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[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. (more…)

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. (more…)

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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. (more…)

Business is looking rosy for Kia Motors in the UK. Sales are up, auction favourability is up and residual values are up as the UK leads sales across Europe in the first quarter of 2008.

Sales are in rude health following the release of figures for the first quarter of 2008. Overall sales for March were up 18 per cent, when compared to March 2007. But more impressive is the significant kick-start to the year where sales show a 22 per cent rise overall, compared to the first quarter of 2007.

These successful figures make Kia Motors UK the leading market for Kia cars in Europe. Paul Philpott, Managing Director Kia Motors UK Ltd said: “Without doubt, cee’d has been the major success story for us - UK customers have really taken to the car, and I can’t blame them! Who wouldn’t want the excellent build quality, frugal engines and sharp design, all backed by the best warranty in Europe; seven years and 100,000 miles? cee’d is selling so well it is the third best selling car for the brand across the globe.”

But that is only half of the story in the UK. We’ve been working hard to increase dealer confidence and in the last 12 months we have seen major players in the retail market knocking on our door to join the Kia success story. (more…)

In March, Kia managed to enter the top-ten best-selling car makes in Poland. The Koreans are now in ninth place, while Citroen fell outside the top-ten ranking. According to the Polish Automotive Industry Association (PZPM), Citroen sold just 1,059 cars, while Kia sold 1,214.

For many years, Kia was perceived negatively, but the Koreans have worked hard to change this image. Kia Motors Polska spokesperson Monika Krzesak said the best-selling model was the Cee’d, thanks to the good press it received. Kia also managed to sell a lot of Sportage cars. Moving production to Slovakia resulted in lower costs of transport and lower duties.

Citroen acknowledges weaker March sales, and suggests it may have been a result of selling all of the 2007 models in February, while there is insufficient supply of new cars. However, the French are not planning any changes to the strategy. The top three remain unchanged: Toyota, Opel and Skoda. [Source: PolishNewsBulletin]

The Soul is the first big step in Kia’s plan to become a desirable brand. With distinctive looks, a versatile interior and decent driving dynamics, it’s heading in the right direction. By offering the sort of customisation that has so far been reserved for the MINI and Fiat 500, Kia intends the Soul to appeal to people who appreciate something a little different. Based on the evidence of this concept, the company is well on target. (more…)

Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., has issued a warning to its customers and to other motorists that unscrupulous individuals are perpetrating an e-mail scam hiding behind the brand.

E-mail recipients are being advised that they have won a major prize in an e-mail lottery and are invited to provide various personal details including bank details so that prize money of up to Ł750,000 and a free car can be awarded to them. The contact details include the name The Kia Company and e-mail and telephone numbers in the UK.

Stephen Kitson, Communications Director of Kia Motors (UK) Ltd., said: “We have never run and e-mail lottery, we are not running an e-mail lottery and we are unlikely ever to run an e-mail lottery. This is a despicable scam being carried out on unwitting members of the public by thieves, pure and simple.

“It is clear from the language used in the e-mails that although the contact details suggest they are based in the UK that may not be the case. We are currently working with various authorities to try and trace these people and to stop this scam, but members of the public receiving these e-mails should be aware of this practice and should not provide any personal details under any circumstances,” he added. (more…)

Follow this link to find exclusive informations, spy shots and videos about Kia Soul crossover…

The Beijing International Automotive Exhibition 2008, which opened with a press preview two days ago, has drawn the largest number of companies ever, organizers said. Participating in this year’s event are more than 2,100 carmakers and auto parts manufacturers from 18 countries, compared to last year’s 1,600 companies. The record number of participants in the 10th annual installment of the show reflects China’s automotive market’s phenomenal growth, analysts said.

Out of Korea’s five automakers, only Hyundai, Kia and Ssangyong Motor Co. are taking part in the event. In a move to tap into the market with the most potential, Hyundai and Kia introduced two Chinese local editions of its latest models.

Kia has chosen Beijing show to reveal it’s best ever recreational vehicle to Chinese consumers. The Mohave/Borrego has been renamed for Chinese market and the company will be marketing it’s latest SUV under the BARUI name. Barui, Kia’s flagship sports utility vehicle, will go on sale in China in July.

The company’s other exhibits include the concept car KOUP that was unveiled for the first time at the New York International Auto Show and a hydrogen fuel cell version of the SUV Sportage. (more…)

[Photosource: Auto.cz]

Update: Latest spy shots and information on the 2010 Kia Sorento.

I live in SouthCentral Pennsylvania not far from Harrisburg. I work as a cook at a local hospital. My 3 kids are all grown and out of the house. I like to Autocross (AutoX), I play a pretty good game of chess. As you can tell from the car I’m a Lord of the Rings fan and I love my Spectra5! Please feel free to post your comments about the car at my Cardomain site. Vote for it in the Custom paint section. Check out the HAFC info here.

1.How long have you owned Spectra?
I bought the car with 8 miles on it September 28, 2006 and it now has 23,000 miles.

2. What cars did you own before?
I owned a 2003 Olds Alero.

3. Honestly, what was your intention when you bought your Spectra?
Saving money on gas and I was looking for the hatchback design. I like the look.

4. In a few words, describe the style of your Spectra?
Sporty and uniquely mine. It’s a one of a kind.

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We are grateful for how much interest the Kia KOUP generated at the 2008 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS). There have been many inquiries as to the viability of KOUP finding its way into production. To be frank, it’s still too soon to confirm the KOUP for production but I can tell you Spectra (‘Cerato’ in many markets) is scheduled for a complete makeover this coming year and as you know we have both a sedan and 5-door versions for Spectra.

Let’s speculate a bit about how we could proceed with the KOUP design shown at NYIAS. For sure what was shown is a design direction that’s being considered for mass production. We strongly suggested as much during the press conference. What we mean by design direction is that you could expect to see the same profile and design themes like the ‘swoosh’ and ‘checkmark’ on the outside and some of the key interior elements…(Source: Kia buzz)

Official debut: Making it’s European premiere, the 2010 Soul was displayed at Paris Motor Show in October, while it’s US premiere happened at Los Angeles auto show in November.

Pricing information: The 2010 Kia Soul starts at $13,995. Find more about US Kia Soul pricing.

Production: Kia began trial production in July 2008. Soul is produced at Kia’s modern manufacturing plant in Gwangju city in S. Korea.

It’s larger than B-segment Rio hatch, but shorter than C-segmen Spectra hatch.You can find Soul’s dimensions and other official information here.

Kia Soul is available with 11 attractive body colors.

Spy reports:

Interior image: Kia Soul2

Video: 2009 Kia Soul

Prior to Soul’s official debut, we have seen dozens of spy shots. The funky little crossover has been heavily camouflaged and a very well hidden secret. Here are a few Soul spy shots:

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If you want to know more about the 2010 Kia Soul, check out the link here. KIA-WORLD blog has exclusive archives with more than 80 Soul related articles! The 2010 Kia Soul archives.