Hundreds of temporary workers at Kia Motors Corp. have halted production at the automaker’s main plant for five days on Monday, demanding higher wages, job security and equal working conditions with its full-time workers, both company and union officials said.

About 400 non-regular painting and polishing workers at Kia’s main plant, which mainly builds Sorento sport-utility vehicles, Cerato compact cars and Opirus sedans, in Hwaseong, just south of Seoul, have laid down their tools since Thursday. (more…)

Kiaworld blog reported about Sportage facelift and now provides you an official Kia article:

Kia Motors will officially celebrate the start of full production of its popular Sportage compact SUV at the company´s ultra-modern Slovakia facility by holding the premiere of the 2008 model at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September.

Kia´s first-ever plant in Europe continues to be a burgeoning success as the Zilina operation has seamlessly added two new models – the Cee´d Sporty Wagon and Sportage SUV- to its inventory, just a few months after making its very first Cee´d hatchback cars last December. At the end of this year, the facility will add a fourth model to its repertoire, the Pro-cee´d three-door hatchback.

With a staff of 2,400 working two shifts, Zilina is already living up to its promise of becoming the most productive car manufacturing plant in Europe, aiming to build 100 cars per employee per year – when fully operational. The handsome Kia Sportage SUV is little changed on the outside, but 2008 models will feature exterior enhancements that include a re-styled front grille, black bezel headlamps, enlarged door mirrors, new-style alloy wheels, a broader range of paint finishes and body-colour bumpers for all models.

“Made in Europe, the new 2008 Kia Sportage retains all the popular attributes of the original model and now offers customers an even better drive in greater comfort and refinement,” enthused Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. “Since its launch in Europe during 2004, the Sportage has attracted more than 100,000 buyers and has played a key role, together with the larger Sorento SUV and smaller Picanto city car, in raising public awareness of the Kia brand across the broadest spread of European consumers.” Technical improvements introduced simultaneously with manufacturing the 2008 Sportage in Europe begin with the power steering, which is re-tuned to be a little more direct. Sixteen inch diameter wheels with 215/65 R16 tyres are standard, the suspension dampers are stiffer for improved on-road handling and body roll has been reduced. Larger, 300 mm diameter front brakes now stop the Sportage in just 41.6 metres (from 100 kph), and place the Kia among the best-in-class.

Inside, the 2008 Sportage has improved front seats with longer (by 40 mm) and wider (by 20 mm) cushions for greater support and comfort. The rear seat cushion shape and firmness have been enhanced and the seat lowered by 5 mm to increase headroom.

Customers buying a 2008 Kia Sportage can choose from a range of 10 exterior colours and two interior colours – Flesh Beige and Saturn Black. Eight of the exterior colours are new to Sportage, with two solids and six metallics in common with the cee´d models produced at Zilina. Two of the most popular metallic colours (Greyish Silver and Smart Blue), are carried over from the 2007 model year.

Car Max Inc. has named its top picks for college students doing back-to-school car shopping, and the South Korean-made Kia Optima made the list. The Richmond, Va.-based used-car retailer partnered with Las Vegas-based Driver’s Edge, a nonprofit drivers’ education provider, to recommend the top 10 cars for college students. The vehicles that made the list were graded on safety features, cost, reliability and style, plus their National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ratings – all received at least four stars.

The other nine cars that made the list were the Honda Civic, Audi A4, Dodge Caliber, Hyundai Sonata, Pontiac G6, Toyota Corolla, Volkswagen Jetta, Volkswagen Passat and Volvo S40.

CarMax runs 80 used-car outlets in 38 markets.

Kia is joining European automakers that are going green at this year’s IAA Frankfurt Motor Show beeing held from September 11th. Several automakers such as Audi, Opel and Mercedes are going to show eco-friendly cars to the public and so will Kia! 

Based on five-door hatchback, the new model will be named Eco_Cee’d. This will be the fourth model to join the family of five-door Cee’d, Cee’d SW and sporty three-door Pro_cee’d.

Right now there are not many known details, but we found out that Eco_Cee’d will not be a hybrid car. It will probably be a standard production model with lighter body parts and added green technology gadgets, such as STOP&GO system. Stop&go system shuts down car’s engine automatically when stoped. Such a system can improve fuel consumption and lower CO2 output by up to 10%. It was first introduced in a Kia’s minicar Picanto last year, but never used on the road.

Although it is not exactly known when, Eco_cee’d is coming to production! And this is the most important news.

Kia Motors UK’s new managing director has signalled an end to the pile ‘em high, sell ‘em cheap adventure that saw the South Korean brand become the fastest growing car company in the country.

It was a strategy which worked well when the Koreans took over the UK sales operation from importer MCL at the end of 2002.

Last year sales started to decline, however, and this year has seen sales nosedive 27 per cent as Paul Philpott and his new management team re-align Kia’s image.

“We have got to be more confident in our products and the sales and marketing message that we put out,” said Philpott, who has been in the Kia hot seat for six months.

The Kia Rio Hybrid offers a 44-percent gasoline savings over the standard Kia Rio with an average of city / hwy 53.4 mpg. The Kia Rio Hybrid also offers a 37-percent reduction in emissions making this a green car lover’s delight.

If you’re looking for a speed-burner, however, you may wish to look in a different direction as the Rio Hybrid achieves 0 – 60 mph acceleration in just 12.2 seconds. The vehicle does, however, have a top speed of 112 mph, which is more than enough for the average driver wanting to avoid speeding tickets. The Kia Rio Hybrid comes equipped with a small 4-cylinder 1.4 liter, 90 bhp engine with a 12 kw electric motor and a CVT transmission.

The Kia Rio Hybrid is considered to be a mild hybrid in that the electric motor assists the gasoline engine when it comes to starting, accelerating and climbing hills. The Rio Hybrid also employs engine idle cut-off and restart as needed. Regenerative braking recharges the NiMH 144 volt battery pack.

The Rio Hybrid has also cut its weight considerably (23-percent) over the standard version by employing an aluminum hood, trunk and front seat frames. The Kia hybrid also uses lightweight wheels and low-friction tires. The hydraulic power steering system has also been replaced by an all electric system to help cut down on the weight of the vehicle.

The Korean Ministry of the Environment has ordered an additional 3,390 hybrid vehicles from Kia Motors and Hyundai over the next two years as part of their real world hybrid testing program. This also includes the Rio Hybrid’s sister car, the Hyundai Accent hybrid. There is no word yet on when the Kia Rio Hybrid will be available in the U. S. commercial market.

New model year brought some significant changes to Kia’s compact  Sportage SUV. First, production line for Sportage was moved from South Korea to Europe. It is now beeing built together with Kia Cee’d in Slovakia. And second, Sportage recived a mild facelift.

Exterior has a new grille and tinted headlights. Side mirrors were redesigned to reduce wind noise, new-style alloy wheels, a broader range of paint finishes and body-colour bumpers for all models.  

Inside, the 2008 Sportage has improved front seats with longer (by 40 mm) and wider (by 20 mm) cushions for greater support and comfort. The rear seat cushion shape and firmness have been enhanced and the seat lowered by 5 mm to increase headroom.

Technical improvements on 2008 Sportage begin with the power steering, which is re-tuned to be a little more direct. Sixteen inch diameter wheels with 215/65 R16 tyres are standard, the suspension dampers are stiffer for improved on-road handling and body roll has been reduced. Larger, 300 mm diameter front brakes now stop the Sportage in just 41.6 metres (from 100 kph), and place the Kia among the best-in-class.

The 2008 Sportage has 12.5% more towing capacity than the previous model – now up to a maximum of 1800 kg.

Thanks to the unique Rotation Dipping Painting process at the Zilina plant, which rotates each bodyshell through a forward somersault while immersed in the electro-plating tank, and the built-in quality of Kia vehicles manufactured in Slovakia, all versions of the 2008 Kia Sportage are covered by a new 10-Year anti-corrosion warranty – an extension of four years.

These are the first pictures of Kia Soul undergoing testing in U.S. Kia Soul mule was spotted recently testing in Nevada desert.

This is the production car of the concept unveiled at the 2006 Detroit Auto show. Concept Soul was a great success for Kia. It drew a lot of public attention at that time and Kia officials decided to turn a green light for production.

With it’s boxy exteior design it is built to appeal to younger buyers just like Scion xD, which starts at $14 500. Expect the Soul to have a slightly lower price than it’s main competitor.

First spy pictures reveal that the car has been toned down for production and lost some of concept Soul attraction. It lost rear suicide doors and made way for smaller sized tires.

It is belived to be equiped with 2.0 liter four cylinder gasoline engine mated to a five-speed automatic transmission with manual shift capability.

Kia has announced that the Soul will be introduced in 2008 as a 2009 model. Till then we will get more spy pics and details about upcoming Soul from South Korea.    

Click image to enlarge!

[Photo source: Auto.cz]

Longer, lower and lighter than its five-door sister car, the pro_cee’d brings more style and more sportiness to the C-segment in Europe.

“The new Kia pro_cee’d offers consumers sensationally stylish looks with a truly sporty feel to the driving experience, while also retaining most of the practicality and versatility of the popular cee’d five-door hatchback,” enthuses Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. “With performance, ride and handling that is even more responsive, the pro_cee’d will attract European consumers who find three-door cars particularly appealing.”

The 4250 mm long pro_cee’d delivers class-leading passenger and luggage space. The cee’d family wheelbase (2650 mm) is retained, so despite its lowered, sporty appearance, pro_cee’d provides generous legroom front and rear, and luggage capacity with the rear seats upright matches the five-door model.

“With the pro_cee’d we have communicated sportiness mostly through the car’s exterior design,” explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Kia Motors Europe. “At the front, we have extended the nose by 10 mm and introduced a shallower grille, new-style headlamps, a wider, lower bumper with a prominent lip spoiler, a deeper central air intake and larger fog lights set in elliptical depressions.

“It is the side profile that makes pro_cee’d truly distinctive. The windscreen is much shallower and the vehicle height is reduced by 30 mm. The doors, which are 276 mm longer than the front doors of the five-door cee’d model, have a unique design with a more prominent swage line that highlights the sporty character of this model and a beltline that rises much more steeply towards the rear of the car.

“The side window, C-Pillar and tailgate spoiler are all new and although the rear screen is steeply raked, rear headroom remains good. Unlike other cee’d models, the exhaust tailpipe on the pro_cee’d is boldly displayed,” concludes Guillaume.

The larger pro_cee’d doors, with their extra-wide 70 degree openings, ensure good access to the rear seats. To boost practicality, Kia’s designers re-styled the rear seat cushion, which is now fixed, and re-engineered the 60/40 split backrest so that it is easy to release and simply folds down onto the cushion with no need to remove the headrestraints.

With pro_cee’d, Kia is offering customers the full choice of cee’d family powertrains – five Euro4 compliant engines, with power outputs covering a 90 ps to 143 ps range, and three transmissions – as offered in the five-door hatchback and wagon models.

Like its siblings, pro_cee’d will also be available with three equipment levels, LX, EX and TX, plus 12 exterior colours and a wide range of optional extras – so that each customer can create a ‘personalised’ vehicle to suit their needs and tastes.

The optional Sports Pack, which comprises 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres, stiffer dampers, sport-concept interior trim (with ‘tyre-track’ pattern fabric and silver stitching, plus alloy pedals and stainless-steel door-scuff plates) is expected to be a popular choice with pro_cee’d buyers.

Click on image to enlarge!

Find more about Pro_cee’d here:

http://www.kia-world.net/index.php/2007/08/06/kia-draws-attention-with-sporty-pro_ceed/

More pictures:

Link: http://news.auto.cz/spy/spy-photos-kia-mesa-velke-suv-z-koreje-pro-usa.html

Somewhere between a mid-size sedan and a 2WD crossover, the new Kia Rondo offers gobs of luggage and/or passenger capacity in a pleasing package. Performance is decent from the 2.7-liter V6, while handling is normal for the class. There are many positives and few negatives in this new entry.

Most of the time, I get to evaluate vehicles on a one-week schedule, during which I usually 100-200 miles over a variety of roads. Occasionally, I get longer tests, either in mileage or time, in which the vehicle and I either become friends or enemies.

In more than 1,000 miles of driving, the Kia Rondo and I became friends. Good friends…

Read more: http://www.theautochannel.com/news/2007/08/20/059041.html 

[Source:TheAutochannel]

Link to the article: Kia tops BMW in crash tests!

http://www.kia-world.net/index.php/2007/08/16/kia-amanti-awarded-good-safety-rating/

Let’s see what Autoexpress has to say about recently released Cee’d Sporty Wagon! This is their first opinion:

We’re big fans of the Cee’d. It’s a great-value family car – and a refreshing alternative to established models from Ford and Vauxhall. The estate has plenty of space, is well built and, hard ride aside, drives well. If you want a flexible load-lugger that’s cheap to run, add it to your list.

Click here to read an article: 

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/carreviews/firstdrives/209778/kia_ceed.html

With a total investment of US$58 million, Hyundai Kia’s Research and Development Centre in Seoul will spark new synergies and generate greater efficiency in efforts to develop cleaner, more eco-friendly vehicles.

This investment is an indicator of Hyundai Kia’s commitment to attaining global leadership in environmental management. It will allow them to proactively respond to the intensifying environmental regulations in product development, manufacturing, sales, after service and recycling of vehicles.

Facilities include a 700-bar hydrogen filling station, a fuel-cell endurance tester, an emissions lab, dynamometers and other specialised equipment for testing electric propulsion systems. The centre also contains a pilot plant for automated vehicle dismantling focusing on improving the material recycling rate of end-of-life vehicles.Together with the 350-bar station at the Group’s Namyang Centre, the 700-bar hydrogen filling station will enable fuel-cell vehicle tests and help accelerate the commercialisation of fuel-cell electric vehicles.“The mission of the R&D centre is to enable Hyundai Kia Automotive Group to realise its vision of becoming the world leader in environmental technology through the development of products and core technologies that are in full compliance with global environment regulations,” said Group Vice Chairman Sang-Kwon Kim.

Union workers at Kia Motors Corp. voted to accept a wage package that includes a 5.2 percent rise in basic salary and a higher bonus, the union and the company said on Friday, ending their summer wage wrangle. The union at the South Korea’s No.2 auto maker said on its Web site that 58.15 percent of union members who voted on the wage deal had approved it.

Union members had staged partial strikes for 10 days during July and August, demanding higher wages and benefits. Members turned down a deal agreed by their representatives and the company last month.

The labour actions are estimated to cost the company lost production of 23,645 units or $363.1 million, a Kia spokesman said.

On Monday, Kia’s management and union representatives agreed to keep a proposed 5.2 percent increase in basic salaries but raised the proposed bonus to 200 percent of monthly salary from 150 percent which had been rejected by workers, according to Kia.

The company, an affiliate of South Korea’s top carmaker Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd. , will also pay 1 million won in a one-time incentive per worker.

Poor labour relations are regarded as a major obstacle to Hyundai and Kia’s target of becoming the world’s No. 5 automaker by sales volume.