Kia nieuws

Kia Motors America’s unprecedented growth trend continued in May with the brand posting its best-ever monthly sales of 48.212 units – a 53.4-percent increase from May 2010, and a 2.4-percent increase over the previous record set last month.Kia’s year-to-date sales are up 44.8 percent over 2010, while the brand’s U.S. market [...] Lees het hele artikel

Q1. Hello. Thank you for taking the time to talk with us. To start, could you please introduce yourself? My name is Seokgwon Kang and I am a creative director of the INNOCEAN WORLDWIDE CS5 team. It has been 18 months since I joined INNOCEAN WORLDWIDE. This is my third global Kia project and the second one with vehicles since I joined the company. My time working as a creative director and as a project team leader is not that long. My first global project was the TV advertisement for the 2010 FIFA World Cup. After that, I produced a TV advertisement for the all-new Optima targeted for the international market. Q2-1. What is the concept of this Picanto advertisement? …

Kia is planning to boost U.S production capacity by one fifth next year, because of high demand for new models. The Optima sedan is one of the Kia models meeting high demand, and the south Korean automaker is excited to take advantage of the world’s second-biggest auto market. Kia stated today, it will invest $100 million to boost capacity. Kia’s Georgia plant will increase capacity from 300,000 to 360,000 vehicles starting in 2012. Prodiction of the 2012 Optima sedan will begin this September its Georgia plant, currently producing the Sorento SUV and the Hyundai Santa Fe SUV. 1,000 workers have been hired by Kia in anticipation for the additional production. Sales jum…

Kia updates its best-selling 2012 Sorento crossover with 2,4L GDI four-cylinder engine and UVO infotainment system!The Alabama-made Kia Sorento has just gotten better. For the new model year, Kia Motors America upgraded its best-selling vehicle with new engine, which boasts more power, and Kia’s new UVO hands-free infotainment system based on the Windows Embedded Automotive [...] Lees het hele artikel

The 2011 Kia Soul Hamstar Special Edition has arrived. Gliding onto Kia showroom floors everywhere, bringing its funky styling, a cult following and a $20,000 price tag that includes a smooth 4 speed automatic transmission, the Soul Hamstar Special Edition continues to turn heads the same way it did when it landed at the 2010 [...] Lees het hele artikel

Launched in April for the first time, the 2011 KIA LOTOS RACE is the first all-national contest in Poland designed to seek young and talented drivers. Thousands of motor sports aficionados will be given an exciting chance of success in car racing competition. Most promising candidates will be trained by Kia Motors Polska under supervision of professionals including Tomasz Kuchar (a 2010 Rally Champion of Poland in Manufacturer’s Team Division, a 2009 Vice Rally Champion of Poland in General Classification and a 2009 Champion of Poland in Super 2000 Division) while the contest winner will be offered keys to a race-prepared Kia Picanto and an invitation to compete in the 20…

Hyundai-Kia will outsell Toyota and Honda in May sales, according to TrueCar. TrueCar expects Hyundai-Kia to sell 115,434 units in May. This number represents an increase of 43.4 percent over May 2010 making the Korean group a 10.9 percent market share putting it number three behind Ford and GM. Hyundai-Kia has gathered a momentum caused by the earthquake slow down affecting Honda and Toyota. The earthquake caused a shortage crisis and low incentives, contributing to the Korean’s expected third place rank. “There have been some real and perceived shortages of Japanese vehicles, and the message to consumers when they look around in the media is ‘you might as well not buy…

Tomorrow, May 25, 2011, is the 67th anniversary of the foundation of Kia Motors. Kia Motors is living history of the automobile industry in Korea. After the company’s establishment in 1944, Kia Motors produced Korea’s first bicycle (’52), auto bike (’62), 3-wheel truck (’62) and passenger sedan (’74). This technical history serves as the background for Kia Motors continuing to challenge itself in the constant development of innovative technology, such as high-performance engines and independent platforms, and in becoming one of the best in the industry. Today, Kia Motors is a global company that exports about 1.5 million cars every year and has a full line-up includin…

On May 10, 2011, Kia Motors America (KMA) hosted the Motor Press Guild’s (MPG) monthly lunch meeting at its Irvine headquarters. MPG is the largest automotive press association in the U.S., and this was the first meeting held at an OEM headquarters in more than four years. The event drew the largest MPG meeting attendance so far this year, with more than 150 MPG media members present. Tom Loveless, vice president of sales and Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications reviewed KMA’s current sales success and marketing initiatives, and revealed pricing for the all-new 2011 Optima Hybrid to those in attendance. Journalists experienced the Opti…

What would it be like if cars and IT devices were to meet in the future? This question was the basis of the collaborative project carried out by the Kia Design Center, LG Electronics Inc. and the MC Design Lab. The project worked towards creating a new direction for new UX (User Experience) design and the use of IT products in smart cars. Bora Yu, a UI (User Interface) designer “The advantage of ‘mobile’ is portability. We wanted to make drivers feel comfortable both inside and outside of the car by providing a detachable tablet PC on the front center fascia and the rear console. Therefore, drivers and passengers can feel they are part of a “smart environment” and…

Kia Motors UK plans to introduce new Rio, Soul CUV and Picanto mini-car to increase its sales!Kia Motors announced aims to increase its yearly sales from 56.000 units – achieved in 2010 to as much as 70.000 units in the next 24 months. To achieve the 70.000 units sales mark, the fastest growing South Korean [...] Lees het hele artikel

The 2012 Kia Sorento will get an optional 2.4-liter GDI direct-injection four-cylinder engine and the company’s hands-free UVO infotainment system. The company is hoping these two features will appeal to Ford consumers. The Sorento will also have available options including Kia’s YES Essential seat treatment, which makes the seats resistant to stains and static electricity. The YES system will also include an anti-bacterial chemical to help protect the seats. The current base engine is does not use direct-injection and makes 175-hp. Adding GDI should deliver as much as 200-hp like in the Kia Optima and could also result in improved fuel economy. Read AutoGuide’s 2011 K…

The all-new Picanto’s design features existing compact car concepts with new emotional values and consumer-friendly values. The interior concept is fresh and unexpected, and unique styling and differentiated elements provide a new, fun design in a compact car. Major design aspects Value-Focused We focused on expanding the space with soft and minimal aspects and creating a refined and modern image. The all-new Picanto provides a user-oriented, intuitive and easy-to-use interface with “Cognitive Design.” The cluster applies the entire center cylinder and digital graphics for a display and matches the digital age with increased speed and cognitive capabilities. …

One of the rising stars of the automotive industry has got to be Kia. The Korean automaker’s beautiful designs combined with good powertrains and affordable pricing has got the attention of many customers and hence their sales numbers are continually climbing. While their current line-up has sedans, hatchbacks, SUVs, crossovers and even a sporty little coupe, they currently don’t offer a convertible. However, Kia’s vice-president of sales Tom Loveless said at a recent event in California, that the brand is looking at a halo vehicle and will most probably be a convertible. The idea is being pushed by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s chief designer, who used to work for Audi and de…

Here’s all-new Picanto’s TV commerical for worldwide! Hope you like it. Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Lees hele artikel

Diesel Car magazine names new Kia Sportage “Best Crossover Vehicle” in its annual Car of the Year issue!“Best Crossover” award is already the fifth title won by Kia’s all-new compact crossover vehicle in the UK in less than 12 month. Unveiled in July last year, the Sportage crossover vehicle has also picked up a range [...] Lees het hele artikel

South Korean car firm Kia has been enjoying a lot of praise given to the styling of their new cars, especially the Optima sedan. Now the Optima Hybrid version is about to hit the market and we have learned it’s prices will start at $26,500. That’s not all, because that price-tag does not include the $750 extra you’ll have to pay for the destination and handling. That means, this fuel-sipping sedan is not cheap, and crucially, it is $705 dearer than the similar Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Kia says the reason the Optima Hybrid is more expensive is because it comes with more standard equipment, like a reversing camera, a rear spoiler, auto-down front windows, a cooling box, a c…

This time last year, the thought of the Kia Optima beating out the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord in a reliability survey would be laughable. But the great strides made by Kia mean that the Optima is now a worthy competitor in the mid-size segment, according to Consumer Reports. While the Nissan Altima took the top spot in the rankings, the Optima took second place, one point ahead of the third place Honda Accord. The Optima also bested the Toyota Camry, a long-running favorite of American car buyers. While the magazine praised the car’s handling, transmission, controls, fuel economy and crash worthiness, they criticized its poor rear visibility and noisy cabin. [source:…

Kia Motors America releases pricing information for its all-new Optima hybrid car…Kia announced today that its first-ever hybrid vehicle is scheduled to go on sale in the United States in June, with a starting price of $26.500. The price excludes a $750 destination and handling fee.Under its hood, the 2011 Optima hybrid features the carmaker’s [...] Lees het hele artikel

The Kia Naimo is a concept car with a unique charm. The car, which was a sensational hit at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show, is named after the Korean word for “square,” which was Romanized into English. The square design provides the model with space efficiency and reflects a simple and graceful Korean image. The light jade exterior color is reminiscent of Asian Celadon-style pottery, which represents the beauty of Korea. The traditional Korean elements give a fresh interpretation to Kia’s evolving global design. It also adds stylish beauty to the car’s refined and simple exterior. The interior includes futuristic and environmentally-friendly attributes, as it combines the…

Kia Motors America confirms plans to launch the 2012 Soul Hamstar Special Edition model!Kia plans to expand its Soul crossover line-up by offering a brand-new Soul Hamstar Special Edition model. First shown at the SEMA Auto Show last year, the 2012 Soul Hamstar Special Edition is set to hit the US Kia dealerships late this [...] Lees het hele artikel

Likely you’ve seen Kia‘s Hamster ad which this year won Nielsen’s top auto ad award. Based on the success of that spot Kia will launch a Hamstar Edition Soul, the latest in a long line of barely-special special editions. Included in the package are paint-matched bumper trim, with black fender vents and black wheels. Plus there are big star decals and oversize hash marks on the side. Inside there are black and leather seats with a leather wrapped steering wheel, shift knob, Hamstar floor mats and even the back of the front headrests have big star logos. More useful upgrades include a push-button ignition and automatic climate control. Pricing has yet to be released. Wou…

Last time I test-drove the all-new Picanto. Today, I’d like to introduce Kia Buzz’s second test drive story featuring the all-new Sportage Turbo GDI (or Sportage T-GDI)! The Sportage made its debut as an urban SUV in 1996, breaking out of the existing mold where the four-wheel drive market focused on off-road SUVs. Even before the launch of the third-generation Sportage, this vehicle has been one of Kia’s most popular models and has attracted much attention from around the world. The all-new Sportage T-GDI features the ThetaⅡ Turbo GDI engine, an engine of high interest for many car fans these days. As I’m quite interested in high-performance cars, I immediately …

Kia K9 release date? The long-awaited RWD luxury sedan from Kia rumored to debut this fall… We have no official information about the Kia K9 luxury sedan release date at this point, however, latest rumors suggest that the South Korean second largest carmaker plans to unveil its first-ever rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan at the 2011 Frankfurt [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia Sorento and Soul crossover help Kia Motors America to increase its April 2011 sales by 56,7 percent!Kia Motors America announced its April 2011 sales soared 56,7 percent thanks to increased demand for its fuel-efficient compact cars and crossover vehicles. By the numbers, Kia sold 47.074 new vehicles last month, up from 30.036 a year [...] Lees het hele artikel