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UPDATE: New images added!

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The five door cee’d was launched in Romania last year and it immediately became one of the best selling C-segment cars in the country. Initial strong demand from the first two months, when its sales exceeded the overall 2007 sales expectations, was further fueled later in that year, when cee’d won the Car of the year title in Romania.

The cee’d is now Kia’s biggest seller in Romania and it’s sales performance so far looks really outstanding. In the first five months, more than 3000 cee’ds rolled off the dealer’s showrooms, representing almost 90 percent of all Kia cars sold in Romania. Compared to the first five months of last year, it’s sales increased by almost 50 percent!

Strong sales performance of the cee’d has also helped the Kia brand to enter the list of top ten largest automakers in Romania, for the first time since the company entered the market. With addition of the Pro_cee’d and cee’d SW models to the range earlier this year, Kia’s sales is expected to gain another momentum in the coming months. [Source: Tmctv]

New Zealand consumers looking for affordable and high quality SUVs can now buy a limited edition Kia Sorento. The Sorento Sports has been recently added to Kia’s increasingly impressive range of cars and SUVs in New Zealand.

A host of new exterior and interior features that Sorento Sports received include body-colored running boards, set of 18-inch alloys with high performance tires, chrome door mirror caps, tow bar system with detachable towball, rear spoiler, reversing sensors, tinted windows and sports badging. The dual zone climate control, full leather upholstery interior, heated front seats, power driver’s seat, leather steering wheel with audio and cruise controls make up the equipment added inside.

The power comes out of 2.5-liter common rail diesel unit that meets the Euro-4 emission standards. The 125 kw diesel engine is mated to the five speed automatic transmission equipped with manual shift mode.

Considering the additional equipment implemented to Sorento Sports the price was set at a very competitive 57.450 New Zealand dollars. (more…)

Kia plans to launch a slew of new models in the next few years to raise it’s sales at home and overseas markets. Later this year, Kia plans to add the Soul crossover and Forte sedan to its product line. The sales of Forte will commence in August, while the Soul is expected to go on sale by the end of September.

Next year will see the launch of a next generation Kia Sorento -codenamed XM. The seven-seat crossover goes on sale in March. Vehicle following Sorento will be the XK sporty coupe -possibly a two door variant of the Forte sedan. Its sales starts in May of 2009. Large-sized sedan, codenamed VG, will follow in the second half of the year and finally, the Soul based minivan will join the Kia family at the end of the year.

The 2010 will be a busy year for Kia Motors as the company plans to unveil four new models starting off with the Sportage successor -SL in February and the TF sedan in May. In September of the same year, Kia will debut the Opirus replacement -CH. Following the Opirus sedan will be a small hatchback/sedan. The UB codenamed hatch is expected to replace the B-segment Rio model.

In 2011, Kia shall be giving an additional boost to its product line by launching new generation of Picanto minicar- PA, cee’d successor -JD and Carnival/Sedona van -YP.

A pair of spy images revealing the look of the 2010 Kia Sorento hit the web earlier today. The Sorento is not scheduled for replacement until summer of next year, but it has already been snapped completely undisguised, while sitting at the unidentified location.

These first pics show the new Sorento shape hints at Kue and KND-4 concepts we have seen at major auto shows last year. The front fascia features a “tiger nose”- large H-shapped grille, conceived by Peter Schreyer, Kia’s head of design, who is seeking to give the Kia brand a more distinct styling character.

As far as engines go, Sorento will get a pair of powerful V6 engines. The 3.8L Lambda engine should be available from the start, while the 250 horsepower diesel engine (already available in Kia Mohave) will be added to the range later. A less powerful and more fuel efficient 4-cylinder engine is also possible, since Hyundai had announced it’s next generation Santa Fe will be getting a brand new turbocharged powerplant.

Slated to go on sale in 2009, this will be the first product to be manufactured at Kia’s first North American assembly plant, located in West Point Georgia. [Source: Autoweek's website]

Latest spy reports: 2010 Kia Sorento

Impressed by it’s attractive exterior styling, we are very interested in how Kia’s new compact sedan will compete in the performance arena. In the past couple of days we were speculating about the available engines and options that Forte will bring us in the package. Thankfully, there is no more need to speculate since Kia Motors today released some technical specifications, including powertrain options and exterior dimensions, for the South Korean market.

With it’s length of 4530 mm and 1775 mm width, Forte grew in every dimension compared to Spectra. Although being wider by 65 mm and 25 mm longer, it’s still more fuel efficient than the predecessing model. As you’ll see later on, it’s power and fuel consumption figures are highly competitive, if not class leading.

In Korea, Forte will initially be available with a choice of two different engines – one 1.6 liter petrol and 1.6 liter turbo-diesel. The all-new 1.6L direct injection common rail diesel engine, features an electrically actuated advanced variable geometry turbocharger to ensure clean emissions and lively performance. The engine is packing 128 horsepower and achieves 16.5 km/L.

Also included in the range, will be a revised 1.6L Gamma engine, creating 124 horsepower and 159 lb/ft of torque. Mated to the automatic transmission, it will provide the fuel economy of 14.1 km/L. These numbers outperform it’s main domestic rivals (Hyundai Elantra and Samsung SM3) by up to 15 percent.

Those seeking extra performance will be able to opt for a more powerful 2.0L unit, coming to Forte range later in the year.

The Forte will come with a list of premium features usually reserved for higher-end Kia models. Forte will be available with smart key, Push-Start button, voice-activated navigation system, Bluetooth devices, 17-inch alloys with 215/45R17 wheels, wing mirror indicators and factory installed sunroof. [Source: Bobaedream]

UPDATE: Find more news on Forte sedan here. (more…)

Global sales of Kia vehicles in June 2008 recorded 129,443 units. The company announced its sales of passenger cars, recreational vehicles and commercial vehicles registered a whopping 16,2 percent rise compared with the last June.

By region, Kia posted large year on year sales increase in China (13,824 units sold, +76.8%), general markets (25,142 units sold, +36.9%) and South Korea (25,754 units sold, +17.0%). Sales increases were also significant in North America, where 32,064 (+8.0%) Kia vehicles were sold in June alone. Meanwhile, Kia’s sales in Europe decreased by 2,6 percent to 32,659 units.

Released sales figures show that Spectra/Cerato still remains the best selling Kia vehicle in overseas markets. So far in 2008, more than 108,300 units of Spectra has been sold. Second best seller so far, was the B-segment Kia Rio (79,820 units sold), followed closely by the “Europe-only” cee’d hatchback with sales of 78,571 units. Rounding out the top five best selling Kia models are the Sportage SUV and Picanto mini-car with 74,496 and 54,220 units sold respectively. (more…)

Kia Motors Company has signed up Rafael Nadal to be its global brand ambassador for a further three years. Nadal, the 22 years old Spaniard, who just recently won his first Wimbeldon Grand Slam title, will continue to appear in the car manufacturers global print and television advertising campaigns. He will also be taking part in various promotional events, including major auto shows.

Commenting on the newly extended partnership with Kia Motors, Rafael Nadal, said, “I am proud to be able to continue this relationship with Kia Motors as I believe in creating long-lasting relationships. I have been supported by the company for a number of years already, and am happy to be able to grow both with the company and as a professional athlete for many more years to come.”

Kia has a long standing association with tennis sponsorship. Earlier this year, the company announced it has renewed its partnership with the Australian Open to become the major sponsor until 2013. Aside from tennis, Kia has boosted its brand in line with its young-at-heart target customer base through other exciting sports marketing initiatives like football. It is a EUROTOP Partner of UEFA, which included sponsorship of last month’s EURO 2008 Championships, as well as an official automotive partner of FIFA, which will include sponsorship of the next two World Cups.

“We are extremely happy to extend this partnership with Mr. Nadal as his continued growth, dynamic spirit and dedication to his craft ties in directly with the vision we have for Kia Motors. Supporting young, talented athletes at an international level not only allows us to further our brand among key audiences, but also promotes a great spirit of evolution, which is what Kia Motors is all about.” said Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division. (more…)

During the first quarter of this year, Kia became the second largest auto importer in Nigeria. The company has shipped 4.062 units of Kia vehicles to Nigeria, capturing a 14,7 percent market share in the country.

The report also shows that Toyota, the long sales time leader, still tops the list with more than 40 percent of Nigerian car market. In the first four months, Toyota sold 11,130 cars in Nigeria. As mentioned above, Kia now ranks second in the amount of vehicles sold in the country and is closely followed by Honda and Peugeot that took 9,03 and 5.64 percent market share respectively. [Source: Newswatchngr ]

In addition to the Soul crossover and Forte sedan, Kia Motors America will soon be bringing the facelifted version of its Sportage SUV to the States. With the mid-cycle refresh, Kia is hoping to renew the interest in its compact SUV and hold the sales decline Sportage has experienced lately.

As these latest spy images suggest, the new model is expected to receive a host of changes in front, including more aggressive, chrome surrounding, grille and larger angular front lights. The front bumper gets retouched too and now features larger air intakes and rounded fog-lights. Black camouflage fitted to the rear of the Sportage indicates subtle changes were also made to the tail lamps and rear bumper.

Several improvements were also made to the interior of the 2009 Kia Sportage to create an even more pleasant and driver/passenger friendly space. Inside, you can find a new radio unit and USB port for iPods and similar MP3 devices.

The 2009 Kia Sportage is slated to go on sale early next month after it makes an official world debut at the British International Auto Show commencing on July 23rd. [Source: Thecarconnection]

IMPORTANT UPDATE: 2009 Kia Sportage images

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As the new Kia Forte official debut looms closer, more and more images of undisguised cars have been turning up lately. Until now, the interior has been kept under wraps by Kia engineers, but from today, the interior of a Kia Forte is a secret no more!

Similar to the exterior, the interior of Kia Forte also speaks the whole new design language. Compared to Spectra, the interior of it’s successor seems light years ahead and closely mirrors the interiors of cee’d and Hyundai i30.

The center console seems well laid out but not revolutionary in any way. It looks modern and incorporates large HVAC knobs, vertical air vents and most of radio and climate controls.

Scheduled to hit U.S. dealers in mid-2009, the Forte is intended to do the battle with serious competitors such as Honda Civic, Mitsubishi Lancer and the upcoming Mazda3 sedan.

IMPORTANT UPDATE: Official image of Forte interior. Click here!

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Everything what you ever wanted to know about the 2010 Kia Soul! 

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Here are the first non-official pics of the 2010 Kia Forte. A series of images were taken recently at one of the Kia showrooms in South Korea, where Forte was presented to consumers in advance of it’s official Korean debut. Our daily reader, Mr. Lee, sent us a tip including these exciting new images. Thank you very much for the tip, Lee!

UPDATE: 2010 Kia Forte

The Forte sedan will be the first production model to carry Kia’s new corporate look and will feature sportier design overall. Forte will include more distinctive design elements such as striking side character lines and a subtly designed, chromed grille. The H-shapped grille is set to become a Kia trademark in the future.

Kia will initially introduce the Forte with two gasoline engines. First available, will be the brand new 1.6L four cylinder rated at 124hp. More powerful 2.0L four-cylinder, which hp output has not been released yet, but we predict that engine will deliever higher power rating than the existing engine, currently found in Spectra. The 2.0L will be available soon after the official Forte launch.

The Forte will replace Spectra sedan and is expected to enter the U.S. market by mid-2009. A two door variant, reportedly dubbed the Forte Coupe, will follow later in the year.

Expect more info and plenty of closer images on August 21. when Kia Motors officially pulls the wraps off it’s new Forte sedan. Follow the link below to see more images. Update: More images added! (more…)

Autoblog writer snapped some pics of a cloaked Kia Forte beeing driven en-route to Pennsylvania. When his family was passing through the Motown outskirts, his wife Sara spotted a white vehicle covered with black camo in front. She grabbed her I-Phone and took some nice pics of the vehicle.

Autoblog’s spy report includes four different images, each showcasing Forte sedan from different angle. Perhaps the most interesting of all taken images, is the one where you can clearly see the upper part of Forte’s dashboard.

Although we have already seen some spy shots of the interior, that’s the part of Kia Forte that still remains elusive to us. Take a quick look at these interior spy shots and you’ll notice that the production interior retains many of the shapes, lines and styling cues from the interior of Kia KOUP concept. (more…)