Kia nieuws

If you still haven’t figured out what Kia stands for, you will definitely get a chance to see, feel and know it with Kia’s new global brand campaign. Kia has aimed to deliver a unique customer experience as well as the brand’s three core beliefs, ‘challenger,’ ‘human-driven,’ and ‘spirited,’ through a social media platform. In addition, Kia is launching four digital campaigns through facebook. Campaign 1: Guess What Nadal Likes Kia’s global brand ambassador and tennis superstar, Rafael Nadal, will appear in a teaser video showing what he likes with the “Like” button from facebook, which is recognized almost universally. Watch the video now below. After …

What is the SEMA Show? Have you ever heard of the SEMA Show? Wondering what SEMA stands for? It stands for Specialty Equipment Market Association and is the world’s largest automotive specialty products trade event. It was first held in 1963, and the event now takes place annually in the Las Vegas Convention Center, where a myriad of automakers and auto part manufacturers come to participate in the show. Of course, Kia made sure not to miss out. This year, Kia featured six one-of-a-kind sports-themed cars at the SEMA Show. Let’s take a look at these eye-catching rides! Surf-Themed Radical Rio Customized by Antenna magazine, the Radical Rio’s exterior gets a sunse…

These are the very-first interior images of the forth-coming Kia K9 luxury limousine! Just recently, we got a fairly good look at the Kia K9′s exterior styling, but nothing on interior, unfortunately. This time around, our friends from South Korea sent us some exclusive Kia K9 spy shots allowing us to see the interior lay-out [...] Lees het hele artikel

The 2012 Chrysler Town & Country, Dodge Grand Caravan, and Volkswagen Routan all earned Top Safety Pick awards from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). These vehicles, which all share the same structure, earned high marks when it came to providing protection in rollover crashes, garnering the highest rating of Good in front-, side-, rollover- and rear-crash protection. These three minivans join the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna as Top Safety Picks. Two vehicles that didn’t make the grade were the Kia Sedona and Nissan Quest minivans. These vehicles didn’t fair very well when it came to the rollover category, but earned Good scores in all the other …

On the heels of record October sales, Kia reveals plans to build new manufacturing plant in China! In order to meet fast growing demand for its latest vehicles such as Kia K2 (known as Kia Rio in USA) and Kia K5 (Chinese version of Kia Optima sedan), the South Korean second largest carmaker announced today [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia reports best October sales, while its overall U.S. sales to date surpass 400.000 units! Kia Motors America today reported record October U.S. sales of 37.690 vehicles, topping the 31.199 vehicles sold in October 2010. With the record October 2011 results, the Kia brand surpassed 400.000 annual U.S. sales for the very-first time in its [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia has unveiled four custom models at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas today, with each car featuring a different sport as its theme. A custom Soul, built by West Coast Customs, is inspired by Michelle Wie, Kia’s official golf ambassador. A Rio 5-Door was built in partnership with Antenna featuring a Retro Surf theme. A custom Forte 5-Door “Hat Trick” sports a hockey theme while Kia continues its Blake Griffin collaboration with a “Slam Dunk” Optima Hybrid, also built by West Coast Customs. Michelle Wie’s “Hole-in-One” Soul features unmistakable original artwork by Wie herself, Kia’s official golf ambassador. The “So Blue” exterior paint scheme is offset by the custom artwor…

As promised Kia has unveiled its Rio B-Spec race car at the 2011 SEMA Show today, based on the brand’s all-new Rio 5-Door sub-compact. More of a kit than an actual race car, this is a project for the do-it-yourselfer. On top of the $13,600 price of a Rio, Kia’s racing partner Kinetic Motorsports will sell you a B-Spec kit for $14,000. It includes everything you need to transform the sub-compact into a budget racer, including a roll cage, racing seat, quick-release steering wheel, race harness, shocks, light weight wheels and spec-series tires, plus an oil sump pan expansion kit and…. (cue the Sweidsh IKEA voice) instructions. Want to go fast for cheap but don’t want to…

After taking the championship in the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge street tuner challenge this year, Kia is announcing further commitments to the world of motorsports. In addition to the 2012 Rio B-Spec racer, built by Kia Racing and Kinetic Motorsports, Kia has unveiled an Optima Hybrid pace car for the United States Touring Car Championship. The Optima, built by GoGoGear.com, actually replaces the modified Soul that severed last year. It may be a hybrid, but that doesn’t mean it has to be boring, already deliver over 200-hp in stock form the car gets a Magnaflow exhaust system and air intake kit. So it’s not sloppy when out on parade laps the car als…

We tend to forget that our cars need to “shower” too. In the winter, salt and ice can damage your beloved vehicle’s paint job. In the spring, pollen and dirt can pile up on the car, giving it an aged look. To keep your cars clean, the only solution is to get your cleaning equipment out and give your cars a good scrub. However, some of you may have accidentally given your cars a scratch or two in the process. When it comes time to wash your car, you may think that a tough, hard scrub is in order, but being gentle to your car and using soft, high quality products is actually the best way to wash your car. Let’s get started! These are the materials needed for washing your …

Over the last few years, Kia has built a solid reputation in the new car market by producing beautifully designed, fuel efficient, affordable vehicles. That, combined by positive reviews from consumers and industry insiders has helped propel Kia to new highs in sales and service. Public perception of the Kia brand has improved dramatically during [...] Lees het hele artikel

Our friends to the north have been keeping busy by choosing their pick for the car and truck of the year, before snow takes over. So over the last week, the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) had assembled in the Niagara-on-the-Lake, Ontario to see which cars are the best in their category. The winners in each category will then go head to head with each other to name just one Car of the Year and Truck of the Year, which will be announced at the Toronto International Auto Show on February 16, 2012. For now, here is the list of winners per category: BEST NEW SMALL CAR (under $21k) – Hyundai Accent BEST NEW SMALL CAR (over $21k) – Hyundai Elantra BES…

Hello everyone, guess how I spent my weekend two weeks ago! I went to see the Formula 1 race in Korea, of course! I think I speak for all worldwide motor sports fans when I say the weekend was a special weekend for us because the Formula 1 race that was held in Korea. For those of you who know little about Formula 1, or F1, it is simply a race where a total of 24 racing drivers compete with a one-person racing vehicle. It is considered one of the world’s top three global sports events, along with the World Cup and the Olympics. You can better understand how popular it is when I tell you that more than sixty million people watch the game from all over the world. In A…

Athletes have always been popular spokesperson choices for companies that want to represent their brand as strong, powerful and full of finesse, but other than sponsorship deals, it’s not too often that a product makes its way into the wide world of sports at the field level. That all changed earlier this year, when at [...] Lees het hele artikel

While many other automakers, including Japanese and American manufacturers, have taken a bit of a battering in recent years due to economic uncertainty and natural disasters, Hyundai and Kia have been bucking the trend, reporting steady gains in market share, particularly in entry level segments, where their vehicles have proved appealing to cost conscious buyers. However, despite steady gains, primarily at the expense of U.S. and Japanese rivals, the South Korean duo is expected to see demand tapering off due to limited manufacturing supply. That said, both brands plan on achieving combined global sales of 7 million units next year, up from more than 6.5 million in 201…

How does an auto company know when it’s winning the hearts of drivers? When customers are so satisfied with the brand, they stick to it. It seems Kia Motors has succeeded in capturing loyalty from fickle and proud automobile drivers. According to Experian Automotive’s quarterly industry loyalty studies, Kia Motors topped the results as the highest individual brand loyalty ranking in USA, with a whopping 47.9 percent. This means that 47.9 percent of Kia automobile owners purchased another Kia model during the last quarter. “Kia has been gaining a strong and loyal customer based on improving vehicle styling and quality,” explained Jeffrey Anderson, a director of consulti…

If “modern” and “youthful” were two keywords in decoding Rio’s exterior design, “firm” and “edgy” should be used to interpret its interior. Kia designers wanted to accommodate drivers’ needs to look good and feel good during weekdays when they are going out to work, as well as during sporty weekends. The result is a driver-centered spacious interior that is strong, sporty and comfortable – all in one. The center air vent layout is simple and horizontal, which was inspired by classical looking cars, but the center fascia is solid-looking with three accentuated cylinders emphasizing state-of-the-art technology. Even the arrow inside the speedometer was refined to be more fo…

Kia plans on making a splash this year at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show with its surf/skate-themed 2012 Rio hatchback. This gnarly Rio is the result of a partnership between Kia and Antenna Magazine, and is touted as being a “one-of-a-kind retro ride aimed at totally radical surfing enthusiasts.” To start off, Kia took a stock five-door 2012 Rio and went to town on it, giving it a “sunset-metallic golden-brown” coat and a custom front splitter made from wood (taking its inspiration from vintage surfboards). But it doesn’t stop there – this Rio comes outfitted with an extreme exhaust system, gold-finished aluminum wheels and a new set of side skir…

Kia has released pricing details for its 2012 Rio sedan, starting at $13,400 or $200 less than the 5-door version. That price is before the $750 destination and handling fee. The cheapest version comes with a 6-speed manual transmission, but if you aren’t willing or can’t drive stick the price jumps to $15,250 with a 6-speed automatic. The Rio comes in three trim levels: LX, EX and SX, all powered by the same 1.6-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) making 138 horsepower. The same applies to the sedan as did our review of the 5-door sibling. Even at it’s most basic, you’re getting a well equipped car, though it won’t be impressive to driving enthusiasts, of course that…

2012 Kia Optima goes on sale with superior combination of performance, technology and long list of convenience features! Every automaker has one car that seems to lead the way and ends up being the flagship vehicle that defines the image and message that the maker is trying to get across with their entire line-up. For [...] Lees het hele artikel

2012 Kia Venga mini-mpv production moved to Slovakia! Kia announced today it has moved production of its popular Venga mini-MPV to Slovakia. Based in the city of Zilina, Kia’s highly-advanced manufacturing plant also produces the hot-selling Sportage CUV and the family of cee’d vehicles. Previously, Kia Venga was built at Hyundai’s manufacturing pant in Czech [...] Lees het hele artikel

The all-new 2012 Kia Rio 4-door sedan with new upscale looks, 1.6L GDI engine and six-speed manual transmission priced at $13.400! Kia Motors America has officially announced pricing for its all-new 2012 Rio 4-door sedan with 6-speed manual transmission starts at $13.600 and $14.500 for the sedan with 6-speed automatic transmission. Prices provided here exclude $750 [...] Lees het hele artikel

They say that beauty is in the eye of the beholder, and where most automakers focus on making their vehicles beautiful to the naked eye, Kia opts to embrace all the senses, so that their cars have a beauty that is more than just skin deep. The Kia approach to car design differs greatly from [...] Lees het hele artikel

We frequently see car ads featuring sleek and powerful looking SUVs roaming the concrete jungle of the city or a devastatingly dry, sandy desert. Kia Sorento doesn’t just claim it can drive in the harshest road conditions – it proved it with its own Dakar Rally adventure last December. You would be surprised to know that the Sorento has a long history when it comes to testing in real off-road conditions. The Sorento has participated in the USA’s toughest off-road racing series, the six-round SCORE Desert Racing Series, which is considered one of the most difficult sports events in the world. However, many drivers have a special corner in their racing hearts for the D…

Along with the debut of a new B-Spec budget race car, Kia is looking to showcase its updated 2012 Soul at the 2011 SEMA Show. In total, the Korean automaker will display six sports-themed vehicles. The first of the group has already been teased (above) and is a colorful creation inspired by pro golfer Michelle Wie – whom Kia has used before in its ads. In addition, Kia has announced a second of the six cars will be themed around NBA star Blake Griffin. As for what that car will look like, and the remaining four vehicles, we’ll have to wait for SEMA to find out. Look for full coverage on AutoGuide’s 2011 SEMA Show coverage page here, starting November 1st. Lees het he…