshold with all-wheel drive. Most Expensive: With Genesis branching out and building true Korean luxury cars, Hyundai's new flagship is the three-row Palisade SUV. Popular: The compact Elantra sedan and Tucson crossover occupy the top of Hyundai's sales reports.
Hyundai models list manual#
To satiate enthusiasts, the Elantra N comes with a standard manual transmission. Each boasts a powerful engine and a great chassis. Sportiest: Now that the nutty Veloster N is gone, Hyundai offers two performance models: the Elantra N and Kona N.

The Elantra is the least expensive Hyundai car, starting just under $22,000. The Venue subcompact crossover, which starts just over $20,000, is the least expensive Hyundai. Least Expensive: With the discontinuation of the budget-friendly Hyundai Accent, the brand's most affordable model is from the Hyundai SUV lineup. What you'll no longer find in Hyundai's lineup are luxury cars, now that the automaker has broken out Genesis as a separate luxury brand. The automaker's value-driven lineup includes the Tucson compact SUV, Sonata midsize sedan, and the Palisade three-row SUV flagship. Hyundai has become increasingly popular in the U.S, thanks to its generous basic warranty and cars that have continued to improve.
