Kia nieuws

Two motorists are preparing to drive a 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid into the pages of the Guinness Book of World Records this week as they aim to set a new record for lowest fuel consumption (in a gasoline hybrid car) while driving through all 48 adjoining states of America. Taking on the epic 8,000 mile fuel economy driving challenge will be experienced fuel economy driver Wayne Gerdes and his colleague and friend Chris Bernius, who will be completing the journey in a factory-standard Kia Optima Hybrid. The record attempt will see the drivers depart from Kia Motors’ manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, on August 26, travelling through the 48 adjoining states in a cl…

The 2013 Kia Forte will be an all-new model, following closely after the changes introduced in the 2011 Hyundai Elantra. Sharing the same platform as that car, look for an improved ride quality, plus the Forte is expected to get a new design closer in keeping with the larger Optima sedan. As for engines, look for the 1.8-liter 4-cylinder from the Elantra with 148-hp. Both a six-speed manual and six-speed automatic will be offered. In terms of fuel economy, look for fuel economy that could even exceed the 29/40-mpg rating of the current Elantra. The 2013 Kia Forte could even get a stop-start system that will arrive in the all-new Rio later this year. [source: Automotive…

New Kia Rio 5-door goes on sale in the UK in September with a choice of 2 petrol and 2 diesel engines.Over the past few years, Kia has made huge inroads in the UK market, this despite the fact they did not have a valid entry in the subcompact, or supermini as it’s known in [...] Lees het hele artikel

Interest in the Kia brand and its highly attractive cars and CUVs is at record highs, and with that in mind, the History Channel show “odern Marvels” decided to visit the plant and a Kia Sorento CUV get built from start to finish; here is what they saw.Each of the Kia vehicles takes a little [...] Lees het hele artikel

Powerful, dynamic, and forward-looking. These are three words that anyone of us would like our car to be associated with. Kia presented a concept car, rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan that successfully encompasses those three words at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Kia’s new concept car shows seamless integration of muscular proportions with stylish sleekness as well as feminine and elegant four seater cockpit. Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Chief Design Officer commented proudly, “No matter from which perspective you look at it, this concept car is roaring with energy and ready for take-off.” He also said Kia is ready to move forward on all new chapter, that the car si…

Our readers may remember the Picanto Nail Art animation that we first introduced in June here on Kia BUZZ. Since then, the video has reached over 3.3 million views! The Picanto Nail Art animation has received positive feedback from customers and media. The video has been covered by media from around the world, from Japan to the United States! Here’s what some had to say about the Picanto Nail Art animation: “Hip-hop hamsters made the funky-fresh Kia Soul a widely recognized and sought-after vehicle, with sales numbers to prove it. Could the European Picanto be the next big thing? Perhaps, provided the company nails (pun intended) the TV spots.” — Automobile Magazine…

Kia has formally announced pricing on their 2012 Soul, setting the Scion xB and Nissan Cube competitor’s MSRP just slightly under $14,000. The Soul A/T will start at $15,700 while the highest trim model, the Soul! will start at under $20,000. The Soul! will come packed with features including exclusive projector headlamps with front LED accents while the rear gets LED taillights. All four corners will sport 18-inch wheels while the interior will feature Kia’s UVO powered by Microsoft voice-activated infotainment system. Powering the Soul for 2012 is a 2.0L with 164-hp or a 1.6L with 138-hp. The 1.6L delivers a class-leading 35-mpg on the highway and now features Kia’s …

Kelley Blue Book’s KBB.com names Kia Motors America “BEST TOTAL COST OF OWNERSHIP BRAND”!The price a consumer pays for a new car is only a small piece in the big picture when it comes to the costs involved in owning and operating a vehicle. Other factors that come into play in the overall cost are [...] Lees het hele artikel

Fans and followers of the Kia brand have been waiting with eager anticipation for news regarding the release of the 2012 Kia Soul. That big news came today, and it’s all good; Kia Motors America announced that the new version of the Soul will be released at the best in class price of $13.900, the [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia Motors Company previews sensational K9 rear-wheel-drive sports sedan concept!Earlier today, Kia released five images of its all-new concept vehicle that will make its official debut at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.Designed under the direction of Kia design boss Peter Schreyer, the K9 concept car features attractively styled exterior layout with low-slung roof, which gives [...] Lees het hele artikel

The rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan Powerful, dynamic, and forward-looking.These are three words that anyone of us would like our car to be associated with. Kia presented a concept car, rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan that successfully encompasses those three words at the Frankfurt Motor Show. Kia’s new concept car shows seamless integration of muscular proportions with stylish sleekness as well as feminine and elegant four seater cockpit. Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Chief Design Officer commented proudly, “No matter from which perspective you look at it, this concept car is roaring with energy and ready for take-off.” He also said Kia is ready to move …

Kia has officially confirmed that it will be debuting a rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan at next months Frankfurt auto show. The concept has sleek and muscular proportions, and will likely slide in between the Hyundai Genesis and Equus in terms of size. “I believe the car is a strong statement from Kia: We are ready to fast forward to an all-new chapter,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors Chief Officer. Looking through the photos at the sheer size and shape of the vehicle, it becomes clear that Kia is interested in running this car against the big boys like the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS. ”No matter from which perspective you look at it – this concept car is ro…

New Kia Sedona receives the “Best Reviewed” award in the Budget Minivan category! It seems like its awards season in the car world, with new prizes and plaudits being handed out on a daily basis. It also appears that every time those awards are announced, one or more of Kia’s line-up manages to make it [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia unveils 2012 Picanto 3-door, which is scheduled to go on sale in Europe in September 2011!Kia has released a 3-door version of the all-new Picanto city-car, which has been first previewed at the Geneva Auto Show earlier this year. Available in a 3-door body style for the first time ever, the all-new Picanto is [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia, spurred by the success of sibling Hyundai’s Genesis (and possibly Equus), wants a piece of the rear-drive pie. The company is planning a flagship luxury sedan and possibly a coupe, both in the vein of the Genesis duo. Kia’s rear-drive adventures end there, however: there are no plans to introduce a pickup truck. There won’t be a Miata-sized roadster, either. Kia’s engineers aren’t interested in expanding into new markets, but tackling the segments they’re already comfortable in. And for Kia, this includes sedans (increasingly bigger ones, too) and coupes like the Forte. The K7/Cadenza is currently their largest luxury sedan right now, which may or may not make it …

Despite a flagging economy, car sales in the US have remained steady, with most of the major players seeing moderate increases in the in monthly sales figures. The same cannot be said for the Australian market, where new car sales have taken a backwards step with sales figures for the first quarter dropping 1.3 percent [...] Lees het hele artikel

Taking good care of your tires does not have to be difficult or time consuming. By following these tips, you can ensure safe performance, top mileage and longer tire life for your car. 1. Check the tire pressure It is essential to check tire pressures at least once a month. There are several places you can find the correct pressure level for your vehicle: the vehicle’s owner manual, inside the gas tank lid, the driver’s side doorframe and on the door post. Remember the air pressure listed on the side of your tire is not the correct air pressure, but the maximum level for your car. Check the air pressure when the tire is cold because the pressure is highly affecte…

As Japanese carmakers strive to bring their sales back to the same levels as they were before the tsunami disaster, Kia and its parent company Hyundai Motor Company continue to post record sales month after month.Earlier this week, Kia Motors announced its global sales in July 2011 increased 15 percent to 208.074 units, while sales [...] Lees het hele artikel

The competitive world of car sales requires automakers to get a little creative when it comes to advertising and promoting their brand. Kia, refusing to rest on their laurels, came up with a fun concept to promote the latest version of their all-new Rio sub-compact car.The promotion was called the Great British Challenge, which required [...] Lees het hele artikel

Last time, I test-drove the all-new Picanto and the all-new Sportage. Today, I’d like to introduce Kia Buzz’s third test-drive featuring the all-new Optima Hybrid. (All-new Picanto test drive: http://kia-buzz.com/?p=6650, All-new Sportage Turbo GDI test drive: http://kia-buzz.com/?p=7355) The all-new Optima is one of the models that best reflects Kia’s design and product identity, which includes simple lines and the spirit of “fun to drive.” In addition to these great aspects, Kia has introduced the Optima Hybrid to satisfy our customers who care about fuel efficiency and environment. Let’s take a look at the Optima Hybrid. To test this hybrid both in downtown and on h…

Hyundai and Kia seem to be well on track to sell 11.000 Sonata Hybrid and 6.000 K5 hybrid cars in Korea this year!These are heady times for Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia here in the US, with both of them posting record breaking sales figures and picking up design awards at a prodigious clip. They [...] Lees het hele artikel

The all-new Picanto is brightening the sales forecast in Europe with the series of good reviews for the compact car comparative evaluations by the major German automobile media. The Picanto has been ranked No.1 twice at the ‘“Foreign Compact Car Model Comparative Evaluation’” executed by the Auto Bild and the ‘“Under € 1 Million Car Comparative Rating’” executed by the Auto Zeitung of Germany. At the Auto Bild’s comparative evaluation with the foreign models of 9 car types sold in Germany, the Picanto ranked in the top of the compact car sector with a total score of 311 from the ▲safety ▲convenience ▲exterior design ▲interior comfort categories. The Auto Bild com…

Kia announces record July sales as popular 7-seat Sorento crossover posts its best-ever monthly sales!There have been a number of outside forces that seem to be teaming up in an attempt to stall the new car market in the US these past few months.Whilst a flagging economy and high fuel prices have hurt here at [...] Lees het hele artikel

July 25, 2011, a Kia flagship dealer using the new Kia Global Space Identity (Global SI) was opened in Nanjing city of China, which is the world’s largest new SI dealer of Kia so far. The Global SI of Kia Motors Corporation is the global standard on all the Kia dealership’s facilities, which is designed to provide a consistent Look & Feel of the Kia brand to our customers who visit any Kia dealer. We adopted the Global SI to make our dealers’ appearance and layout more memorable and appealing in the eyes of our customers, while aiming to enhance our brand awareness and familiarity, thereby further improving customer’s perception of the Kia brand across all the w…

Ladies, the next time you go in for a mani, forget the rhinestone flowers or French tips. Instead, opt for Kia nail art. Ok, so this design probably isn’t available at your favorite spa. But the creative peeps at Kia have some interesting ideas on how to promote the 2012 Picanto small car. With a lot of patience, a month of their time, a ridiculous amount of nail polish (1,200 bottles) and a slew of press-on nails (900 of them), the advertising team got to work on painting the Picanto on all those nails – no Photoshop included! We may not be rushing out to make this fashion statement on our hands, but it certainly is an inventive way to get you products message across. …