Kia nieuws

As 2012 winds to an end, AutoGuide looks back at all the vehicles that received the axe this year, some that will be missed, while others surely won’t be. Starting it off is the Acura ZDX, a crossover that had a very tough time breaking into the market. Priced at around $51,815 including delivery, the ZDX was hardly a hot seller for the Japanese automaker, and it’s clear that Acura can’t wait to move forward from it. Lees het hele artikel

As the year 2012 officially approaches to an end, we’d like to look back at some of the BUZZ postings from fall and winter to see which ones fans have picked as favorites. Let’s take a journey down the memory lane and wrap up 2012. 5. Become a Superhero in this Batman-Inspired Optima Back in October, Kia Motors America teamed up with DC Entertainment and RIDES magazine to create a brooding, Batman-inspired Optima to be displayed at New York’s Time Warner Center. This was the first of eight customized Kia vehicles to signal the beginning of a 10-month partnership based on the iconic characters of the Justice League. Not only this Batman inspired Optima looked awesome, …

Legendary designer Peter Schreyer, most known for his work at Audi, has been appointed as the first non-Korean president of Kia Motors. Schreyer was hired from Volkswagen back in 2006, and is credited with Kia’s ‘Tiger Nose’ design which can now be found on the front end of almost every vehicle in the brand’s lineup. The promotion makes Schreyer one of three presidents of the company. Schreyer was originally hired to help the Korean brand overhaul its entire lineup, to give them a better global portfolio. The appointment of Schreyer shows Kia’s ambition to outdo its German rivals, which was a key part of the brand’s strategy when it first hired Schreyer back in 06. …

2012 was certainly an eventful year for Kia Motors. From various new vehicle launches, awards to motor shows, it was a wild ride and we enjoyed every moment of it. Today on BUZZ, we’d like to recap some of these momentous milestones and share with you what got us moving in the year 2012. Let’s take a look. 2012 Highlights and Milestones 1) All-new Kia cee’d premiers at Geneva Motor Show All-new Kia cee’d made its global premiere at the 2012 Geneva International Motor Show. More sophisticated, more efficient, more refined and with a more engaging driving experience than its predecessor, new cee’d launched to build on the success of the original model, further e…

New ‘dynamic muscularity’ brings emotional appeal The all-new ‘look’ of the third-generation Cerato (Forte) was created at Kia’s American Design Center in Irvine, California. The design team was directed by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer and headed by Tom Kearns, Chief Designer, Kia Motors America. Sculpted to portray ‘dynamic muscularity’ and provoke an emotional response, the sleeker new Cerato has cab-forward styling, a lower coupe-like roofline, distinctive eye-catching concave door contours and a rising beltline with a chrome window molding extending into the C-pillar to project an aura of elegance. Moving the A-pillar forwards and the C-pillar …

Last month, Hyundai shocked the automotive world when the Korean automaker issued a recall of its fuel economy claims on several models across its lineup, including vehicles from Kia. Now there’s a suspicion that insider trading took place prior to the announcement, when the automaker’s stock fell four percent on November 1st, a day before the announcement was made. Around 2.2-million shares were traded that day, the highest volume of the year up to that point. SEE ALSO: Hyundai, Kia Admit to Overstating Gas Mileage on Most Models According to Robert Boxwell, director of Opera Advisors in Kuala Lumpur, the volume traded on November 1st was more than five standard dev…

Hyundai and Kia’s mpg claims were recently found to be incorrect when compared to the real world numbers, and now it seems that one of the big three American automakers may have called them out. Margo Oge, retired head of the EPA’s Office of Transportation and Air Quality told Automotive News that a senior VP of one of the Detroit 3 called her in 2010 to accuse the Korean brands of inflating their mpg numbers. That tip lead to the investigation which caused Hyundai and Kia to initiate a payback program to customers, in order to compensate for the fuel economy errors. When each American company was asked about Oge’s claim, they all had a different answer. “It’s not us,…

People place different levels of importance on various features when purchasing their next car, but safety should always be on the top of the list. The all-new Kia cee’d is no exception, especially with a Euro NCAP five-star rating as proof to that fact. Today on Buzz, we’re going to see what Kia engineers have to say when it comes to designing a car for performance as well as safety. New pedestrian protection technologies in all-new Kia cee’d The engineers in charge of collision safety for the all-new cee’d participated in all aspects of the car’s development, including design, packaging, system design and analysis, because safety performance can be improved when all…

Rooted in exquisite culture and rich history, the modern-day images of the United Arab Emirates (UAE), Oman, Bahrain, Saudi Arabia, and Jordan can elicit feelings of glamour, luxury and prosperity – and with good reason. These countries are among the fastest growing economies in the world and often top lavish lifestyle lists with their luxurious hotels and opulent architectural marvels, such as the Burj Khalifa in Dubai, the tallest building in the world. It’s safe to say that premiering a luxury car in the Middle East can test its attractiveness and allure among the most affluent and prestige conscious drivers in the world. That’s why we chose this region for the overse…

With the Kia Quoris heading to America in 2014, the Korean automaker is making the bold statement that it’ll compete with other luxury automakers by 2017. Kia, which is owned by Hyundai, has certainly done a great job turning its image around the last few years. Hyundai has done the same, and both Korean automakers now have their eyes set at the luxury auto market. The only problem is, Hyundai declared the same statement with a goal of 2010, and the Equus hasn’t quite captured the market that Hyundai had hoped. SEE ALSO: Kia Quoris In-Car Tech Detailed So will the Quoris be a better bet? Only time will tell. Based on the same architecture as the Equus, the Quoris wen…

Despite advancements in hybrid power-trains and electrification technology, gasoline engines remain the predominant choice in passenger cars because of continued efficiency improvements, most recently through the increased use of direct injection technology. But are you gambling when buying a car with DI, which still has its fair share of concerns and problems? Direct-injection is becoming commonplace in new cars thanks to its positive effect on fuel efficiency. “The requirements for higher fuel efficiency being stipulated by the EPA assure direct injection will be an increasingly common technology on cars going forward,” Says Karl Brauer of TotalCarScore.com “A such,…

The second-generation Kia pro_cee’d has become Kia’s latest model to be recognized for its exceptional design, earning a prestigious iF product design award. The three-door pro_cee’d which will go on sale in the second half of 2013, was a winner in the ‘Transportation Design’ category of the awards, which saw more than 3,000 products entered from 48 countries. A jury of over 30 industry professionals judged the entries on design quality, workmanship, innovation, functionality and safety. The award is the fifth iF design award for Kia, which has won almost 20 awards for design since 2009. The all-new pro_cee’d differs significantly from the five-door cee’d, featuri…

It was another exciting appearance for Kia at the Los Angeles Auto Show where the upgraded Kia Sorento and all-new Kia Forte (Cerato) premiered. Today on Kia-Buzz, we’re jumping onto the show floor to take a look at Kia’s presence at this year’s event. The Aquaman-inspired Rio 5-door made an appearance after its premiere at this year’s SEMA show in Las Vegas. An ocean lover like Aquaman would be happy to know that the Rio has a reputation of being one the most eco-friendly vehicles in Kia’s lineup, especially since 85% of its material can be recycled at the end of its lifespan. The Rio 5-door received the world famous West Coast Customs treatment with special gold, gre…

Some might have expected a small riot after news surfaced that Hyundai inflated its mpg claims on more than 1 million recently sold cars, but the media brouhaha was worse than any other backlash — so far. That might change very soon. Senator John D. Rockefeller IV, chairman of the Senate Commerce Committee isn’t satisfied and wants to know how Hyundai and Kia will deal with customers whose vehicles were bought under false pretenses. He sent a letter to Hyundai Motors America CEO John Krafcik which warned that the brands could face congressional hearings over the scandal. Representatives from Hyundai and Kia both declined to comment on the letter. “I will monitor the r…

Kia’s first high performance models, the three-door Kia pro_cee’d GT and the five-door Kia cee’d GT, will go on sale in mid-2013. Kia pro_cee’d GT (3-door) rendering The two new GT models will be powered by a new version of Kia’s 1.6-litre GDI (gasoline direct injection) engine, equipped with a twin-scroll turbocharger and strengthened internal components. Power and torque outputs are dramatically increased. Maximum power is 204 ps, up 51% over the non-turbo engine, with torque up 61% to 265 Nm. Fitted with a six-speed manual gearbox, the new models’ performance targets include 0 to 100 kph acceleration in just 7.9 seconds. Significant developments to the chassis an…

Trying to keep up in the constantly changing landscape of automotive technology, Kia launched the newest version of its UVO infotainment setup, which debuted in a 2014 Kia Sorento at the 2012 L.A. Auto Show. New for 2013, UVO has adopted a telematics system called eServices, powered by a smartphone app. The app will power many of the systems functions, including voice-controlled navigation, vehicle diagnostics, 911 connect and enhanced roadside assistance. The 911 feature will alert the authorities if the airbags deploy in your vehicles, while the diagnostics will automatically search the vehicle for operating problems, and will schedule an appointment online with th…

Kia reveals it plans to put on sale two GT cee’d models in 2013! Following last week’s official announcement that the South Korean carmaker plans to launch its very-first hot-hatch in Europe, Kia Motors has released another image rendering along … Continue reading → Lees het hele artikel

Kia’s US-market sales surpass 500,000 mark for the very-first time in company history! Kia Motors America today announced a record November 2012 sales of 41,055 vehicles. The fastest growing carmaker on the planet company saw its sales increase more than 10 … Continue reading → Lees het hele artikel

Kia Motors America has announced the UVO eServices Infotainment System with Voice Command navigation, which will make its debut in the 2014 Kia Sorento CUV. UVO, which is short for “Your Voice,” has been in Kia card for a while, … Continue reading → Lees het hele artikel

Executive and analysts in the automotive industry believe that Hyundai and Kia may not be the only automakers recalling their fuel economy figures. At the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, Hyundai opened its press conference by addressing the overstatement of its vehicles fuel economy figures, and other automakers are admitting the issue has them concerned. Vice President of Nissan, Al Castignetti, believes every manufacturers went back and said to themselves, “are these real numbers?” SEE ALSO: Ford Hybrids Not Achieving EPA MPG Ratings: Report Of course automakers feel confident that their fuel economy figures are accurate, but it’s hard to deny that the concern isn’t th…

In our last post we covered the all-new cee’d’s exterior design. Now we’re making our way inside to break down its sporty interior. Design Goal ‘Innovative with emotional appeal’ was the design goal for the cee’d with the intention of capturing the hearts of consumers. How? By creating an interior with a plethora of convenience features that are laid out both stylishly and elegantly. The inside is futuristic, dynamic and appealing with its refined scheme and sleek surfaces. Designed for Drivers This might sound like we’re stating the obvious, but the cee’d’s interior was designed with driver convenience in mind. In other words, form should follow function. The crash…

The Los Angeles International Auto Show is underway and Kia has made a splash by unveiling their redesigned 2014 Sorento CUV. This is no small tweak, with the 2014 model getting a new chassis, a Gasoline Direct Injected -GDI V6 … Continue reading → Lees het hele artikel

To coincide with the unveiling of the all-new Kia Cerato(Forte) on Wednesday at the LA Motor Show, Kia has revealed details of the version for other export markets outside of North America. This model is scheduled to go on sale during the first quarter of 2013 at Kia dealerships in many countries around the world. The third-generation Cerato boasts sleeker styling with ‘dynamic muscularity’ in a design that is longer, lower and wider than the current car, with an extended wheelbase. It also features an all-new bodyshell, upgraded equipment, a host of additional convenience and safety features, a more spacious cabin with enhanced quality, improved refinement and an upgra…

Kia unveiles a stunning 2014 Forte sedan at the Los Angeles Auto Show! Pulling the silk off the all-new 2014 Forte sedan today at the Los Angeles International Auto Show, Kia Motors America revealed a stunning European design-inspired sedan that … Continue reading → Lees het hele artikel

Kia has pulled the wraps off its 2014 Forte sedan model today at the 2012 Los Angeles Auto Show, unveiling its highly anticipated sedan that looks to be another winner in the Korean automaker’s lineup. The new Forte gets a more “European” design and sits on an all-new chassis that is longer, wider, and lower than its predecessor. As a result, the third-generation Forte sedan will feature more room, more performance, and more luxury amenities than ever before. Offered with LX and EX variants, the Kia Forte sedan will come with either a 1.8-liter, four-cylinder engine with 148 hp and 131 lb-ft of torque or a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder with 173 hp and 154 lb-ft of torque. …