These are the latest sales numbers from Kia Motors America. The report for month of September 2008 reveals that Kia sold 17,383 vehicles and shows a sharp decline in monthly sales compared to September of last year.

Year to date passenger car sales are up 17.2 percent, with Rondo posting a 3-percent increase over the same month last year and a 38.4-percent increase year to date. Optima and Rio also posted year to date increases of 31.5 and 21.7 percent respectively with 40,778 and 30,329 units sold.

With this sales report, I’d like to point out how things change fast! Just a few months ago, we were confident that Kia will register another record year in the US. But recent world finance crisis dampened our hopes. Not only Kia’s, but also other automaker’s year to date sales are falling and with the current market conditions, it’s quite impossible to expect these company’s to report better results compared last year.

To more accurately represent how badly auto industry fares at the moment I can also tell you that the overall US auto sales fell below 1 million mark last month, for the first time in the last 15 years. September 2008 was actually the worst auto sales month in US since 1983.

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Mr. Michael Choo, an International PR Deputy General Manager at Kia Motors, was the nice guy who brought us through the “green zone” at the Kia stand at Paris Auto Show. Thanks to his video report we have been able to see and get some information on all four green Kia concept cars that made a premiere at the Paris Auto Show.

His latest video report shows the happening at the exclusive party, Kia held on the eve of the Soul premiere. The party was going on at the Salon du Louvre, one of the trendiest night clubs, in downtown Paris and hosted many important members of the Europe’s elite automotive media. Unfortunately we weren’t there, but Michael was and here is his exclusive video report.

P.S. Next time, we will join the list, you can count on that!
Enjoy the vid!

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Kia has launched a new micro site for it’s newest product, the Soul crossover. The microsite was developed to present the Soul to all English-speaking Kia Soul fans and it is worth looking at.

The Soul microsite adds a few more Soul images that you’ll find in the photogallery and enables you to download some really cool Soul wallpapers. The site also features showroom where you can pick your favourite Soul color and exchange the background.

To view the Soul microsite, visit this link.

Click image to enlarge! (more…)

First Kia vehicle to benefit from corporation’s continuing and massive investment in eco-friendly technologies will be the 2009 Kia cee’d ISG. Among all four exhibited “green” Kia cars at the green zone in Paris, the cee’d ISG is also the closest to production vehicle. According to Michael Choo, Kia’s PR manager, the production of the ceed ISG will commence as soon as in December this year!

Compared to regular cee’d, the cee’d ISG features two eco-friendly technologies that will be transferred from a concept to production Kia car for the first time. We are talkng about the new ISG -Idle Stop&Go system and low-rolling resistance tyres.

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The eagerly awaited World Premiere of the all-new Kia Soul urban crossover at the Paris International Motor Show on 2 October marks a revolutionary expansion of the Kia product line-up.

A bold statement of Kia’s determination as one of the world’s top automotive companies, Kia Soul is destined to appeal to a whole new group of European and global consumers. It will achieve thousands of “conquest” sales for the Kia brand – appealing especially to the young and the young-at-heart.

“The innovative Kia Soul defies categorisation and encourages customers to build an emotional bond with this rebellious new car. Soul presents consumers with such a broad selection of styling, comfort and equipment choices, that it redefines the concept of freedom.  It’s a brand new urban car packed full of liberating ideas – a car that challenges consumers to ‘free your mind’, a car that will encourage them to rethink everything they know about Kia,” enthuses Panu Vainamo, General Manager Marketing, Kia Motors Europe.

Kia Soul is a five-door hatchback with front-wheel drive, a high roofline and an unusually long wheelbase. Soul will offer cavernous passenger space that matches or even outperforms many vehicles with much larger exterior dimensions. Luggage capacity is also generous –340 litres with the rear seats upright, the same as the Kia cee’d hatchback.

“Highly competitive levels of specification and state-of-the-art active and passive safety equipment will ensure that consumers convert their initial emotional attraction to Soul into a purchase decision without worrying that their heart might be unwisely overruling their head,” adds Vainamo.

When Soul goes on sale in Europe in late 2008/early 2009, customers will be able to choose from a line-up of up to 15 Soul cars, with five equipment levels, two engines (with manual or automatic transmissions), and a range of option packs – depending on individual markets.

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If you enter Kia stand at this year’s Paris Auto Show, you can notice it’s separated to two different zones, each displaying different production and concept Kia vehicles. In the “Soul zone”, Kia is displaying it’s segment-busting creation, the Soul urban crossover vehicle, while the “green zone” features four exciting eco-friendly concept cars. On display in the “green zone” are the cee’d ISG, cee’d hybrid, Soul hybrid and the hydrogen powered Sportage FCEV.

Thanks to the group of Kia officials who attended this exciting auto show, we can take an exclusive sneak peak preview at all four green Kia concepts. In the video, posted after the jump, Mr. Michael Choo, Kia’s International PR Deputy General Manager introduced all four concept cars and revealed some interesting information about each of them! Enjoy the video!

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Here’s a great promotional video of the all-new Kia Soul crossover, which made it’s official world debut today.

The 2008 Paris Auto show has opened it’s doors today. First to get up close to all exciting concept and production cars will be the press reporters and worldwide media. Starting today, automotive blogs will fill up their websites with numerous auto show reports and lots of pics revealing dozens of vehicles that will be presented to the public for the first time.

Some of my friends working for Kia Motors are already at the scene. A few minutes ago I received and email with nice regards (no pics though) from Paris and some great news. At the Kia stand in Paris there is a full range of Souls presented, each with a different style.

Those who have seen the car up close state it looks absolutely fantastic. It’s design is great and built quality is very good too. One of the obvious finding from the fist few hours of the Soul is that the media like it a lot! The Soul was very well accepted by all of the journalists and their response so far was very encouraging. Among many great cars debuting at the show, the Soul is one of the most viewed and desired vehicles in Paris.

One thing was pointed out as well, and that is a comparison to it’s main compeitor at the European crossover market. Guys at the show compared the Soul with Toyota Urban crossover (see the images attached below), which will also make it’s European debut in Paris and they state that the Soul looks and feels much better compared to it’s rival from Toyota. And that’s something that is really nice to hear!

We will soon have more news from the auto show. Remember, Kia Soul debuts today, at 16.45 hrs! That means in less than two hours folks!! (more…)

Kia Motors Canada sold 3,772 vehicles in September, up 13% from 3,330 units sold in September of last year, the Korean automaker reported yesterday. Although automakers are reporting sharp declines in their sales, Kia Motors Canada continues it’s sales pace to record high this year. In the first nine months, the company sold 30,250 cars and SUVs, up 11 percent through the same period last year.

Leading the sales growth in September were Magentis with sales up 59 percent, Rondo (+ 55%) and Sorento SUV (+ 43%). Once again, Rondo CUV topped Kia’s monthly sales chart with 932 units sold, followed closely by Rio in second place. Rio saw a slight decrease in sales last month, with sales falling from 916 units in 2007, to 905 units this year.

September sales of the Spectra increased to 657 units, while the Sportage dropped to 463 units. Sales numbers for Amanti, Sorento, Sedona and Borrego are included in the table attached below. Overall Canadian Kia sales increased to 3,772 units in September, while the year to date sales increased to 30,250 units.

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