Kia News
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April was another tough month for carmakers but amidst all the doom and gloom was some positive news for South Korean duo Hyundai-Kia. Despite seeing sales decline more than 14% last month, Hyundai-Kia managed to overtake Nissan for sixth place in U.S. new car sales on the back of several exciting new models. The combined sales of Hyundai-Kia totaled 59,558 units, with Hyundai selling 33,952 new cars and Kia managing 25,606 units. The overall industry fared much worse, with carmakers seeing their sales levels plunge an average 34% on levels just one year ago. Nissan’s sales dropped even...
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New Kia Sorento debuts at Seoul Motor Show
Soaring fuel prices and shifting demand towards smaller cars hasn’t deterred Kia from developing a range of new SUV models. Last year the South Korean carmaker introduced the Borrego seven-seat SUV, and now Kia has revealed official details for its all-new 2010 Sorento SUV, which debuted...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Kia previews all-new luxury sedan with KND-5 concept
The affordable large car segment is starting to get just a little overcrowded, and in a time where customers all around the world are downsizing to smaller midsize models, performance, fuel-economy and overall value is now more important than ever. South Korea’s entrants in this field have...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Kia previews 2010 Amanti sedan with Seoul Motor Show concept
The affordable large car segment is starting to get just a little overcrowded, and in a time where customers all around the world are downsizing to smaller midsize models, performance, fuel-economy and overall value is now more important than ever. South Korea’s entrants in this field have...
Jeremy Weber -
Kia unveils Forte LPI Hybrid in Korea
Pushing the cutting edge of technology forward has been a job traditionally set on the shoulders of the car industry's leaders, as they have the R&D budgets to finance the expensive and time-consuming work. But Hyundai-Kia is pushing technology on its own of late with the introduction of a pair of...
Nelson Ireson -
Kia considering brand-wide name changes
Getting young people to buy cars is tougher than it sounds. Fashion, mode and politics all play a role in addition to the classical considerations for car buying: price, features and performance. But Kia is determined to grow its business with younger buyers, as its current 52-year-old average...
Nelson Ireson -
Innovative and interesting designs are rewarded each year with a 'red dot', from world renowned design institution, the Design Zentrum Nordrhein Westfalen, one of Europe's oldest and most highly reputed design centers. This year a number of interesting entries in the automobile category came away with red dots, including the Kia Soul - the first Korean car to have ever been given a red dot award. Other awards went out to BMW's stunning new Z4 roadster, as well as other BMW's such as the K1300R and K1300S motorbikes. BMW's new F01 7-Series limo also managed to garner an award, giving BMW a...
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Kia Prices All-New 2010 Soul Hatchback
Kia the recent Los Angeles Auto Show to display the North American version of its new Soul hatch, which is now on sale in the U.S. as a 2010 model. Pricing for the car leaked on several internet forums late last year, and now Kia has made it official, revealing that the stylish hatch will be...
James Martinez -
European design students take the wraps off 1/4 scale supercar concepts
The Instituto Europeo di Design (IED) is a massive six-city, three-country school that is one of Europe's foremost centers for fledgling automotive designers. The students there have collaborated with DR Motor Company to produce a trio of 1/4 scale supercar models. Dubbed Action (blue), Spirit...
Kenneth Hall -
Kia reveals full details on new No3 small car concept
Kia Motors is the unlikely leader of a design renaissance in the automotive world, with the company’s talented head designer, Peter Schreyer, penning its latest concept car, the No 3. Formerly at Volkswagen/Audi, Schreyer has given the value-conscious Korean brand a shot in the arm when it...
Kenneth Hall -
Detroit 3 looking to Asia for brand sales
Tough times are a unifying theme of the economic and sales reports of the last six months, especially in the car industry. Finding ways to pull itself up by the bootstraps is proving harder than imagined by some, but the effort is pushing the Detroit 3 to consider a window of opportunity in Asia...
Ralph Hanson -
U.S.-spec Kia Forte debuts at Chicago Auto Show
Kia’s new Forte sedan has been on sale in South Korea since August of last year but the car is just making its North American debut, launching today at the Chicago Auto Show. The Forte draws heavily on the styling of the recently revealed Kia Koup concept and features a new, edgier look...
James Martinez -
Kia rolled out an oddly styled pickup concept based on its new Soul compact car at last month’s Detroit Auto Show as way to drum up excitement for the regular hatch model which is set to go sale in March. The concept, called the Soul’ster, was never intended to be produced but strong positive responses from attendees at the Detroit event has got Kia’s management now thinking about production. Speaking with Automotive News, Kia spokesman Alex Fedorak said the “response was so overwhelming” that the company has decided that it needs to take a closer look. "It is...
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Kia teases mini-MPV concept ahead of Geneva
Scant imagery and even fewer details have been released regarding Kia's newest concept car, a Mini-MPV headed to the 2009 Salon de l’Automobile in Geneva this March. It does, however, claim that the vehicle will redefine the segment. In a press release announcing the new concept car, Kia...
Kenneth Hall -
Kia Unveils Soul'ster Urban Crossover Concept
Kia's 2010 Soul hatch just made its debut at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show in November, but already the South Korean carmaker is teasing the upcoming hatch with a new concept vehicle that was unveiled at this week’s Detroit Auto Show. The concept is the new Soulster mini pickup and it is...
Ralph Hanson -
Kia releases teaser for new Soul concept
Kia has released a teaser image for an all new concept based on its Soul hatchback, despite details for the production version, due next year, already being released. Kia has announced that it will be showing the all new Soul concept to compliment the trio of concepts seen earlier this year at the...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
Kia to present Borrego FCEV in L.A.
Kia will use next week’s Los Angeles Auto Show to debut a concept version of its Borrego SUV powered by a hydrogen fuel cell. Called the Borrego Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), the concept represents an important milestone for the South Korean manufacturer and is a sign that Kia is one of...
Jeremy Weber -
Borrego Limited concept vehicle to highlight Kia lineup at SEMA
Kia will be playing the ‘urban’ theme with its latest showing at the SEMA Auto Show in Las Vegas, enticing attendees with DJs and tattoo artists, as well as a number of concept vehicles. Some of the cars we have already seen, such as the Soul Burner from March’s Geneva Auto Show...
Viknesh Vijayenthiran -
The Chinese government has reportedly suspended the majority of vehicle imports from South Korea following a complaint made by several Chinese dealers that Hyundai-Kia is backing its own dealer groups at the expense of independent firms. The decision comes after the filing of a petition against Hyundai-Kia made by several Chinese dealers who are complaining that the South Korean carmaker had violated anti-trust laws. The import ban applies only to those Hyundai-Kia models imported from South Korea and will not affect the carmaker’s vehicles that are produced in China. Hyundai and Kia...
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Kia Soul Hybrid concept headed for Paris Motor Show
Next week’s Paris Motor Show will see the world debut for Kia’s upcoming Soul hatchback, a car that was first previewed in concept form as far back as 2006’s Detroit Auto Show. For Paris Kia will present no less than seven versions of the car, including an advanced hybrid concept...
Kenneth Hall -
2009 Kia Borrego scores 5 stars in NHTSA crash test
The Hyundai-Kia automotive conglomerate is on a roll of late with its stong crash test scores. Just over a week ago the 2009 Hyundai Genesis scored a perfect five-star rating, and now the Kia Borrego SUV has scored the same, which should help the big vehicle with its recently-announced North...
Nelson Ireson -
Kia releases official details for new Soul hatch
Updated with new interior shots. Kia will use next month’s Paris Motor Show to debut its new Soul hatch, which is set to go on sale in South Korea at the end of the year and eventually Europe and North America in the first half of next year. The Soul will be available in Europe with a choice...
Nelson Ireson -
Crisp and edgy styling to differentiate future Kia lineup
The Hyundai-Kia automotive conglomerate is South Korea's leading force in the industry, and recently became the fifth-largest carmaker in the world. In the U.S., Hyundai and Kia have to date targeted very similar markets with their cars, seeking to establish a foothold in the value segments where...
James Martinez -
Hyundai-Kia continues U.S. expansion with new gearbox plant
Ranked fifth overall in the global auto industry for the first time this year, surpassing brands like Honda, Nissan, Chrysler and Fiat in overall sales, Hyundai-Kia has been intent on improving its U.S. manufacturing and distribution resources for several years. Already a small-car plant in West...
Nelson Ireson