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,...
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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...
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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...
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After the car quietly popped on the scene at the Montreal Auto Show a few months back, Kia has confirmed the SX Turbo version of its Sportage crossover for America. Powered by the same 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection 4-cylinder as found in the Optima sedan, it makes 256-hp and 264 lb-ft of torque. Fuel economy is...
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The Kia Rio used to have the ignominious honor of being a “penalty box”, a car you didn’t want to spend time in unless absolutely necessary. But with the upswing in quality from Kia, and shared underpinnings from the promising new Hyundai Accent, the all-new Rio, shown for the first time at the Geneva Auto...
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Kia has just released the first details and photos of the new Rio sub-compact ahead of its world premiere at the Geneva Auto Show in March. A sister car to the Hyundai Accent (details on the 2012 model here), the Rio gets a unique styling and for now will only be available as either a...
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After advertising during the Super Bowl for the first time ever last year, Kia is back with a new spot to promote its all-new Optima sedan. Kia’s ‘Epic Ride’ add will be followed by an Epic Contest, using ads and social media to give participants the change to win one of five Optimas. To get...
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Mid way through 2010, Hyundai Motor Group surpassed Ford Motor Company to become the world’s fourth largest automaker, and just-released year-end numbers have confirmed the Korean auto-giant has held on to close out the year. Total Hyundai (including Kia) sales for 2010 reached 5,744,018 units for the year, just edging out Ford’s global numbers of...
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You may want to pace yourself during this year’s Super Bowl. You’re going to need your wits about you if you want to win a 2011 Kia Optima. For the automaker’s Super Bowl ads this year, Kia is launching a fully integrated and interactive marketing campaign that uses TV, digital, print, social media and in-dealership...
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At the recent Montreal International Auto Show, Kia Canada rolled out a new turbocharged version of the Sportage crossover. Currently available in only LX and EX trim levels, this new SX model uses the same 2.0L turbocharged gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine found in the new Hyundai Sonata Turbo. No engine specifics have been provided,...
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Kia‘s Rondo small minivan and Borrego SUV have been dumped from the U.S. lineup, ostensibly after slow sales forced Kia to cease importation. Although originally reported by Automotive News, Kia declined to comment on the matter. The Borrego was never a strong seller in the U.S., although the large SUV, along with the Rondo small...
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Hyundai was able to achieve a 45 percent market share in South Korea in 2010, falling well below its target of 52 percent. Luckily, the failure to meet the target thanks to phenomenal growth from the Kia brand, owned by Hyundai and Kia’s new Optima and Sportage. For 2011, Hyundai is targeting a more modest...
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The Kia Rio is well overdue for a replacement, and with a new Hyundai Accent on the way, it stands to reason that its platform-mate will also get a thorough re-design. Although only a sketch has been released so far, the familiar design language brought forth by Kia styling boss Peter Schreyer. Mechanically, the car...
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If any other automaker announced they wanted to bring back the van, we would have expected something practical and utilitarian. We’d picture a family-friendly minivan or perhaps a commercial vehicle for small businesses. But when a company like Kia says it, we expect something entirely different. After all, this is the company that gave us...
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Having already released a profile image of its upcoming KV7 concept, Kia has now provided an additional teaser of the van-ish model ahead of its debut at the Detroit Auto Show next week. Taking inspiration from the Soul, it’s not clear from this image or from the one already released exactly how large the KV7...
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Hyundai and subsidiary brand Kia are poised for more solid growth in 2011 after a huge spike in 2010. According to the Korean automaker, it is forecasting total growth of 10 percent in 2011 targeting 6.33 million vehicles, up from 5.75 million in 2010. Of that number, Hyundai sold 3.6 million units for an increase...
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Kia has just released a lone image of a new concept vehicle it will debut at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January. Called the KV7, the small van looks to be sized between the Soul and a conventional minivan, perhaps suggesting it could be a replacement for the Rondo MPV. There’s a definite resemblance...
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It’s a banner year for safety, as the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) doled out its Top Safety Pick award for 2011 to 66 vehicles – double that of last year. The list of recipients, which includes 40 cars, 25 SUVs, and a minivan, were picked based on their ability to protecting people in...
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Automakers know how important customer loyalty is to the success of their companies. That’s why the good ones concentrate not only on making a safe and reliable vehicle, but one that’s fun to drive as well, and then back it up with great service. And J.D. Power is on top of which automakers are doing...
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Kia is recalling 7,697 Sorentos due to a problem with the rear brake calipers, according to a release from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration. Kia claims that no crashes have resulted from the problem, but is going ahead with the recall anyways. “Some of the rear brake calipers may not have been properly machined,”...
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Along with the 2006 Honda CR-V, the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) recently announced an investigation into the 2007 Kia Optima. Both NHTSA probes have been sparked by just three complaints, with the Kia Optima being investigated for transmission shifting issues. A total of 41,000 Optimas are involved, with complaints that the automatic transmission...
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A report by insurance comparison website InsWeb suggests that the priciest car to ensure in America isn’t a Nissan GT-R or some other foreign exotic favoured by the young and reckless, but the strange looking Acura ZDX crossover. According to the site, there is little data on the ZDX, as few people have bought one,...
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Thanks to a slight bump in sales and continued struggles by Toyota, Hyundai is now the number one Asian automaker in Europe by volume. So far this year Hyundai (including Kia) has seen a four percent rise in units moved, while Toyota (including luxury brand Lexus) has seen its sales drop drastically by 17 percent....
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Poor Kia, always playing second fiddle to big brother Hyundai, including when it comes to Hybrids. Many months after the debut of the new Sonata Hybrid, the car’s twin, the new Kia Optima, now gets its own hybrid variant. Using the same 2.4-liter 4-cylinder engine mated to an electric motor and lithium-polymer battery, the combined...
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