At the moment, Kia Motors operates only one manufacturing plant in Europe, but the ambitious Korean company might soon add another one. Today, we have heared some news that Kia has been considering to build a new engine plant with a capacity of 300,000 engines.

The decision whether Kia plant gets green light is expected to be announced by the end of this year. If the investment gets approved, it will cost Kia between 100 and 200 million Euros and should be completed by 2011. In it’s new new engine plant the company would produce small four-cylinder engines destined to European and Russian market.

“The investment is being currently considered and the decision is expected to be announced by the end of 2008,” told company’s spokesman Dusan Dvorak. He also added that Kia’s European car production for this year will be slightly below 210,000 vehicles, against the originally planned 220,000, as a result of falling demand in Europe.

Many of you have been impatiently waiting for an exciting Kia Soul crossover to make it’s official US debut, and last week, that day has finally arrived. At last, I would say. Since many of US automotive press and media published their juicy first-drive reports earlier this month, I got many requests for more Soul information from our readers.

On the same day, when Soul made it’s US debut, I received an official Soul press pack from Kia Motors, who has kindly responded to my request for sending me some official Soul information.

I have published it here a few days ago. In case you missed it and want to know all the details and information on the US-Spec Soul, please check this link: Official press release of the 2010 Kia Soul.

In addition to that, the official document also included a large number of high-quality interior and exterior images. Today we will look at 12 shots that showcase a beautiful red-black colored interior, while tomorrow I shall post a bunch of new exterior shots. Enjoy the pics!

Kia Soul gallery:

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Kia Borrego has just been on sale for less than six months in US market and already received it’s first award. A couple of days ago, Kia Motors America announced Borrego has been selected as the “Best Kept Secret” in the 2009 Editors’ Choice Awards.

Equipped with fuel-efficient V8 or V6 engines, Borrego was chosen for its impressive combination ofcapabilities, space and comfort.

Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing at Kia Motors America said: “Borrego continues to gain strong recognition in the press and among consumers, and its Autobyte selection is further proof of Borrego’s value package. It is a reflection of Kia Motors’ new design direction and a pointer to more outstanding product offerings to come.” Read more about this award at Kia Motors America website. Click here

In the first 10 months of fiscal year, Kia Motors sold 1,172,958 vehicles worldwide. Compared to the same period of last year, this number represents a respectable 12,7 percent year-on-year increase.

In Octber 2008 Kia sold 110,421 cars and experienced a little decrease in sales compared to previous month. Sales decreased mainly due to slowing demand for new cars in the world’s largest European and US markets. The best selling car in October was cee’d hatchback, which outsold the Spectra/Cerato for the first time.

Speaking of best-selling Kia cars, here are the top five Kia vehicles that have performed the best through all 10 months of this year. With 166,688 units sold, Spectra/Cerato remains at the top of best selling Kia models. It has been followed closely by the B-segment Rio at 133,864 units and the C-segment cee’d at 128,672 units.

Ranked in fourth, there has been a Sportage. It has received received a major facelift earlier this year and continues to perform pretty well in the crowded compact SUV market. With sales of 122,330 units it has surpassed an A-segment Picanto in fifth position with sales of 81,136 units.

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Kia Motors America today announced the North American debut of the all-new and highly anticipated Soul passenger vehicle at the 2008 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Designed in Southern California, the Soul is the newest product offering to join the company’s ever-expanding line-up, following the introduction of the all-new Borrego midsize SUV earlier this year.

Soul’s bold and edgy design is indicative of the new Kia design theme, with more package and styling combinations than any previous Kia vehicle.  With Soul’s arrival as an early model year 2010 vehicle to the C-Segment, it allows young and young-at-heart buyers to have the freedom to truly personalize and emotionally connect with their vehicle.

“The Soul is for those who love individuality but don’t like to be categorized by finding the next best thing,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA.  “Indicative of the new design direction of KMA, Soul is an attractive and customizable vehicle for those looking for something with a little more personality than other vehicles on the market today.

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In an effort to reach the tech-savvy Kia Soul audience and to increase mobile interaction around the new Kia Soul, Kia Motors America today launched a Kia Soul Mobile microsite.

Kia Soul Mobile is a free service accessible via any Web-enabled mobile device at KiaSoul.com in the mobile Web browser. It provides customers access to the latest Kia Soul information and images, as well as access to the main KMA mobile site.

Through Kia Soul Mobile, customers can quickly interact with mobile content while at the L.A. Auto Show through QR (Quick Response) code technology. QR codes are two-dimensional barcodes or SMS keywords that direct users to a specific Web site or page related to a product.

Mobile users can easily text keywords or scan barcodes, using a mobile camera and free QR reader software, to access different pages of the Kia Soul Mobile microsite. The QR codes can be found on printed Kia Soul postcards designed by David&Goliath’s partner Saputo Design featuring the selected artists’ unique artwork and the Kia Soul booth at the L.A. Auto Show.

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The 2008 Los Angeles International auto show brings us the world premiere of the Borrego Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV). Today, Kia pulled the wraps off it’s latest eco-friendly concept car, which takes it’s hydrogen fuel cell program to the next level and marks a major technological step forward in terms of vehicle’s performance and efficiency of the fuel-cell vehicle manufacturing process.

Equipped with fourth generation of Kia’s fuel-cell electric system, the Borrego features numerous innovations that bring the Borrego FCEV higher performance, a greatly extended driving range and a cold-weather starting capability to operate in sub-zero temperatures.

Available with two and three tank systems with 70MPa pressure, the Borrego FCEV’s power plant is located under the center floor and features a higher output horsepower fuel cell and a new 450-volts Supercapacitor .

The brand new fuel-cell system boasts an additional 47 horsepower of power to produce a peak output of 154 horsepower (a 44-percent increase compared to the previous generation) and propel the vehicle to a top speed of 100 miles per hour (mph) while boasting a best-in-class system efficiency of 62 percent.

With a 202-liter hydrogen storage tank located underneath the vehicle and ahead of the rear wheels, this latest Kia Motors research vehicle has a range of about 426 miles (685 kilometers).

Because of the use of aluminum body shell components, the Borrego FCEV has a power-to-weight ratio similar to the current production model SUV. The FCEV also retains the roomy cabin, low noise levels and overall driving refinement of its new gasoline/diesel-powered sibling.

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Before we move to Los Angeles auto show where Kia will officially unveil it’s latest production and concept car, we will take a quick look at the 2010 Kia sedan, whose new spy pictures just hit the web today.

Wearing a VG project name, this near-luxury Kia sedan is one of the future vehicles that has been spotted testing quite frequently lately. But in spite of it’s often public appearances, there are not many facts known on the vehicle itself. As a matter of fact, everything what you could have read about the VG so far, except of it’s official Korean release date, is more or less a speculation.

Today we received some news about it and they reveal that the VG will share it’s platform with future Hyundai Azera, which is currently being developed under the HG codename and is about to hit US shores in late 2010. Both models, the Kia VG and Hyundai HG will be FWD cars and will not be based on Genesis’ rear-wheel-drive platform as some reports suggested before.

Both models will also feature a brand new 6-speed automatic transmission, developed in conjunction with parent Hyundai. In addition, one of the latest news coming from Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group reveals the company has been busy with developing a new generation four, six and eight cylinder gasoline engines that will feature an advanced direct injection system.

The 2010 Kia VG and Hyundai Azera replacement model are believed to be the first cars to benefit from a direct injection engine technology, which is expected to bring engine’s horsepower ratings up by 7 percent and lower fuel consumption by 5 percent.

The Kia VG will probably make it’s official South Korean debut at the Busan Motor Show in April next year, while it’s sales is scheduled to commence in September of 2009.

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Guys and girls, take a look at the Cube, Nissan’s latest car-creation, which images hit the web only a few hours prior it’s official US unveiling, that is about to happen at L.A. Auto Show, tomorrow.

Due to go on sale in US late next year, the Cube is Nissan’s answer to the striking Kia Soul, Scion xB and Honda Element. It was developed with similar philosophy as afore-mentioned boxy cars and is also primarily targeting the same group of consumers. All of these boxy cars were developed to attract gen-Y crowd.

Although Scion xB has dominated generation-Y crowd’s car market for years, and it is considered to be the main competitor for Kia Soul, the Nissan Cube should not be excluded from the “race”. It sports an attractive boxy shape and most likely, it will attract it’s fair share of customers attention. Let’s just hope it doesn’t steal many from Kia Soul, but rather from Scion. [Source: Newcar ] UPDATE: A few more official images added.
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The UK’s oldest motoring magazine, Autocar, has named Hyundai-Kia as its Car Company of the Year at its annual award ceremony in Westminster London, England. The annual Autocar awards event is widely considered Europe’s most prestigious industry accolades ceremony and is where the European Car of the Year Award winner is announced.

Citing the Korean giant’s “mind-blowing” ambition, editor Chas Hallet presented the title to Mr. Nam-Yong Kim, President of Hyundai-Kia’s European Research and Development Centre in Germany.

Hallett commented, “When the irrepressible Hyundai-Kia group started talking, just a few years ago, about wanting to become the world’s fifth largest car company behind Toyota, GM, Ford and Audi-VW, many of us were sceptical.

“Then the Korean group got serious. They hatched a plan to assemble a European design and engineering team to conceive a range of models for Europe. Boldly, they challenged the VW Golf and Ford Focus head on, building cars that looked as good and worked as well - and offering them with a far longer warranty, just for good measure. (more…)

Editors of Edmunds Inside Line were invited to South Korea where Kia Motors held an official event to introduce it’s latest product to American automotive media. At the event, they drove the 142-hp Kia Soul and now, they put together an interesting review with their first impressions.

All in all, the review is good read and although it doesn’t reveal anything spectacular about the Soul, it does provide two facts that are new to me. First, it says the Soul is available with two different suspension set-ups, a regular, which provides more comfortable ride and a sportier one, which is optional:

Like the Rio, the Soul features a MacPherson strut front suspension. Out back, you’ll find a simple torsion beam axle that’s mounted on a subframe to reduce the harshness of the inputs transmitted into the cabin. Equipped with the optional Sport package, the Soul gains a suitably sport-tuned suspension, though the details of the latter are unclear. Nevertheless, our drive of the sporting Soul uncovered a car that lives up to the sort of firm, European-style ride quality toward which Kia is trying to move all its vehicles.

And second, it mentions something we have discussed here long time ago and refers to Kia’s decision of using an “outdated” four-speed automatic transmission in the car:

Kia admits a four-speed automatic is a little behind the times (even if the Scion xB features the same), but it’s working toward a six-speed automatic to be employed in all its cars in the near future…Read more

Well, it’s good to know Kia realizes the same and we have high hopes the company will soon react and replace it with another, more modern automatic transmission, which will provide even smoother drive, improved performance and enhanced fuel economy.

As you know, the official U.S. launch will be taking place on Nov, 21 at the L.A. auto show, where Kia also intends to display it’s fourth generation Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle based on Borrego SUV.

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Find official US-Spec Kia Soul pictures here.

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Although not officially confirmed (yet), we have just received a tip from a trusting source close to Kia Motors America that the upcoming Los Angeles Auto Show, which kicks off on November 21st, will mark a premiere for two new Kia vehicles.

Taking center stage at L.A. Auto Show will, of course, be the Soul, Kia’s first urban crossover. It will be revealed in it’s final production form for the first time in US market. But that will not be the sole Kia’s show-stopper at this year’s auto event.

Joining the Soul, will be a Borrego based, hydrogen powered concept car. Dubbed the Kia Borrego FCEV (Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle) concept, this is already the fourth generation of the FCEV program developed by Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group.

Outfitted with a 154 horsepower (115-kilowatt) fuel cell system capable of a 315 miles range (510 miles), the Borrego FCEV features important strides in fuel cell technology, including a sub-zero starting capability, which enables the vehicle to start operating after being exposed to -30 degrees Celsius temperatures. Other technical advancements include a high output fuel cell and a new lithium ion polymer battery.

As a part of it’s FCEV testing program, Kia will put a low-number fleet of fuel cell powered Borregos on the roads in early 2010.

Closer it’s official debut gets, more official information will be released, so stay with us, to get all the details on the exciting Borrego FCEV concept car!

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Next generation Kia Sorento prototype has made it’s public appearance again. This time, it was spotted near Kia’s research and development centre in Germany while on a test run. Again, the prototype wears tons of black plastic, not letting us see much of it’s exterior design, but at least we can get to see the interior completely undisguised!

We have already seen the first interior shot of the 2010 Sorento. It was a few months ago, when Autoweek published it’s exclusive Sorento preview. But their interior image was not as revealing as this one here, plus, it was of low quality.

So what do you think of Sorento’s interior design? Do you find any resemblance with other Kias, like Forte or Soul? Is it just me or does the radio unit in Sorento features similar knobs as the one found on Soul?

Just to let you know, these are not the only spy shots that appeared on the web yesterday. Guys over at Carscoop.blogspot have managed to get some more pictures, including three interior shots, which are providing even more details on 2010 Sorento interior. Visit their site here: Click here!

UPDATE:
We were talking about official Sorento debut, and according to sources close to Kia, Sorento wil make it’s official debut at the 2009 Geneva Motor Show in March next year.

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