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Today, I was sent another set of spy shots showing the 2009 (or possibly 2010 model year) Kia Spectra replacement. The Spectra is certainly one of Kia’s most important products as it has been No. 1 selling Kia model for several years.

While the “old” Spectra still proves to be a great value, Kia engineers already began road-testing it’s successor model. Despite the camo attached, it’s clear that the upcoming Kia sedan, code-named TD, takes it’s styling cues from Kia’s KND-4 concept car. The automaker’s new design language set by Peter Schreyer will influence every aspect of the four door’s exterior with a clean and sporty lines.

Check out our latest spy shots of the new Spectra in the gallery below. More Spectra TD spy pics!

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Kia Pro_cee’d Video:  click here!

Pro_cee’d gallery:

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Source [IDNES.cz]

There is a reason for Kia employees to extend the celebration into the first few days of 2008. Only three days after the new year sneaks in, Kia plans to make an official debut of it’s largest and technically most advanced SUV up to date. Known as Borrego

internationally or Mohave on it’s home Korean market, it incorporates the latest engine and NVH technology.

The company has already set up a pre-launch website including several Mohave photos, news and interviews. You will also find some informations on the goodies such as back-end camera, high end JBL sound system, smart key, stat-stop button and others. Feel free to visit the Mohave website!

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Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group is redoubling its efforts to polish its brand image abroad with new premium models such as the Hyundai Genesis and Kia Mohave to grab a bigger slice of the pie in the global automobile market.

Hyundai Motor, in particular, has made every effort as the group’s parent company to develop high value-added vehicles to pull up its sales and net profits. The Genesis model represents the direction the company should follow to survive the global competition.

Developed under the project-name “BH,’’ the Genesis is a new rear-wheel drive (RWD), full-size luxury sedan, which debuted as a concept car at the 2007 New York International Auto Show and was unveiled at home last month. (more…)

Kia Motors Corp. plans to develop a compact car designed specifically for the Chinese market, the company said yesterday.

Although details of the project have not yet been finalized, company officials said that the new model will be a compact car. Company officials added that the project is aimed at producing vehicles more affordable for Chinese consumers and will be designed specifically to suit their tastes. According to Kia, Chinese drivers favor brighter colors in comparison to local consumers.

The vehicle will be produced at Kia Motors’ plants in China and is likely to be priced lower than the Rio in an effort to increase price competitiveness of Kia vehicles and boost sales. Over 200,000 Rios have been sold in the country since 2002. The Rio, locally known as the Pride, is priced between 50,000 yuan ($6,800) and 105,000 yuan depending on the trim level.

Unlike the Rio – and other Kia Motors vehicles marketed in China that have undergone slight modifications to increase appeal to Chinese drivers – the new project aims to develop a vehicle tailor made for the Chinese market from the very beginning, a Kia Motors official said. [Source: Koreaherald]

For Hyundai Motor, which marks its 40th anniversary next week, 2007 was a significant year for another reason. In June, the automaker achieved a 5 percent market share in the United States along with its affiliate Kia Motors for the first time in history.

Hyundai Motor, the top South Korean carmaker, which entered the U.S. market about 20 years ago, sold 49,368 cars in that month, while Kia Motors sold 26,288 cars to post a combined monthly market share of 5.2 percent.

Industry sources generally agree that once an automaker’s market share exceeds the 5 percent level in a country, the player has the potential to reach 10 percent in the foreseeable future.

(more…)

The Hyundai Sonata is the best-selling car in Korea this year, according to the Korea Automobile Manufacturers Association (KAMA) on Sunday. The association’s survey of car sales from January to November found the Sonata at the top of the best-selling list with sales of 105,247 cars, followed by the Hyundai Avante HD and Hyundai Grandeur TG.

It was a good year for Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, which has another five vehicles on the top ten list — the Porter, Santa Fe, New Sportage, Lotze, and New Carens. Rounding out the list are the Renault Samsung SM5 and GM Daewoo New Matiz.

The most noticeable player in the list is the Hyundai Porter one-ton truck, which sold 67,974 units to November to rank fourth. Porter sales are expected to reach 75,000 by the end of the year.

The New Carens by Kia Motors, the other arm of Hyundai Automotive Group, made its debut on the list due to the popularity of LPG-fueled cars as the price of oil continues to climb. [Source: DigitalChosunilbo]

I can honestly say this is one of the best articles about Kia Kee and Kia’s future design directive I have ever read. It was written by David Wilkins who writes for The Independent, British national morning tabloid. David met Peter Schreyer and together they took a close look at Kia Kee concept car. Let’s see what he found out:

…A few weeks ago, though, I found myself in Germany, in the sort of rarefied setting in which the Panton chair is in daily use; through a glass wall I could see about half a dozen of the things arranged around a large table in a meeting room. All around me were examples of achingly restrained good taste; the subtle bamboo flooring, the uncluttered work surfaces and lots of other funky furniture. In short, this place looked like what it was – the hub of a leading motor manufacturer’s design operations.

But I wasn’t at Audi, BMW, Mercedes or Porsche; rather, I was in Frankfurt to meet ex-Audi man Peter Schreyer, the chief design officer of Kia Motor Company, who oversees the work of the company’s network of three design studios from his German base, which takes up about half of the Kia’s impressive new European headquarters. (more…)

Kia Motors Corporation announced that its global sales (export sales, domestic sales and sales from overseas plants) of passenger cars, recreation vehicles (RVs) and light trucks in November 2007 recorded 116,322 units, representing a 9.0% year-on-year increase.

By region, Kia’s Europe market posted a year-on-year sales increase of 15.8% in November with 33,006 units sold. Meanwhile, sales of Kia vehicles in North America, China, general markets and Korea were 26,900 units (9.5% year-on-year increase), 10,634 units (6.4% year-on-year decrease), 20,580 units (26.5% year-on-year increase) and 25,202 units (3.1% year-on-year decrease), respectively.

Cumulatively through the first eleven months of 2007, Kia’s global sales increased by 3.7% year-on-year and reached 1,156,857 units. General markets have experienced the largest gain, selling 179,971 units to date for a 13.9% increase, while the North America market has showed cumulative year-on-year sales growth of 7.5%, selling 314,305 units. The Korea and Europe market are also performing well showing a cumulative year-on-year sales increase of 2.9% and 1.9%, respectively. (more…)

For the second year running the Kia Sportage has been named Britain’s best value SUV in Planet 4x4’s annual awards. Not to be outdone, the Kia Sorento also picked up an award for best ‘Medium Off-Roader’.

Kia’s Sorento takes the title of best Medium Off-Roader, having beaten off competition from the Jeep Wrangler, Nissan Pathfinder and Toyota Land Cruiser. With its value for money being of particular appeal, the Sorento – launched back in 2003 – was also praised for its “sprightly” on road ability as well as its sturdy off-roading skills.

The winning 2.0 CRDi XS Sportage was awarded the ‘Best Value’ award for doing everything well, for a reasonable price. With the inclusion of Kia’s award winning seven year warranty and starting price tag of Ł15,995, the facelifted Sportage can only further exceed the current, winning model.

Paul Philpott, Managing Director Kia Motors UK Ltd, commented: “We know that the Sportage is a quality offering in this marketplace, but to win for a second year when there are newer models out there, is really the icing on the cake.” (more…)

Concerns have re-emerged over the illegal transfer of high technology abroad, which has been worsening in recent years, in the wake of the latest leak case in which industrial spies handed over key automobile building technology of Hyundai Motor to Chinese firms.

Prosecutors Friday arrested two Hyundai Motor employees, who stole core technology for the automatic transmission of a sports utility vehicle (SUV) that the carmaker has developed with an investment of 300 billion won ($323 million) for two years, to a Chinese carmaker.

Identified by surnames Yun and Kim, they sold CDs containing hundreds of drafts of the automatic transmission for the top South Korean carmaker’s SUV “Santa Fe’’ and those of its popular sedan “NF Sonata’’ to China’s Jianghuai Automobile Company for 1 billion won.

Kia Motors, a Hyundai Motor affiliate and the country’s second-largest carmaker, detected a similar case in May, when several former employees attempted to leak secret information including key car-assembling technology to a Chinese competitor. (more…)

The 2008 Kia Spectra5 is ranked number one in U.S. News & World Report’s 2008 Best Cars & Trucks rankings, which were released today. Of the 12 vehicles in the “Affordable Compact Wagons” category, the Spectra5 scored a “Very Good” overall rating of 8.3 to top the list, which included wagons and hatchbacks generally priced below $25,000.

“Spectra5′s top ranking proves that style and substance do not have to be compromised when combined with safety, value and quality,” said Len Hunt, president and CEO of Kia Motors America. “This is a great distinction for the Spectra5 in what is known to be a tough, competitive segment, and rounds out an awards-laden year for Kia’s full line of vehicles.”

Editors for U.S. News & World Report determine rankings of cars, trucks and SUVs through analysis of leading automotive reviews, safety ratings and reliability statistics. The rankings represent the most up-to-date information available to U.S. News & World Report as of the release date and are revised from time to time. A complete listing is available at RankingsAndReviews. [Source: Kiamedia]

South Korea’s top carmaker Hyundai Motor announced Friday it would invest more than 11 billion dollars next year to raise production and upgrade facilities.

Chairman Chung Mong-Koo said the world’s sixth largest auto group would invest 11.7 billion dollars in 2008 compared to an estimated seven trillion won this year. He disclosed the plan before attending a meeting between president-elect Lee Myung-Bak and business leaders.

Hyundai Motor and affiliate Kia Motors will spend a combined 4.5 trillion won, including 3.5 trillion won for research and development. About 5.2 trillion won would be spent on an integrated steel plant, Chung said. Hyundai started building the plant, with an annual capacity of seven million tonnes, in October last year to avoid shortages of the key raw material.