Kia took the wraps off their Optima Hybrid at the Los Angeles Auto Show today, and no surprise here, it’s exactly the same as it’s corporate sibling, the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. Fortunately for the Optima, this gives the car a huge leg-up. Our review of the Sonata Hybrid was quite positive, and we expect the...
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Are you more likely to by a car that’s been made in the good ol’ U.S. of A.? Chances are the answer is “yes,” according to a recent Harris Poll survey. It’s cool once again to show your sense of national pride, and advertisers are banking on it. When a product says it’s “Made in...
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Kia‘s Sedona minivan, an often ignored but solid bargain in the minivan segment, gets a new grille for 2011, along with an upgraded powertrain. The Sedona’s new V6 puts out 271 horsepower and 248 lb-ft of torque with power being put down through a 6 speed manual transmission. This gives the Sedona a 27 horsepower...
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Generation Y has come of age and are now setting their sights on what new car to buy. And according to research firm AutoPacific, younger car buyers are choosing vehicles made by Toyota, Honda and Ford. Also among the top 5 brands are Chevrolet and Nissan. Making their way onto the 2010 Gen Y (people...
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While Kia‘s recent success has a lot to do with the new platforms and engines underneath its products, not to mention the improved quality and low purchase price, the automaker is putting the focus on its dramatic designs. The top man behind Kia’s “design revolution” is Peter Schreyer and so it only makes sense that...
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To help show the versatility of the new 2011 Sportage, Kia has unveiled two “dueling” versions of the crossover at the annual SEMA Show in Las Vegas. Sporting plenty of aftermarket accessories (this is SEMA after all), a matte-red “Play” Sportage looks to the more adventurous side of the crossover and its owners, while the...
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At the SEMA Show it’s no surprise to see high horsepower street and race cars. It’s far less common to see a modified hybrid. And while there are a few tuned Priuses and CR-Zs, over at the Kia booth is the world’s first Forte Hybrid. This is not a conventional tuner car, but a one...
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Reconfirming its commitment to its motorsports program and showing just how much their street cars can benefit from track competition, Kia unveiled the Forte Koup Type R Concept at the 2010 SEMA Show today. Painted in a menacing matte-black, the Type R Concept gets its inspiration from the Forte Koup race cars that competed in...
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The Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show is set to take place next week and everyone from Scion to Ford have announced big lineups of wild modified vehicles. Having made appearances in year’s past, it’s little surprise to see that Kia will also be in attendance. No specifics have been given, but a short press...
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Consumer Reports has released its latest reliability study and while little has changed in respect to the industry-leading Asian brands, domestic automakers are catching up. Toyota and Honda each recorded the highest scores in five vehicle segments in the 2010 Annual Auto Survey, while General Motors posted considerable improvements while Ford is ranked best among...
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Several spy photos of what appears to be the upcoming 2012 Kia Rio reveal that the Korean automaker’s subcompact sedan is posed to borrow heavily from the design of the all new Optima. A sister car to the Hyundai Accent, power is expected to come from the same engine choices: either a 1.4-liter 4-cylinder or...
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Designers aren’t usually the most vocal members of an automaker, but when you’re Peter Schreyer and Kia is relying on your innovative designs to rebrand the company, well, you’ve got a lot of clout. And Schreyer isn’t shy about letting people know. In the past, Schreyer has indicated his interest in designing a low-cost rear-wheel...
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While attending the launch of the 2011 Kia Optima, AutoGuide has just learned that Kia is planning to launch an Optima Hybrid, based on the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid. The new model will make its debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show in November, with sales beginning in early 2011. Kia Motors America CEO and group president Byung...
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A week after Hyundai announced its first electric car, sister company Kia Motors will continue the Korean automaker’s EV plans with a battery-powered crossover set to debut next year. “We plan to produce 2,000 electric vehicles based on Kia’s upcoming cross utility vehicles (CUVs), and 500 BlueOns by 2012,” said Hong John-hee, the head of...
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This year’s event marks a “natural extension of the company’s US motorsports program,” according to an official Kia press release, began last fall with road racing.
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Kia appears to be changing gears in its marketing approach for the Kia Soul, switching from comedy to sex appeal. After its popular Rapping Hamsters ad, the Korean automaker has just launched a new commercial featuring the 6-foot 1-inch 20-year-old pro golfer Michelle Wie. Kia’s soul is already thought to be somewhat of a chick-car...
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Jeong Sung Eun, Kia‘s Vice Chairman, took the rare step of resigning his post on September 3rd, as he accepted responsibility for a large recall of Kia vehicles. Roughly 86,000 vehicles were recalled due to an electrical wiring issue that posed a potential fire hazard. About 35,000 Sorentos and Souls from the the 2010 and...
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Kia‘s top of the line Sorento SX comes with special Dual Flow Dampers, which apparently offers a great blend of performance and comfort, while giving the Sorento a slightly lower ride height. However, the lesser Sorentos apparently offered a harsh ride of broken-up pavement, and Kia has taken notice. The DFD dampers will now be...
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Kia is recalling both the 2011 Sorento and the 2010 Soul after a National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) investigation confirmed the interior lighting wiring harnesses could be faulty. The harnesses could develop an electrical short, which could then lead to a fire. The recall affects 35,185 vehicles built between September 7, 2009 and July...
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Hyundai‘s subcompact crossover, the ix20, will be revealed at this month’s Paris Auto Show media days, but the company has released a rendering of the car in advance of its launch. Based on the Kia Venga, the ix20 is an interesting blend of a crossover and small car, similar to a Ford Fiesta hatchback. With...
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The Japanese auto industry has always had a well-defined hierarchy, with Toyota, Honda and Nissan locked in a firmly established pecking order. But Toyota’s recent streak of quality problems has caused it to shed sales, causing a disruption in the marketplace. Customers fleeing Toyota are helping to propel the sales numbers of both Nissan and...
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Kia appears to have quietly killed-off its Rondo MPV in response to a continued slide in sales. Visitors to the Rondo page on Kia’s U.S. website are greeted with the news, “Thank you for inquiring about the Rondo. As the saying goes, ‘all good things must come to an end’ But with endings, come new...
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Looking like what Hello Kitty might drive if she lived in the Tron universe, this new city car concept by Kia is called “POP” and is set to officially debut at the Paris Auto Show this fall. Taking design cues from the Kia Ray electric coupe concept, the POP is roughly 10 feet long and...
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Porsche was the big winner for July 2010 sales, moving 75% more cars than in July 2009, with Hyundai/Kia, Jaguar/Land Rover and the Big Three all making solid gains. Japanese auto makers bore the brunt of the market, with Toyota and Honda losing a bit of market share, while Suzuki took the dubious title of...
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