Kia Blog
First Drive: 2009 Kia BorregoFiled under: SUVs, Kia, First Drive 
Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Kia Borrego
Could there be an any worse time to debut a brand new body-on-frame SUV like Kia has done with the new 2009 Borrego? Gas prices have most every new car shopper running from SUVs into small cars with four-cylinder engines. In fact, many SUV early adopters are now driving much smaller sedans like those models that make up Kia's bread-and-butter line. Enough new Korean vehicles were sold in America so far this year that the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group managed to outpace mighty Honda in total sales as it roared into the number five worldwide automaker spot. Therefore, our immediate thought is that Kia must be crazy to go ahead and introduce the new Borrego in the American market... but Kia would have you believe otherwise.
As Kia's sales team sees it, since the Korean automaker currently offers no contenders in the true midsize SUV category, any slice of the dwindling market is a win. Is the Borrego good enough to win over any remaining SUV buyers? Read on.
All photos copyright Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs Inc.Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: Kia VG foretells next AzeraFiled under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Hyundai, Kia 
Spies have caught a sleek new sedan doing the rounds in Korea. Word is that it's codenamed VG, will be arriving in '09, and will be "closely related to" the Hyundai Azera. While there is no word on engines yet, the car is expected to be front-wheel-drive. That doesn't exactly bode well for Kia's brief of being the sporty brand -- so sayeth Hyundai -- but the car is supposed to be "near luxury" and appears to have some all right lines, even under the camo. We look forward to seeing more.
[Source: Kia World] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
More Kia Soul images revealed in LondonFiled under: Crossovers/CUVs, Kia, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for a hi-res gallery of the Kia Soul
While the production Kia Soul won't be revealed until later this year at the Paris Motor Show, the opening of the London show brings the release of more official images from the automaker. One thing's certain: it'll be hip to be square in 2009, when both the Soul and the Nissan Cube arrive to give the Scion xB some company. Kia also officially announced that the car will be offered exclusively in a front-engine/front drive layout and that it's 4,105 mm (161 in) long, 1,785 mm (70 in) wide, 1,610 mm (63 in) tall, and has a 2,550 mm (100 in) wheelbase. In case you were wondering, compared to the xB, it's got a shorter wheelbase and overall length, but is a hair wider and taller. The engine selection in Europe will consist of 1.6L gasoline and diesel four-cylinders. As you can see, the photos show a neat package that'll probably have plenty of folks embracing their inner geeks when it arrives in U.S. showrooms next April.
[Sources: Kia] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia Forte details hit the web - bigger, more frugalFiled under: Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Kia 
We've seen the spiffy metal wrapper of Kia's new Forte, the Spectra's successor, now come details about what's underneath. The Forte is larger than the outgoing Spectra, but it also achieves better economy with a given amount of liquid hydrocarbon. South Korean buyers will have the choice between a gasoline or a diesel powertrain. Regardless of fuel, both engines displace 1.6 liters and deliver nearly the same horsepower - 124 hp for gasoline, 128 hp for diesel. The gas engine consumes 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers, while the diesel can go the same distance on 6.1 liters. We'd like to see more frugality out of the diesel, but using 1 liter less per 100km can compound over an entire tank of fuel for a healthy economy boost. A 2.0 liter engine will become available soon, and is likely to be the sole motivator for US-bound Fortes when it arrives in 2009. It will be interesting to contrast the km/liter numbers against EPA fuel economy estimates when the Forte gets to us.
[Source: Kia-World] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Hyundai-Kia pass Honda to become world's 5th largest automakerFiled under: Car Buying, Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai, Kia
 Less than a decade ago, the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group was ranked 11th in the world in total sales volume. According to the latest publishing of the Automotive News 2008 Global Data Book, the automaker has impressively passed Honda to take 5th position. To climb six positions in just eight years isn't a simple accomplishment as it required stepping over such global automakers as Fiat, Chrysler, PSA/Peugeot, Nissan, and Honda. Last year, Hyundai-Kia sold 3,961,629 automobiles worldwide (Hyundai sold 467,000, and Kia 305,473 in the United States alone). While they still have a long way before they reach 4th position currently held by Ford (global sales of 5,964,000 in 2007), their move into other markets as witnessed by the luxurious 2009 Hyundai Genesis and the group's favorable June automotive sales (even in a depressed market) demonstrate the increasing strength of the Korean automaker.
[Source: AutoIndustry] Permalink | Email this | Comments
Spy Shots: 2010 Kia Forte sedan on the road in MIFiled under: Spy Photos, Sedans/Saloons, Kia 
Autoblog writer and videographer extraordinaire, the ShunkMaster, is currently en-route to Pennsylvania with his wife and kids for the long holiday weekend, but that doesn't mean he's turned off his obsession for all things automotive. As he passed through the outskirts of Motown, the not uncommon sight of a camo-covered car appeared on the horizon. Chris's iPhone-wielding wife, Sara, snapped off a few pics of the cloaked mule, and being in the Dearborn area, the first obvious thought was a prototype Fiesta sedan. However, closer inspection revealed that it's the Kia Forte that was officially announced yesterday. The Spectra replacement proved to be a handsome little sedan that wears the Kia Koup clothes well. We're looking to catch in person -- uncovered -- soon.
[Source: Chris and Sara Shunk]
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Stunning Kia Forte revealed!Filed under: Coupes, Economy, Sedans/Saloons, Kia 
click the picture to view a high resolution gallery of the 2009 Kia Forte
Just the other day, we were all looking at a teaser pic and speculating wildly, and now, here it is. Kia dropped official images of its Spectra successor, the Forte, on the interwebs, and it is one sharp little car. The styling that the Forte introduces is Kia's new look, from the pen of Peter Schreyer, also responsible for the first-gen New Beetle and TT. The face of the Forte combines chunkily-flared front fenders with a new corporate grille, and there's a distinctive depression down the lower part of the flanks that works well with the prominent swage line to lend a stone-hewn look to the car. The term Forte in musical notation means "play loud," but this new Kia is restrained and maturely drawn. Additionally, the two-door variant of the Forte should look even better.
While there's no new design ground being broken, the overall effect is clean and handsome, reminiscent of many other higher-end vehicles. Check out those rear lamps -- remind you of any 40-something thousand dollar luxury car? When the Forte hits Korean showrooms in August, a new four-cylinder engine will be under the hood, employing 1.6 liters of swept volume. A 2.0 liter will follow on directly, and may be the only engine we get in the US when the Forte arrives on North American highways and byways in 2009. Compared to the Spectra, the Forte looks worlds better, and even on its own, we think it looks like a million bucks. Okay, $500,000. Let the endless string of "it looks like" comments begin. Thanks for the tip, William!
[Source: The Car Blogger] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia coupe headed to production mid-2009, replacing SpectraFiled under: Concept Cars, New York Auto Show, Coupes, Economy, Hatchbacks, Kia 
click above for high-res gallery of the Kia Koup Concept
Wave goodbye to the Spectra name; Kia's planning on sending the moniker packing when the car is replaced in mid-2009. Kicking up the style as a way to grab the dollars of younger buyers, Kia will introduce the styling paradigm laid out by the Koup Concept at last year's New York Auto Show, which will grace a production sedan and coupe. The sedan will hit the market first, with the coupe following within a couple months. The hatchback Spectra will be out of the U.S. lineup entirely; Kia thinks the coupe and its sexier lines will move more units. European buyers will still be able to purchase the Spectra hatch as the cee'd, though. More style in this instance is a good thing. We've seen the Koup, and we like it. We've driven the Spectra, and we like that, too. If Kia can successfully match the chassis to the expectations set by the body, the Spectra's successor should have no problem maintaing that model's best-seller status in the Kia lineup.
[Source: Automotive News - sub req.]
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Kia's new ad strategy: Hey, that's not funny!Filed under: SUVs, Marketing/Advertising, Kia Hey, remember that Kia ad where the salesman recreated a scene from Flashdance? That was pretty funny. Or the European Kia viral with the tennis-playing aliens? Strange, but definitely unforgettable.
 Yeah, well, forget them both. And forget all the other humorous ads Kia has created in the past, because the Korean automaker is getting serious with its advertising. Seriously. Kia Motors America's marketing director, Tim Chaney, told AdAge recently that, "We don't want to spend a good chunk of our time in a 30-second spot trying to entertain people." Though he admits the humorous ads were funny and got attention, Chaney says they "could have done a better job overcoming perceptions of the brand." Wow. Who put kitty litter in this guy's gas tank?
Kia's new Borrego stars in ad that points out the SUV's value as an inexpensive, luxurious seven-seater. (This, just as U.S. SUV sales take a swan dive thanks to high fuel prices.) It's not totally without mirth, as it pokes fun at other company's ad cliches like galloping horses and pristine wilderness being trampled by a 4X4. But we're gonna go out on a limb and say the new ad won't be making the YouTube rounds. Watch the new Borrego ad here.
[Source: AdAge] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia releases second teaser of next-gen SpectraFiled under: Economy, Etc., Kia 
First there was the sketch showing Kia's Spectra replacement, the Forte, looking tantalizingly great. Now comes what appears to be a photograph of the actual car to further whet our appetites. While we know the Forte is going to crib lines from the great looking Koup concept that we saw in New York, we can't help but be reminded of the Saturn Ion by this latest image. Maybe it's the angle, or the lighting, or the shape of the headlamps, we don't know. The side profile shows a vehicle that's exponentially more awesome than the melted Studebaker Lark looking thing that Saturn was selling not too long ago, so we'll go with that. The current Spectra is a decent looking car as far as conservatively styled vehicles go, but the Forte is a step up, with a form that evokes higher-end iron like Acura, and maybe there's a little G8 in that front stance. For now, Kia's got us like a putty in their palm, waiting for the next teaser shot to appear. How about it?
[Source: kia-world]
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Kia Soul gets its emo on, visits Vans Warped TourFiled under: Economy, Paris Motor Show, Hatchbacks, Kia 
Looking startlingly like a Vans shoe, preproduction versions of Kia's Soul will be doing their roadie routine with the Vans Warped Tour in the U.S. this summer. The front and rear of the car will be hidden under camo tape done up like Vans trademark checkerboard pattern, and dark windows will keep prying eyes out, but kids will still get a good look at what's on offer.
Taking what appears to be more than a few pages from the Scion playbook, the Warped Tour sponsorship will also include things like interactive Soul Lounges with live DJs, airbrush tattoo artists, and plenty of contests. There's even going to be a solar powered stage. Kids with custom Kia wristbands will get into Kia VIP sections near the main stages, and everyone can keep up with the action at Kia's concert blog site.
If what you want to do is actually see the car, Kia won't bare its Soul completely until the Paris Motor Show later this year.
[Source: Kia] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Kia dealership uses Obama impersonator to sell SorentosFiled under: Videos, Crossovers/CUVs, Kia 
Click above to view video after the jump
We've seen a lot of stupid car dealer commercials in our time, but this one may well take the cake. The genius comics at The Daily Show found a local Dallas-area ad that features a Barack Obama impersonator hocking Kia Sorrentos for $11,888. So if you have a job and you have $199, you may want to hit the jump to see a lame commercial followed by the comedic stylings of one Jon Stewart. Funny stuff. Thanks for the tip, John!
[Source: The Daily Show]Continue reading VIDEO: Kia dealership uses Obama impersonator to sell Sorentos Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia releases sketch of next-gen SpectraFiled under: Sedans/Saloons, Kia, Rendered Speculation 
Although we couldn't find news of this on either Kia's US or UK media sites, we wanted all of you to see it for yourselves. The Car Blogger is sourcing Kia for the sketch you see above, allegedly showing the company's Spectra replacement, rumored to be called the Forte when it's unveiled in August. Showing off what's rumored to be "Kia's new family look," it apes the styling cues shown on some of Kia's recent concepts, including the Koup and Kee. It also appears to take a few cues from the Honda/Acura playbook. Not that there's anything wrong with that. We see everything from the TSX to the Civic to the Accord in there, but those are pretty good cars to emulate if you are going to copy any. We'll keep you posted when Kia provides some official details.
[Source: The Car Blogger] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Crooked Hyundai chief gets no jail time from Korean high courtFiled under: Government/Legal, Hyundai, Kia 
South Korea is working hard to crack down on corruption in its business sector, but the example-setting won't begin with Hyundai boss Chung Mong-koo. A Korean court gave Chung a three-year suspended sentence as punishment for embezzling monstrous sums of cash from the world's sixth largest automaker. Chung admitted to embezzling company money to pay off politicians, but that didn't stop the courts from going easy on the billionaire. The judge cited the fact that Chung used most of the embezzled money to run the business, but that answer isn't sitting well with many South Koreans looking for justice. Chung is a member of the chaebol, which is a group of families that control most of the wealth in South Korea. For all his wrong-doing, Chung spent a grand total of two months behind bars, and he's been ordered to donate $828 million. It's good to be rich apparently, at least in Korea.
[Source: Automotive News - sub. req'd, Photo by HONG JIN-HWAN/AFP/Getty] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia looking to assemble vehicles in GeorgiaFiled under: Plants/Manufacturing, Hyundai, Kia 
Since Hyundai/Kia has dropped the idea of a pickup truck, Kia's new assembly plant in West Point, Georgia will instead turn out small cars. The first vehicle that will roll off the assembly lines in 2009 is Kia's Sorento, with body on frame construction well suited to a pickup. What doesn't seem primed for a pickup, however, is a softening market, so Kia has decided to redouble its efforts on small cars.
No details about the upcoming car were discussed, only that we should expect a Spectra-sized C-segment vehicle that may be shared with Hyundai. Hyundai CEO Kim Dong-Jin confessed to the organization losing its way slightly by slacking off on small, high volume cars and going after larger vehicles to bolster the brand images and offerings. A return to its roots will please dealers, and the Genesis Coupe will kick off a turbocharging frenzy at Kia, which will focus on small displacement forced induction engines.
[Source: Automotive News - Sub. Req.]
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Kia, Continental running diesel pro_cee'd on street rubber in 'Ring 24hFiled under: Motorsports, Euro, Hatchbacks, Kia 
Click image to enlarge
If you've been looking in on the live stream of the Nürburgring 24h race, you might spot the car above crossing your video window. It's basically a production-spec Kia pro_ceed (fitted with whatever safety features are required for race participation) powered by the stock 138 hp/225 lb-ft 2.0L diesel. The skinny on this one is that it was entered by Continental Tires' Italian division and will run the entire race on ContiSportContact 3 street tires. The team's goal is to complete the race while making as few tire changes as possible, after which Continental will likely talk about how awesome its tires are in advertising that points back to this particular effort. We'll try to remember to drop the Kia Europe people a line post-race to get the final tally on the number of tire changes they wind up going through.
[Source: Kia/Continental] Permalink | Email this | Comments
VIDEO: Kia viral pits Nadal against tennis alien. And then it gets weird.Filed under: Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Kia 
Follow the jump to watch the insane Kia video
Last year, Kia Motors signed tennis superstar Rafael Nadal to be the automaker's celebrity face in Europe. Nadal, the #2 player in the world behind the ridiculously good Roger Federer, is young and popular, and Kia's signing him seemed like a smart idea. So you'll understand if we're perplexed by the bizarre viral video Kia's come up with that uses Nadal's likeness to supposedly promote the brand.
Titled "Nadal vs. Alien", the web-only video is part of Kia's new marketing approach. In a post on the official Kia BUZZ blog that introduces the short, Global Online Marketing veep Jay Jungyub Yoo sets the table, noting that advertisers are focused on finding unique ways to get their messages out. It would seem that at Kia, "unique" is a synonym for "baffling" if the Nadal vs. Alien video is any indication. The only coherent message we're getting from it is that someone in the strategy meeting that spawned this concept clearly ate all the acid.
The claymation short begins innocuously enough, with Nadal playing tennis against an alien. Then the alien sprouts multiple arms, pummeling Nadal with tennis balls. Then (stay with me) a soccer ball hits our tennis hero, and the Alien becomes a giant goalkeeper. Nadal responds by doing a disco move and magically producing four miniature Nadal-pplegangers (think of the Heat Miser's minions from The Year Without a Santa Claus, only shaped like small, long-haired Spaniards). Then, after a little dance interlude (seriously), Nadal and the baby Nadals all start flying. And then it gets completely strange. The little Nadals change shape and the big Nadal shoves his hands and feet into them (uh, gross), forming what can only be described as a sort of organic Rafael Nadal Voltron. Nadaltron then slays the alien by kicking a soccer ball through its torso. Then our hero transforms, Autobot-style, into a Kia pro_cee'd and drives away. The end of Akira makes more sense than this.
Remember how Kia ousted Len Hunt and Ian Beavis over the supposedly unfunny soap-on-a-rope President's Day sale commercials? We can't wait to see what happens over this.
Follow the jump to see it all with your own eyes.
UPDATE: Looks like Kia's reconsidering this particular bit of marketing. The following update has been posted to the original BUZZ blog post:
- Notice -
Thank you to everyone for their feedback. Upon review of the comments, we have decided to remove the video for the time being as we believe there is some content that is not appropriate. We will consider reediting some of the content and reposting at a later date. In the mean time, here's a short version of the video for you.
[Source: Kia BUZZ]Continue reading VIDEO: Kia viral pits Nadal against tennis alien. And then it gets weird. Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
2009 Kia Soul bares itself ahead of ParisFiled under: Paris Motor Show, Crossovers/CUVs, Kia 
Click above to enlarge
Kia has released the first official image of the production Soul. And that's pretty much it. The press release accompanying it is several paragraphs of filler that tells you exactly nothing of value, other than that the car keeps "it's" concept forebear's name and will be formally unveiled in October at the Paris Motor Show (which we knew). Kia also says that the Soul "defies classification," which is elaborate automaker code for, "it's a small crossover that's our answer to the Scion xB." Yes, but this is better-looking.
[Source: Kia]Continue reading 2009 Kia Soul bares itself ahead of Paris Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia to reveal facelifted Sportage in LondonFiled under: Crossovers/CUVs, Kia, Misc. Auto Shows 
As much as we would like the new vehicle that Kia plans to unveil at the British Motor Show to be the production version of its KOUP concept car, that doesn't seem all that likely. Instead, it appears that Kia has something rather less exciting in store. According to Auto Express, a revised Sportage mini-ute will be unveiled at the upcoming show in July, and this may be the vehicle Kia was referring to in their previous announcement. Nothing major to report as far as the update goes as "subtle improvements" are being made to both the interior and exterior of the vehicle. No changes will be made to the base 2.0-liter four-banger in either gas or diesel form, though the European audience will get an optional 2.7-liter V6 which is already available in the U.S. Considering how popular diesel engines are in the U.K., we're not surprised to hear that the Korean company is working on a revised version for the Sportage with extra power and lower emissions which should be available in short order.
[Source: Auto Express] Read | Permalink | Email this | Comments
Kia debuting all-new product at British Motor ShowFiled under: Kia, Misc. Auto Shows 
Click above for a high-res gallery of the Kia Koup concept.
The PR talking points at the Kia both in New York focused on the automaker's plan to appeal to a younger demographic in the U.S. and abroad. Kia aims to be the youthful yin to Hyundai's more staid yang, with the introduction of the Koup concept in NY and the imminent arrival of the SOUL CUV (never mind that Hyundai was doing burnouts on the third floor of the Jacob Javits center while Kia took the wraps off its redesigned Optima).
Regardless, at this year's British International Motor Show (formerly known as the London Motor Show) Kia will be showing off five of the concepts that have graced the automaker's show stands over the last year, along with an announcement about a future Kia product. The automaker isn't releasing any details on what said vehicle will be, only saying that "this new and exciting car will give the clearest indication yet of the design future of the brand." The show gets under way July 23rd and Kia has announced that the mystery model will go on sale in the UK in 2009. What we're assuming is a Euro-only Kia will join 13 new or revised products in 2009 and 2010, all of which center around Kia's new slogan, "The Power to Surprise!" The exclamation point is theirs, not ours.
Hit the jump for Kia's press release.
[Source: Kia via CarScoop]Continue reading Kia debuting all-new product at British Motor Show Permalink | Email this | Comments
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