Kia nieuws

According to Advertising Age, a sister publication to Automotive News, Chevrolet‘s Cruze, Kia‘s Soul and Jeep‘s Wrangler are among America’s top 25 hottest products for 2011, alongside Dove soap, Arizona Tea, Goldfish crackers, Sharpie markers and the Forever 21 clothing chain. There’s no doubting those three vehicles’ success, but we’d be willing to debate that they belong in America’s 25 hottest products. But nonetheless, the Cruze has sold more than 200,000 units as of October, which allowed it to surpass the Malibu as GM’s hottest selling model. Media spending by Chevrolet totaled more than $1.1 billion last year with a huge bulk of it towards marketing the Cruze’s …

There are still many myths out there about hybrid cars. With this post, Kia BUZZ hopes to demystify some of them for our readers. Leave your thoughts and input in the comments below! #1: Hybrids are expensive. There are about 25 different hybrid models ranging in price from $22,000 to $103,000. The Optima Hybrid can be had for under $30,000 USD (prices vary by market), including class-leading warranties. Its 35 mpg city and 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating helps to save money. In addition, in many countries’ governments offer tax incentives for those who purchase eco-friendly cars. #2: Hybrid batteries fail and need to be replaced. Hybrid batteries are designed to l…

In recent years it’s pretty fair to say that Kia Motors has turbocharged their approach to design and quality improvements, so it only seems appropriate that they would announce plans to introduce two turbocharged vehicles for entry into the 2012 motorsports world. Kia and Kinetic Motorsports have partnered to create a pair of Optima SX’s [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia design boss Peter Schreyer took Automotive News reporter Ryan Beene on a tour of the Los Angeles Auto Show, outlining his favorite designs of the show floor. The big winners for Schreyer were the Range Rover Evoque (“If it wasn’t labeled a Range Rover, you’d recognize it as one”), the Porsche 911 and the Mazda MX-5 (with Schreyer stating he’d “…love to have a car like that for Kia…). Shcreyer also discussed how styling cues were propagating across numerous manufacturers (such as the beltline of the Mercedes CL becoming ubiquitous) and how SUVs were becoming more car-like (describing the Honda CR-V, for example, as “…more harmonized and not so aggressive.”) Of all t…

Tinsel Town rolled out the red carpet for the 2011 Los Angeles Auto Show and while many car manufacturers vied for the spotlight, it was Kia Motors America (KMA) that stole the show with a dazzling booth and press conference that many attendees called one of the most innovative and creative presentations of the entire show. Let’s take a look at some of the top highlights from the Los Angeles Auto Show: 1. Design-led transformation: In front of more than 700 journalists and industry observers, KMA debuted an all-new auto show display that represents the impact design has had on the Kia brand and its vehicle lineup. 2. LA is the green show: Media had the opportunity t…

Kia Ray Video previews the South Korean first-ever KEI car, which goes on sale at the end of November. Kia Ray Video: Lees het hele artikel

The all-new 2012 Kia Rio sub-compact car has been awarded a 5-star safety rating in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests! New Kia Rio is not just good to look at and fun to drive, but also safe on road. Earlier today, the EuroNCAP released its latest crash test results which confirmed that the 2012 Rio [...] Lees het hele artikel

Innovative design has been the backbone of Kia’s transformation. The man who is at the forefront of Kia’s design movement has been unanimously selected as 2010’s “Man of the Year” by Automobile Magazine and is none other than our chief design officer, Peter Schreyer. This award is another notch on Peter Schreyer’s long list of accomplishments, including the Design Award of the Federal Republic of Germany, the internationally famous red dot design award and the German National Design Award. Since 2006, Peter Schreyer has been dedicated to revolutionizing the Kia brand through design. He is the mastermind behind the Kia signature grille and the design for models like th…

Kia Motors Korea drops new image and more information about Ray’s engine / gearbox options… Kia has finally released some official details about the all-new Ray city car, which made its official “on-line” premiere last week with the release of first official images. Set to go on sale next week, the 2013 Ray will be [...] Lees het hele artikel

Anyone who has even the slightest knowledge of the current new car market will be quick to point out that Kia’s producing some of the best designed, fuel efficient vehicles out there. And thanks to the trio of hip-hop hamsters who promote the Kia Soul in the TV ads, that has become one of the [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia is on a roll! Kia Motors America (KMA) recently announced the company’s best-ever October sales, setting its 14th consecutive monthly sales record. Now, four Kia vehicles have been recognized for their striking design and performance by Consumers Digest, a leading consumer resource for automotive reviews. The 2012 Kia Optima, 2012 Sorento, 2012 Soul and 2012 Sportage were all named “Best Buys.” <Optima> <Sportage> <Soul> <Sorento> In order to be selected as a “Best Buy” by Consumers Digest, the vehicle must deliver the most value for the money in their respective classes based on purchase price and ownerships costs in relation to subjective…

For a long time, the only brand with a poorer reputation than Hyundai was Kia. Despite being a subsidiary of Hyundai, Kia‘s vehicles were often a grade lower in quality, using decade-old Mazda engineering and projecting an image of cheap vehicles for those with poor credit (or poor taste). Now, Kia is on a roll, with sharp designs and technology borrowed from Hyundai, which has become a segment leader in many respects. Kia’s Optima sedan is outselling the Hyundai Sonata in their home market of South Korea, something few would have predicted even a year ago. Executives at Hyundai fear that sales cannibalization will occur if action isn’t taken to differentiate the brands…

Kia has just announced at the LA Auto Show that they’ve teamed up with Kinetic Motorsports to campaign a pair of Optima SXs in World Challenge. The pair of race cars will join the Rio 5-Door B-Spec that debuted at the SEMA Show earlier this month as part of Kia’s racing efforts with Kinetic Motorsports. The turbocharged Optima race cars are set to enter the Pirelli World Challenge Championship and will compete in the Grand Touring Sport (GTS) class. Interestingly enough, the Optimas will be the first Korean vehicles to compete in the series and it’ll be interesting to see if Hyundai follows suit sometime soon. Drivers for the two vehicles were not announced, but Kia di…

It seems our very own Kia BUZZ editor Colin was beat to the chase in reviewing the long awaited all-new 2012 Kia Rio. Jose Antonio Lope, an editor at a blog dedicated to Korean automakers Kia and Hyundai, the Korean Car Blog (http://thekoreancarblog.com/category/home/), test drove the 2012 Kia Rio 5 Door with a 1.4 CRDi diesel engine. Jose is very interested in Korean cars and the newest technology from Kia. From his detailed review, you can see that he has a high appreciation for the all-new Rio’s many advanced and eco-friendly features. He starts his review with a comment on the overall size of the Rio, saying that the total length of the car is 4.04 m, which is 6 cm …

Gas, tires and insurance probably don’t matter much if you’re in the market for a 2012 Chevrolet Camaro or Ford Mustang, but safety does. The Camaro and Mustang GT come with more-or-less comparable horsepower and grunt off the line. What the test drive won’t show you is that the Camaro is the first car to earn a perfect rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA). NHTSA uses front, side and rollover tests to determine a vehicle’s safety during a crash and have strengthened their standards since 2011. The Camaro earned a perfect score in all categories, where the Mustang only earned four of five stars in the front and side crash tests. The …

If you’re into basketball, you may have attempted a slam dunk at some point and realized that it’s no easy feat. This may be why we saw some jaws drop when Blake Griffin, power forward at the Los Angeles Clippers, jumped over the Kia Optima and won the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest in February. 18,000 basketball fans watched in awe as Blake’s teammate, Baron Davis, passed him a ball through the sunroof of the Kia Optima, the NBA’s official vehicle, while a choir sang “I believe I can fly” by R. Kelly. For those of you who haven’t seen it yet or don’t believe it, check out the video below. Not your average dunk, not your average midsize sedan After seeing what Bl…

Kia has built up a solid reputation of producing quality, fuel efficient vehicles at an affordable price, and while it’s one thing for them to talk about it in their ads and press releases, it’s quite another to have that hard work and dedication recognized by a trusted, reliable source. That recognition came this week [...] Lees het hele artikel

Is the Kia Soul just a touch too big for your needs? Well if you happen to live in Kia’s home market of S. Korea, you could look into their newest offering, dubbed the Ray. While the name might sound similar to the sea creature, the Kia Ray is neither sleek or stealthy. What it is, is a boxy city car for people who live in major metropolitan cities like Seoul. The skin is very much in keeping with the style of all modern Kia’s, so it has a wide grille accented with chrome, plus L.E.D. daytime running lights. What lies under the skin is anybody’s guess at the moment, although it could very possibly be carrying the three-cylinder, 1.0-liter engine or the four-cylinder, …

Yes it’s true. The actor who once won an Academy Award nomination for his portrayal of Buddy Holly, can be found today doing cheezy television ads for a Houston, Texas area car dealer. Then again, former martial arts action star Chuck Norris is doing infomercials for fitness equipment. Busey, who also starred in films such as Lethal Weapon (they call me Mr. Joshua) Under Siege and Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas, has been appearing in commercials for Century III Kia, alongside a guinea pig with the punch line “tell ‘em Gary sent ya!” It’s perhaps a little tragic to see an actor who had such great potential, doing TV ads like these, but then again, in these hard times, …

Yesterday Kia released images of a new compact vehicle that will be available only in Korea, its home market. Its name is derived from the English word meaning “a beam of radiant energy or light.” The Ray city car offers practicality, individuality and innovative design in one box-shaped exterior. Don’t be fooled by its small size, the interior is spacious and highly versatile, providing maximized passenger and cargo space. The Ray’s front features the signature Kia grille with a unique side glass configuration and LED daytime running lights that enhance the vehicle’s aesthetic appeal and distinct character. Its rear has a wide and stable stance, with sleek LED rear com…

Kia Ray box-type city car revealed in South Korea! Earlier today, Kia Motors Corporation unveiled a brand-new city-car called Ray, which will be marketed exclusively in South Korea. Known previously as Kia TAM (development codename), the all-new city-car belongs to the A-segment and is built upon the Picanto city-car platform. As seen from the two official [...] Lees het hele artikel

Want to prove to the world how much you love Kia? Tout your love for Kia by participating in the Kia’s “Fan of the Week.” Just follow the steps in the picture below: “Fan of the Week” is a contest in which Kia invites Facebook users to submit a photo or a video of their own experience with Kia for each week’s topic. Weekly topics are announced in the event tab of Kia Motors official Facebook page on Monday, and fans can upload their story in the same place. At the end of the year two grand prize winners will be selected from the 23 weekly ‘Kia Fan of the Week’ winners to go on a trip with a companion to Melbourne, Australia in January 2012. Moreover, a new Kia Fan of …

Kia made headlines in the sports world when basketball star Blake Griffin leaped over an Optima sedan en route to winning the slam dunk contest at the NBA All-Star Game earlier this year. Now they are making headlines in the automotive sphere thanks to their six sports-themed vehicles, unveiled at this year’s Specialty Equipment Market [...] Lees het hele artikel