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Kia is quick to mention the current Sorento family hauler is only three years old, and for good reason: while the trucklet was only due for a modest mid-cycle refresh, it received, instead, a comprehensive reworking that goes much deeper than bumper covers and infotainment systems.

What you're looking at is, in fact, a Kia Forte, although eagle-eyed international readers will instantly recognize this all-new, glitzed-up sedan as the Cerato. As expected, Kia management pulled the Cerato off of its international shelves, added a few changes for the American market, and sent it to the Los Angeles Auto Show ahead of a Spring 2013 on-sale date.

Porsche follows a fairly predictable cadence for car launches, so when the German company introduced the new Boxster at the Geneva Motor Show in March, we knew that a hardtop twin wouldn't be far behind. Sure enough, the 2013 Porsche Cayman makes its debut at the Los Angeles auto show and goes on sale in the U.S. next spring. Like the updated Boxster, the new Porsche Cayman is more powerful and more efficient than the outgoing version.

The one constant in the lifecycle of the Nissan GT-R has been change. Almost every new model year has brought hefty revisions to Japan's all-wheel-drive monster, generally making the GT-R even faster and more powerful than the year before. This year, however, Nissan went easy on the updates and made only a few small suspension and interior changes.

Jaguar already produces the bonkers XKR-S Coupe and Convertible, and we love them for it. However, not all Anglophile enthusiasts want to give up the utility of a sedan, and the XFR just isn't ludicrous enough. Enter the 2014 Jaguar XFR-S - the 550-hp XKR-S wrapped in a sultry and sensible sedan body.

The Acura RL was the brand's flagship model for so long that the smaller, cheaper Acura TL began to catch up in terms of power, comfort, and technology. That meant any replacement for the RL would need to offer a big step up in order to justify its higher price compared to the TL. Acura seems to have taken that message to heart in replacing the aging RL with the all-new 2014 RLX, which debuts at the Los Angeles auto show. The new top Acura is roomier, more stylish, more powerful, and filled with even more technology than its predecessor.