While it could be argued that Volkswagen was really the company that started the box-that-it-came-in styling trend with its old vans, vehicles like the Honda Element and Scion xB made it popular again. Besides being a rolling fashion statement, this shape of vehicle also happens to be extremely practical and allows for much more interior space than more streamlined bodywork, so we’re happy to hear that Kia is planning on offering its upcoming Soul small car in the U.S. in addition to the Chinese market.

We have seen what appears to be production-ready pictures of the vehicle already, and the production Soul should retain most of what we’ve seen in the concepts, minus the crazy paint jobs. The Soul is certainly a bold step for Kia, which has so far erred on the safe side when it comes to vehicle styling. Automotive News reports that the front-wheel-drive Soul will be equipped with a 2.0 liter four-cylinder engine and should arrive in both China and the States next March. [Source: Autoblog]

Yesterday, after driving the new rear-wheel-drive Genesis sedan at Hyundai’s state-of-the-art research facility and test tracks in Namyang, Korea, we had lunch with Dr. Hyun-Soon Lee, who is President of the R&D and Corporate Product Planning and Strategy Divisions of Hyundai-Kia Motors. Dr. Lee joined Hyundai in 1984, so he has been at the company since before it sold cars in the United States (the Hyundai Excel, that gem of a subcompact, debuted here in 1986).

Dr. Lee reminded us what a big achievement the Genesis is for this automaker, which was established only four decades ago as a satellite assembly company for Ford’s U.K. arm to assemble Ford Cortinas for the Korean market. Aside from those kit cars, Hyundai’s first car was the 1975 Pony (which, incidentally, was designed by Giugiaro), and through the 1980s Hyundai licensed designs from Mitsubishi to build cars. Hyundai did not build its own engine until 1991, when the Alpha four-cylinder was introduced. Dr. Lee was the proud father of that engine, which is still used in the Accent. Read the rest of this entry »

I am a Chemical Engineer in Eskisehir, Turkey.I am 22 years old. I most like to drive to different places with my car.

1. How long have you owned your Rio?

I own my rio since 20th march 2006.

2. What cars did you own before you bought your Kia?

This is my 2nd car. Old one was a Renault Laguna.

3. Honestly, what was your intention when you bought your Rio?

I bought rio , cuz its inner and outer design looked perfect for me for modding when I first saw it.Also it has the most powerful diesel engine in its class in Turkey.

4. In a few words, describe the style of your Rio?

Different, stylish, cool..

Click image to enlarge!

Read the rest of this entry »

Hyundai-Kia said on Thursday it had shelved plans to produce a pickup truck in the United States amid concerns surging oil prices will hit demand for gas-guzzling vehicles.Hyundai Motor Group had planned to produce mid-sized trucks at subsidiary Kia Motors Corp’s new factory in Georgia to make inroads to the world’s top pickup truck market.

“We have an interest, but because of high oil prices, the light truck market has been declining. We don’t think it’s the right time to produce the truck; it’s not the right economic environment,” Kim Dong-Ji, Hyundai’s chief executive, told reporters in Seoul.

“Kia is well-adapted to make the pickup truck and so we investigated the possibility while building the Georgia plant. However, with this economic environment, we were forced to give up these plans,” said Kim, according to spokeswoman Song Meeyoung.

The plans may be reviewed when economic conditions improve, Song added!

Kia pick up concept:

Kia is hard at work on the replacement for the current Kia Sorento SUV and a prototype of the next generation Sorento has been caught near Kia’s German R&D Center.

Despite the heavy camouflage, we can tell from the photos, that the new Sorento will not retain the curent model’s boxy shape, but will follow the latest design direction Kia showed us on it’s KUE and KND-4 crossover concepts.

We don’t know much at this point as far as engines and other accessories go, suffice to say recently updated 3.8L V6 will be avaliable, while diesel will also be on the offering.

Production of the new Sorento is expected to start next year in West Georgia (USA), where Kia is building it’s first US plant.

Click image to enlarge!

More spy shots: check our spy image gallery.

Kia Canada has announced that its sales totalled 3719 new units for April 2008, representing a 12,1 percent rise compared to April 2007. Sales for Kia were lead by the Rio, which posted April sales of 1086 units. Second and third position went to Rondo and Sportage respectively.

Since its introduction into Canadain market, Rondo sales have passed the 11.000 mark becoming one of the most popular Kia vehicles in Canada. In April alone, Kia dealers moved 1039 Rondos from their lots. Sportage sales also performed very well last month, with the sales of 541 units. Placing last was the Amanti sedan with the sales of 19 units only!

As of the end of April 2008, Kia Canada has sold 10,879 vehicles compared to 9,543 in 2007, representing a 14% increase. In April, Kia managed to garner a 2.0% market share in the country, where a year ago had 1,9%.

Rio - 1086
Spectra - 460
Magentis - 123
Amanti - 19
Rondo - 1039
Sportage - 541
Sorento - 136
Sedona - 315 Read the rest of this entry »

Today, Microsoft Corp and Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group (HKAG) entered into a long-term agreement to co-develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems. Bill Gates, chairman of Microsoft, and Mongku Chung, chairman of HKAG, were present as Martin Thall, general manager of Microsoft’s Automotive Business Unit, and Hyun Soon Lee, president and chief technology officer of HKAG, signed the agreement in Seoul.

Together, Microsoft and HKAG will deliver new and innovative solutions based on the Microsoft Auto software platform, bringing the future of in-car technology to Hyundai-Kia drivers worldwide.

“These new systems will redefine consumer experiences in the car,” Thall said. “Since the spring of 2006, HKAG and Microsoft have been sharing their vision for the future of in-car technology. We’re now aligned to develop the next generation of in-car infotainment systems.” Read the rest of this entry »

Kia-World talks with Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., Communications Director Stephen Kitson about the recent sneak-drive of the three stunning SOUL concepts for lucky journalists from Britain and Germany.

Steve, Concept cars are often just for show – why were Kia able to let journalists drive SOUL?

Kia have a history of not just building concepts as flights of fancy – our concept cars tend to be much more closely linked to reality, so when the Design Team in Frankfurt decided to showcase their ideas for SOUL they used actual pre-production vehicles. That meant the cars had all the running gear of a normal car and luckily Peter Schreyer said yes when we and Kia Deutschland asked if a lucky few journalists could spend some time behind the wheels.

Read the rest of this entry »

Unlike other recent international motor shows, the exhibitors at the Busan show seem to be focusing on luxury vehicles more than the environment.

This trend could partly be explained by the fact that, with the exception of Hyundai Motor Co., Korean carmakers have little to show for in the area. But foreign carmakers taking part in the event are also downplaying the green theme that has dominated other shows.

Kia Motors has been placing increasing emphasis on design recently, and that is evident here. The company is showing off its sports concept car Kee and the three versions of its concept car Soul at the event.

The Soul is a mini multi-purpose vehicle designed by the company’s design chief, Peter Schreyer, and the three versions are Soul Burner, Searcher, and Diva. According to the company, each version highlights different aspects of the car. The Soul Burner focuses on the sporty side while Soul Searcher is the countryside version of the concept car, and the Soul Diva is a more feminine version.

The company’s other exhibits include four show cars and seven production vehicles. The show cars include the city car Morning decorated with Leopard skin patterns, and pro-cee’d - the five-door model of the company’s European hatchback cee’d.

Update: VIDEO ADDED!

Read the rest of this entry »

Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best sales month ever with record April sales of 30,066 units, a 15.6-percent increase over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 98,280 total units.

Kia’s April growth was led by Spectra and Optima, up 4.8 percent and 89.3 percent respectively over the previous month. Rondo sales increased 118.3 percent over the same period last year with 2,583 unit sales. Rio and Spectra continue their strong showing with 4,052 and 8,406 units sold respectively, with increases of 23.6 and 16.7 percent.

“As consumers are looking to further stretch their dollar in the midst of rising gasoline prices and a downward sliding economy, we are pleased to see Kia’s fuel-efficient and dynamic product line continue to appeal to new car buyers,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Kia’s value-packed Rio and Spectra models continue to outpace last year’s sales and Rondo’s strong showing position KMA for another successful sales effort this year.”

Follow our monthly Kia sales reports here.

Click image to enlarge!

[Source: Motorauthoroty.com]

Kia Motors will launch an internal campaign to promote the company’s emphasis on design, the automaker said Wednesday. It will launch new office stationary and documents introducing a new logo for the “design” slogan Monday, as part of a promotion to foster the maker’s brand value to its employees first, Kia said.

The logo depicts the word “DESIGN,” with the letter “S” and “I” replaced with a question mark and light bulb, representing curiosity and innovation, respectively.

“Design is essential in our brand, and real brand management comes from inside the company,” Kia said. “We will reach a consensus on our value within our offices first so we can work for it better in the market.”

Kia Motors has put great emphasis on design in recent years. In 2006, the company brought in a renowned designer Peter Schreyer as its design director. Schreyer, who had worked for Audi for more than 25 years, created the German maker’s steady seller, Audi TT. Following last year’s prestige advertisement with a design theme, Kia established a new team in charge of brand promotion last month.

The manufacturer, which launched SUV Mojave in January, is planning to release a couple of new models later this year ― a compact car and a mini crossover utility vehicle, currently referred to by their project codes TD and AM, respectively. Read the rest of this entry »

Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.’s Elantra liquefied-petroleum-gas electric hybrid will roll off the production line next summer, several months ahead of the previously planned launch due to a top management directive, a company executive says.

“We’ve put about 100 LPG Hybrid Elantras through performance tests so far, after beginning the hybrid program in 2002,” Lee Ki-sang, director of the Hyundai Electric-Vehicle Project team, tells Ward’s. “We’re now focusing on calibrations and formal validation of the system.”

As with all of the auto maker’s hybrid-electric vehicles, the technology was developed exclusively by Hyundai. “We have developed everything in-house at the Namyang research center,” Lee says. “We have licensed nothing from any other hybrid developers.”

The Elantra hybrid is powered by a 1.6L LPG-powered engine, which is supported by a 15 kW electric motor with continuously variable transmission. The lithium-ion battery is supplied by LG Chemical Ltd. Read the rest of this entry »

Read the rest of this entry »

Kia Motors has been presented with two international certificates which recognise the advanced environmental design and manufacturing processes behind the Kia cee’d.

Globally recognized, German-based, TÜV presented Kia with a DFE (Design for Environment) and a LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) environment certificate at a special ceremony in Seoul, Korea, on 25 April, after rigorous inspection of the company’s design operations and the manufacturing facility at Zilina in Slovakia. The Kia cee’d, designed for and made in Europe, is the first Korean car to receive such recognition.

TÜV NORD environmental certificates are not easily earned. The only significant vehicles to achieve both DFE and LCA certificates in recent years are the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2005) and Mercedes-Benz C-Class (2006).Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, International Business Division of Kia Motors Corporation, enthused; “The awarding of two international environment certificates for the Kia cee’d and its excellent 5-Star rating in EuroNCAP crash testing are first-time achievements for a Korean automotive company of which we can all be proud.

Our Zilina facility was environmentally certified in 2007 and later this year we will start manufacturing cee’d vehicles with fuel-stretching and CO₂ reducing technologies from our experimental eco_cee’d line-up, further underlining Kia’s strong and continuing drive to minimize its impact on the environment,” concluded Mr Lee. Read the rest of this entry »