Posts Tagged ‘Kia’
Test Drive: 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door Hatch
May 2nd, 2012 | 
Author: “All-New 2012 Kia Rio provides new fuel saving technology”
Kia has certainly come a long way since their vehicles were first marketed here on our shores. The Korean automaker is now definitely a force to be reckoned with on all levels of their existing stable. We’ll deal here with their latest Kia Rio lineup.
Test Drive: 2012 Kia Optima Premium Hybrid
“Kia introduces their first ever U.S. Hybrid vehicle – The 2012 Optima”
The Sonata Hybrid from Hyundai bowed first, claiming the best mid-size sedan highway fuel economy. Now Hyundai’s Korean sibling Kia has introduced their first ever Hybrid for the U.S. market – the Optima for 2012, boasting the same EPA mileage ratings from the same basic powertrain. In fact the Optima, which is not an exact clone of the Sonata, is pretty darned close, even within the same pricing range.
Kia Expands UVO eServices
Kia showed the latest version of their UVO eServices recently at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas and debuted a new In-Vehicle Infotainment (IVI) concept, both which show the same type of innovation that has so quickly advanced Kia in the automotive market.
New for UVO is a telematics suite (“eServices”) powered by a free smartphone app. It provides drivers with an innovative in-vehicle connectivity experience including navigation, diagnostics capabilities and added convenience features. Powered by Microsoft® .
UVO is short for “Your Voice,” and provides consumers easy-to-use voice and touch-activated experiences to manage music files and hands-free mobile phone operation Read the rest of this entry »
Kia’s Four-Door Coupe Concept
Kia headed off in a new direction with the GT Concept revealed at the recent Frankfurt Auto Show. Under the typical auto show bling of copper trims, carbon-fiber wheel fins and suicide doors lies Kia’s first rear-wheel drive platform and a striking four-door coupe design. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Drive: Kia Sportage
Leader of the Compact Utility Movement
Santa Fe, NM – One vehicle category we’ve come to enjoy for travel is the group of compact to mid-size SUVs, crossovers and similar vehicles. In general, this group offers roomy interiors, comfortable rides, reasonable fuel economy and on occasion, the advantage of having all-wheel drive for occasional adverse weather or for exploring back roads.
On a recent trip to one of our favorite vacation locations, Santa Fe, NM we borrowed the compact Kia Sportage SUV. Read the rest of this entry »
Kia Already Expanding Georgia Plant
With U.S. Kia sales up by 45 percent through May 2011, the company is running out of production capacity. The West Point Georgia plant is currently building 300,000 vehicles a year using two shifts and working every other Saturday. To meet customer demand, Kia Motors of America officials announced a $100 million expansion plan to increase production capacity to 360,000 vehicles per year. Read the rest of this entry »
Test Drive: 2011 Kia Sportage T-GDi Turbo
The Kia Sportage Turbo is the most intuitive vehicle I’ve ever driven.
It doesn’t do anything differently than other vehicle. It doesn’t have a joystick drive system and it doesn’t read your thoughts and suggest radio stations you might like. It’s actually quite regular. But it does everything so effortlessly; driving becomes a calming, Zen experience. Read the rest of this entry »
Posted in Automotive Reviews, Crossover, Kia | 
Tags: 2011, AWD, CUV, Kia, nick jaynes, Sportage, SUV, Turbo | 
409 Comments »
Kia’s KV7 Concept Developed for “Ringleaders”
Kia is exploring the modern-day “activity van” with a recently unveiled concept called the KV7.
Expanding on recent design success like the Soul, Sorento, Sportage and the Forte Koup, the KV7 takes a functional approach to a mobile gathering space by taking the concept beyond mere transportation. With a single gull wing door on the passenger side opening to a spacious and adaptable interior space the KV7 becomes a great space for friends to gather, as well as go places and carry things. Read the rest of this entry »
First Drive: Kia Optima Turbo
Great Car, Strong Power, but no “Wow”
On one hand it was a gutsy move for Kia to offer the new mid-size Optima sedan without an optional V-6 engine, on the other hand it was visionary. The Toyota Camry has a six-cylinder option, so does the Honda Accord, Ford Focus and all the other competitors in that midsize group. (Okay, there is one exception, but it’s the Kia’s sibling, the Hyundai Sonata which uses the same engine as Kia.) Read the rest of this entry »
She Said, He Said: 2011 Kia Optima
Barbara – By looks alone, the new Kia Optima is a winner. Sure, I could go into all the specs about how it’s longer, wider and lower than the previous version, etcetera, etcetera, but that doesn’t give you the visual impact that seeing it person does; and photos just don’t do it justice.
Styled in Kia’s Frankfurt, Germany and Irvine, Calif. design studios, the Optima is not the product of cookie cutter design, it is fresh and sleek with a well-toned muscular silhouette. The grille is unmistakable Kia with the bold tabbed family grille book-ended by projector headlights. And on top of it all, it has one of those swooping four-door coupe rooflines that are such a rage. Read the rest of this entry »