The Kia pro_cee’d has made its mark on the world famous Nürburgring 24-hour race by driving from Milan to the German race track, competing and winning its class and then driving back to Milan.

Not only that, but the Kia Italy/Continental Tyres entered car suffered zero mechanical issues throughout the race and was exceptionally light on its feet, only using six 225/35 18-inch ContiSportContact production tyres for the whole event. The pro_cee’d started the race on the same road tyres which had already completed around 900km on the trip from Milan.

The pro_cee’d was one of 217 cars to start the race. A total of 67 cars dropped out through accidents and mechanical failures, but the pro_cee’d ploughed on to make-up over 100 places from its starting position to finish 104^th out of 150 survivors. (more…)

The first vehicle to roll out of a Kia Motor’s factory under construction in USA, will be the next generation Sorento SUV, said Kia’s spokesman today. Confusion about what model the $1.2 billion plant will build arose earlier this week, after an official from Hyundai Motor Group said the factory might also produce small Hyundai cars.

But Michael Choo, Kia’s top spokesman, said that while other vehicles will be built in West Point, no decisions had been made about what models they will be. “The Sorento will be the first model to be produced in Georgia,” Choo said. “But the size and scale of that plant will require more than one model being produced there.” For now, Kia is not ready to talk about it’s detailed plans.

When asked if a description of the new Sorento model in the automotive magazine Leftlane was accurate, Choo declined to comment. Last month, Leftlane reported that the new Sorento, which is to be produced in Georgia, will have three rows of seating and share it’s platform with Hyundai Santa Fe SUV.

“Maybe they’re referring to some spy shots. Someone caught a glimpse of it being tested and they tried to put two and two together. That’s just their speculation.” added Choo.

Click image to enlarge! (more…)

The 2008 Kia Sorento is the top ranking midsize SUV in AutoPacific, Inc.’s 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards (VSA), an industry benchmark for objectively measuring owner satisfaction of new vehicles. In this competitive segment, Sorento received a higher rating than the Hummer H3, Jeep Liberty, Dodge Nitro and Nissan Xterra.

“Sorento’s recognition by AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Awards shows that you don’t have to spend a lot to be satisfied with your new vehicle purchase,” said Tom Loveless, vice president, sales of Kia Motors America (KMA).

“In these difficult economic times, it is good to know that you can still purchase an SUV with great amenities, options and standard safety features, and be satisfied with your decision.”The 2008 VSA are based on survey responses from more than 34,000 vehicle owners who purchased a new 2008 model year car or truck between September and December 2007.

The 2008 Sorento was recently recognized by The Car Book as a “Best Bet” in the Midsize SUV category and received the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) five-star crash safety rating in all four seating positions. [Source: Kia]

Find more about Kia Soul!

[Source: Autoexpress]

As prices at the pump rise, tiny cars known as subcompacts have grown ever more popular in Korea. Through April this year Kia Motors has sold some 33,000 units of its Morning-series subcompacts. That’s a growth of 300 percent from the same period last year.

Kia says the fuel-efficient mini car has been so popular that it has over 32,000 units on back order, meaning a wait of up to six months for many buyers.

GM Daewoo’s Matiz has also seen a steady rise in sales with more than 5,000 of the mini cars sold since March and another 5,000 on back order. The two models are currently the only subcompacts made by Korean automakers for domestic sale, putting demand far above supply. [Source: Chosun]

Link: Kia Picanto Sport Edition

Managers and staff at Kia’s vehicle manufacturing facility at Zilina in Slovakia celebrated another historic landmark when the 200,000th Kia cee’d was driven off the final assembly line on Friday 23 May.

Production of the Kia cee’d has topped the 200,000 mark, just 18 months after the first car rolled off the line at the company’s brand new and environmentally-certified one-billion Euro facility. The historic car, a three-door Kia pro_cee’d, finished in Dakar Yellow, is destined for a customer in Germany.

“This is another truly significant day for Kia,” enthused Mr. In-Kyu Bae, President and CEO Kia Motors Slovakia (KMS). We produced our 100,000th cee’d last September, 10 months after start-up, and with the addition of the cee’d wagon and pro_cee’d three-door hatch, we have reached our 200,000th cee’d after only eight months. We have also been consistently achieving record productivity levels while maintaining excellent build quality.

This year, Zilina has set a string of new productivity records with 915 units made in a single day (Monday 21 April), 4,474 units in a single week (week starting 7 April) and 19,300 units in one month (April)…Check the sales table after the jump. (more…)

My name is Eugene and I am from Northern Ireland. After buying my Sorento back in 2004 I found a distinct lack of accessories, advice and knowledge about the vehicle. To this end in April ‘04 I started up the UK Sorento Forum at www.UKSorento.Com, with endless hours in front of the computer screen, help from some of the original members and an initial membership of less than a dozen I aimed to have 40 members by the end of that year.

I was staggered to find hundreds of Sorento owners in the same position as myself and today some 3 years later we have the largest Sorento forum in the UK with membership currently standing at just under 2000 and exclusive discounts on Insurance and Accessories available to members.

1. Tell us something about your Sorento ownership experience?
I have found the Sorento a real pleasure to own so far, a super vehicle and a real workhorse with many diverse uses and the ability to tackle anything I have thrown at it so far.

2. How long have you owned your Sorento?
I have owned my Sorento for over 4 years after buying it new in January 2004.

3. What cars did you own before?
I have owned many types of cars from 1976, memorable ones include a Vauxhall Chevette 2300HS, a BMW 2002 and an Audi Quattro. Ones to forget include a Mini, a Hillman Hunter and a Vauxhall Cavalier as well. I started to drive 4×4’s about 10 years ago and owned 3 Vauxhall Fronteras before production stopped in late 2003 and I replaced it with my Kia Sorento.

Click image to enlarge!

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UPDATE: Check out 12 high-quality interior shots of the Kia Soul!

This is the first interior spy shot of the Kia Soul, showcasing it’s funky designed interior. It was taken earlier this year, when we haven’t had many information on the upcoming Soul crossover.

Since then, we gathered some exciting official and unofficial interior shots of the 2010 Kia Soul and you can see them if you follow the link above!

Kia’s stylish and sporty pro_cee’d is no stranger to Germany’s Nürburgring having been extensively tested there during development but this weekend is back to prove itself in the Nürburgring 24-hour race.

The barely modified three door pro_cee’d has been entered into Europe’s toughest and most legendary long-distance race by a team from Continental Italia who are hoping to triumph over the competition with as few tyre changes as possible. In fitting ContiSportContact 3 standard tyres to the pro_cee’d rather than race tyres, the team expect to have an advantage over those that have to swap tyres with each change in weather conditions.

The pro_cee’d is powered by Kia’s strong, flexible 2.0-litre diesel engine producing 138bhp at 4000rpm and 305Nm of torque all the way from 1800 to 2500rpm, giving instant, strong response throughout the rev band and outstanding performance.

During development, the handling on pro_cee’d was fine tuned on all kinds of roads and in all types of weather conditions in Germany, France, Spain and Sweden so the likely rainfall this weekend will not hinder the Kia’s progress. Test tracks also played an important part in the dynamic development of the all-round independent suspension, with pro_cee’d being put through its paces on circuits and proving grounds such as Nürburgring, Boxberg and ATP/Papenburg, Ladoux and Idiada.

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Most people would be hard-pressed to identify a Kia Amanti, Rio or Spectra in a police lineup. Now the South Korean automaker, best known for making plain vanilla economy cars, has opened a new design center in Irvine, part of a strategy to inject more style into its product line.

Unlke the twin kidney grilles of BMW or the three-barred grille of a Ford, there is no signature design cue for a Kia other than its oval badge.”We’ve got a clean sheet of paper,” said Thomas G. Kearns, chief designer at new the Kia America Design Center. “We’re creating our history now.”

Kearns offered the Register the first media tour inside the new $34 million center, which stands next to Kia Motors America’s new $85 million corporate headquarters, near the Jamboree Road exit of I-5. The new center’s grand opening was originally set for June 6, but has been postponed to accommodate the schedules of company executives. (more…)

Kia Motors Corporation has confirmed that its all-new production model will retain the spirit and name of the SOUL concept cars shown earlier this year at the Geneva Motor Show, and the first SOUL concept debuted at the 2006 North American International Auto Show. As well as confirming the name, Kia has released the first official photograph of the production car, which will be called the “Kia Soul”.

“Reaction from the media and public to the three SOUL concept cars first unveiled at the Geneva Show in March and shown subsequently at other international events, has been overwhelmingly positive,” enthused Mr. Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, International Business Division, Kia Motors Corporation. “This reaction, plus the fact that both physically and emotionally the SOUL concept cars are so closely related to the new Kia Soul production car, made it a natural choice to retain this evocative name.”

Click image to enlarge! (more…)

Kia Canada has announced it has signed a long-term exclusive agreement that will make Sirius Satellite Radio a factory-installed option for Kia vehicles, beginning in June 2008.

“With Sirius in their vehicles, Kia drivers will enjoy a wide range of exclusive programming and commercial-free music. This partnership furthers Kia’s commitment to offering vehicles that are exciting and enabling,” said Jay Chung, president of Kia Canada.

The service will be available as a factory option on most of Kia’s 2009 models, including the all-new Borrego midsize SUV. All equipped vehicles will include a three-month subscription. [Source: Canadiandriver]

Update: 2009 Kia Sportage details, information, official pictures…

It was announced that the new Sportage will go on sale in the UK as early as in August 2008. The latest Sportage model will make it’s official debut at the British Motor Show in July and will receive a number of subtle interior and exterior enhancements.

There will be a range of fresh colour schemes for the body and trim, plus a revised bumper in front and rear. Inside, a wide array of new instruments includes a hi-tech USB port for linking media devices to the stereo. And three distinct trims – XE, XS and Titan – will be made available by the firm.

Entry-level models will use the same 2.0-litre petrol and diesel engines as before, but the flagship models will be powered by a 2.7-litre V6 petrol unit. A revised oil-burner with more power and lower emissions is also being readied. The range will cost from Ł14,000, with top versions at around Ł19,500. [Source: Autoexpress]

Important update: 2009 Kia Sportage information and details. Click image below!