Tis the Season for Heated Steering Wheels, and Almost Every Kia Is Ready to Warm Your Handsrm Your Hands
November 11 2019, Centennial Auto Group
It's December 11, 2018. According to Environment Canada, the temperature in Summerside fell to -18.7 °C yesterday, not rising above -7 °C. It's winter in Prince Edward Island, so we shouldn't be surprised to find it a bit chilly, even if yesterday's high was colder than the average low for the same date.
Fortunately, Kia has a solution. It's called the heated steering wheel, and it's included at no extra cost on nearly every new Kia model.
Every version of the all-new 2019 Kia Forte has a heated steering wheel. So does every Rio, Kia's most affordable car. Every Sorento. Every Niro.
Each and every Cadenza. All of the different Stinger variants.
In the Sedona, a heated steering wheel is standard fit on the LX, LX+, SX, SX+, SXL, and SXL+. The Sportage EX, EX Premium, EX Tech, and SX Turbo all include a heated steering wheel. So does the Optima LX+, EX, EX Tech, SX Turbo, and SXL Turbo. A heated steering wheel is also featured in the Soul EX, EX+, EX Premium, EX Tech, and SX Turbo.
If the feature seemed gimmicky when it began appearing in high-priced luxury cars more than 15 years ago, Canadians have long since realized that there's no such thing as bad weather, only vehicles poorly outfitted to handle the weather. That's why heated seats - front and rear - are such a common inclusion in Kia Canada's lineup and why heated steering wheels are increasingly becoming the norm, as well. In an era that frequently compels us to remove gloves to operate touchscreens, operate a drive-thru ATM, or simply to feel a better connection with controls, a heated steering wheel has gone from gimmick to must-have.
But not all manufaturers are so generous. On the $44,050 Lexus NX300, for example, a heated steering wheel is an optional extra that's part of a $4,050 premium package. Volvo will force you into a $9,500 options package on the $74,950 XC90 just to get a heated steering wheel. The $50,450 Lincoln Nautilus requires a $600 climate package in order to get a heated steering wheel.
You don't need to pay any extra on the $14,795 Kia Rio to warm your hands.
