Kia nieuws

Kia has just revealed its third in a string of electric car concepts, debuting the Naimo at the Seoul Motor Show. Unlike past mini cars, this sub-compact B-Class model is a crossover and may be the most realistic example yet of Kia’s plan to bring an EV to market in the near future. At 153-inches long, it’s approximately 4-inches larger than a Toyota Yaris and is powered by an electric motor and lithium-polymer battery pack that makes 109-hp and 207 lb-ft of torque with a total range of 124 miles. Perhaps most impressive is the claim that the Naimo’s battery pack can be recharged up to 80 percent in just 25 minutes using a special charger. Using a standard outlet it tak…

Making its world premiere at the Seoul Motor Show today, the Kia Naimo electric concept car combines Korean heritage with innovative modern features. Taking its name from the Korean word “Ne-mo”, (pronounced ‘Neh-mo’, meaning ‘square shape’), the Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV) was conceived by Kia’s international design team in Seoul, and is characterized principally by its simple lines and solid, muscular stance. The uncomplicated overall design is accentuated by a number of striking key details, such as the wraparound windscreen and asymmetric sunroof design, and the front and rear dot-style LED head- and positioning-lamps. This juxtaposition of s…

The 2011 Kia Classic, held at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms, concluded Sunday, March 27 with professional golfer Sandra Gal taking the top spot with an impressive 16 under par. Kia Motors’ official golf ambassador Michelle Wie posted a formidable eight under par to finish the tournament in the top ten. Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO, Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) was on-hand to present the championship trophies and prize check, while Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA expressed the brand’s appreciation to be title sponsor for a second year and gratitude to the large crowd…

Around 120,000 readers cast their votes, and the verdict is clear: in the category of “Off-Road & SUV up to Euro 25,000”, nearly one in five votes (18.74%) decided in favor of the new Kia Sportage. It has clearly won out over the other 14 models in this category. is a specialized publication by Europe’s largest automotive magazine, Auto Bild (http://www.autobild.de/), which has a global circulation of 7 million every month. Allrad reaches 290,000 readers making it Europe’s most-read 4WD dedicated magazine. The new Sportage launched last August has received various design and safety awards from various media. It has already won two world-acclaimed awards for its…

On Tuesday, March 23, Tim Chaney, director of marketing in Kia Motors America (KMA) and professional LPGA golfer and Kia Motors’ official golf ambassador Michelle Wie, along with the LPGA, held a press conference at Industry Hills Golf Club at Pacific Palms during the 2011 Kia Classic to announce the auction of Wie’s self-designed pink golf bag in honor of breast cancer awareness. All proceeds will go to the Keep A Breast Foundation, one of the leading youth based breast cancer prevention non-profits, also in attendance during the conference. Numerous local media attended the event, including the Los Angeles Times, KTLA-TV, the Korea Times and Korea Daily. Kia retur…

ALG, a company best known for predicting residual values on vehicles in its automotive lease guides, also conducts ‘Perceived Quality’ studies. And the findings of its most recent one (Spring 2011); indicated that of all automakers that sell cars and trucks in the U.S., the most improved in the mainstream category was Kia Motors. “For Kia, the consumer quality recognition is the payoff for a recent revolution in product quality and design supported by aggressive marketing campaigns,” declared Eric Lyman; ALG’s Director of Residual Value Solutions. Other brands that reported notable gains in perceived quality included Land Rover; largely fueled by the growing popularity …

Rumored to be in the production pipeline since 2009, Kia will reportedly move ahead with plans to introduce a flagship K9 sedan. The K9 (following Kia’s Korean numbering scheme) will be based on the same chassis as the Genesis sedan from parent company Hyundai. That being said, it will be a true rear-wheel drive machine, likely sporting the brand’s Tau V8 (4.6-liters or 5.0-liters), mated to a new 8-speed automatic transmission. Set to launch next year, this report fits with a larger plan announced by Kia to expand into niche markets with more engaging vehicles. According to CAR Magazine, the K9 won’t make its way to European soil, but is planned for North America. [s…

Kia is currently investigating a plan to bring a small two-seat roadster model to market to help set the tone for the brand. The car has even been called Kia’s MX-5 by company execs, including European CEO Paul Philpott. According to Philpott 2011 and 2012 are all about setting a new foundation for the brand with solid volume models. Beyond that, he says the plan for 2013 and 2014 is to bring to market, “halo models that stretch the company forward.” The aim is to solidify what the brand stands for, while setting it apart from parent-company Hyundai. Philpott intends to solidify the brand with a focus on youth. Back in 2003 Kia showed-off the KCV III Concept (above), …

Have you recently visited Kia Motor’s Facebook page (www.facebook.com/kiamotors)? You may have noticed a new exciting event, our “10 Millionth Export Celebration.” This special event was organized to celebrate the 10 millionth export of Kia Motors and to show gratitude for the continuous support and trust we receive from worldwide customers. Event applicants submitted a brief, realistic plan on what they would do if they were to receive a new Kia vehicle. 342 applicants from 40 countries submitted wonderful plans. Dee Jaroway, a Canadian radio co-host, has been selected as the winner! Her idea combines creativity with compassion. Her plan, which she has titled as …

Kia Motors surpasses 10 millionth car export mark today with a Snow White Pearl Optima sedan that was earmarked for shipping to the US-market. To commemorate this significant milestone event, the automaker held a celebration ceremony at Pyeongtaek Port which was attended by some 400 invitees including Kia Motors Vice Chairman & CEO [...] Lees het hele artikel

The all-new Picanto has been born with higher performance and a new design characteristic. The new Picanto is a result of the efforts made to keep up with recent trends in the automotive industry, especially in terms of environmental friendliness, economy and performance. Let’s take a look at the Kappa 1.0 MPI 3-cylinder engine. The new Picanto comes with the new Kappa 1.0 3-cylinder MPI engine, which was newly developed for the next generation of small cars. It has class leading efficiency and performance among 1.0L engines. The new Kappa 1.0 3-cylinder MPI engine features a maximum output of 69ps (European standard), a maximum torque of 9.7kgf•m (European standard…

The all-new Picanto has visited Barcelona in Spain. The visit was to shoot a commercial in which the Picanto will be showing off its charms. The Picanto looks right at home in the trendy and romantic Spanish city. We will post the all-new Picanto’s TV commercial production story with its new commercial soon. Stay tuned! Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Array Lees hele artikel

Kia will expand its green car portfolio in the European market by introducing an all electric Venga mini-mpv and hybrid version of the up-coming Kia Optima mid-size sedan.Do not expect to see the Venga EV at your local Kia showrooms already this year, as the model is currently undergoing final development testing at Kia’s research [...] Lees het hele artikel

The Insurance Institute For Highway Safety awarded the Mazda 3 with its Top Pick honor in the small car category. The Mazda3 met the criteria by scoring a “Good” rating in all crash test categories (front, side, rear and rollover) and has electronic stability control. The Mazda3 is the first car from the automaker to score a Top Pick since the IIHS enacted new roof strength regulations, but it is also joined by 12 other small cars in receiving the accolade, including the Honda Civic, Chevrolet Cruze and Kia Forte. While the Mazda3 was judged to be capable of withstanding forces on the roof equal to more than five times the vehicle’s weight, the IIHS noted that injuries …

Today I will give you an account of the highlight of the Geneva Motor Show. I will focus on the Kia Motors press conference and an interview with the designer of our hero car – the all-new Rio. The Kia Motors press conference was scheduled for 15:45 ~ 16:00, and to get a good spot I had to wait from 15:00. I could feel the media’s burning interest in the all-new Rio and Picanto which were making debuts at the show. 3:45 pm sharp! The Kia Motors press conference started with many journalists in attendance. Kia Vice Chairman Hyoung-Keun Lee gave a corporate overview speech and then Paul Philpott, COO of Kia Motors Europe, delivered his introduction of the Rio and Pican…

Kia Motors posts almost 20 percent global sales rise in February 2011. New models expected to contribute to further success for the brand in 2011.Latest global sales figures, released by Kia Motors a few days ago, reveal the South Korean second-largest automaker continues to grow significantly worldwide. Kia said its global sales rose 18,5 percent [...] Lees het hele artikel

While forced induction has long been in favor in the rest of the world, Americans have often favored big displacement motors, but recent trends towards fuel economy have necessitated a shift to smaller motors, and turbocharging is considered the optimal way to stretch 4-cylinders into feeling like 6. Honeywell, one of the largest manufacturers of turbochargers, is forecasting use of turbochargers to double in time for strict new fuel economy regulations that are set to take effect in 2015. Honeywell expects 20 percent of engines to use turbochargers by then, up from 9 percent in 2010. However that number lags behind Europe’s 67 percent figure and 28 percent in India. Wh…

Goh, wat gek eigenlijk dat er op 10-01-10 nog geen KIA Venga-videoforum was... Hierbij een alvast voorzetje: kia venga - Google Video's Al is het dan geen video: http://www.netcarshow.com/kia/2010-venga/ Pombal12

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New Kia Optima mid-size sedan and Sportage crossover receive highly coveted Red Dot design awards!Accolades like “If product” and “Red Dot” design awards represent an ideal way of building product recognition on the market, especially in the automotive field where there’s at least a dozen of vehicles in each segment competing to gain consumer’s recognition.Kia’s [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia Motors has been awarded top honors in two categories at this year’s red dot product design competition in Germany. The competition’s jury of respected international design experts bestowed coveted red dot awards on the Kia Sportage compact CUV and Kia Optima sedan. The judges also paid a special tribute to the new mid-size Kia Optima sedan, which claimed the 2011 red dot ‘best of the best’ title, the competition’s highest distinction, for which only the best products in each category are eligible. These latest wins bring the number of Kia models to receive a red dot award to four models – with the Kia Venga winning in 2010 and the Kia Soul in 2009. The Kia Opti…

Kia is considering to build a 2012 Rio Turbo “hot hatch” and bring it to production by the end of 2012…What is the best way to improve the brand’s image besides building reliable and good-looking cars? Making appealing high-performance sports cars, of course. Kia has none in its current line-up at this moment, so it [...] Lees het hele artikel

Kia‘s new designs are helping brand the Korean automaker in a more positive light, particularly here in North America with the stylish new Optima. But in other parts of the world mid-size sedan’s don’t hold the same cache, nor do they sell all that well, so Kia is looking at alternative ways to create a boost in brand image. In a recent interview, Kia product boss Benny Oeyen commented on three such methods, including a hot hatch, convertible or coupe. While the coupe idea, along the lines of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe, may seem like the obvious choice, it’s the hot hatch the is the most likely. The reason for this is the importance of small hatchbacks in other parts of t…

Kia is recalling select Optima sedans over an improperly assembled shift cable problem that could cause the vehicle to roll away when parked.According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, Kia Motors is recalling 70.115 units of its Optima mid-size sedan (2006, 2007, 2008 Model Year) over potential problems with the gear selector for the [...] Lees het hele artikel

If you own a 2006-2008 Kia Optima sedan, there’s a good chance that it might need to be recalled. The automatic transmission features a cable for the shifter mechanism and according to the automaker, said cable could detach, causing the car to remain in gear even if the driver moves the shifter into park. Obviously that’s a bit of problem and could cause a bit of damage to both the Optima and nearby surroundings, especially if the parking brake isn’t engaged, which it seldom is in most cases. However, Kia also says that so far, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration has not recorded any instances of injuries resulting from the problem. Although an official …