Motortrend has been on a visit to our Korean friends at Kia Motors and they were revealed some interesting information. Their yesterday’s news, relating to Kia Forte and it’s 2,4L engine for the US market, has been quite a surprising one (in a positive way), but here is another one.
In their first-drive report, they state the Soul will be available with two different engine options when it goes on sale in North America. The 2,0L gasoline engine, available from the beginning, will be later joined by a less potent, but more fuel-efficient 122hp 1,6L engine.
Rather than summing up Motortrend’s first drive report, I’d like to invite you to head over to their official website and read their interesting article. Read more…
November 7th, 2008 at 10:09 pm
hmm, not very competetive fuel economy I guess by the way they mentioed it but not a prob for me. but the 0-60 is quiet surprising for an engine with peak torque at 6000rpm. the 0-100km might take 10 secs. Alright. I’m impressed. I think we can take the 2.0L instead.
November 8th, 2008 at 1:44 am
Another great report: http://www.autoweek.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20081106/FREE/811069995/1065
November 8th, 2008 at 2:15 am
that ties in with comments from the salesman that sold me my Rondo as he was telling me last week, on my yearly service, that he had seen the Soul in Halifax and it was coming to Canada with a 1.6L and 2.0L engine, but he had doubts he would order them with the 1.6L as he figures most people would want the 2.0L.
My comment was “its a mind-set in North America, that we always have to have larger engines – why? – they have smaller engines and diesels in the rest of the world and still moves the same vehicle and a lot more fuel efficient”. KIA should have taken the plunge and made the diesel available in North America.
November 8th, 2008 at 9:29 am
I read the review in himi’s link. nothing new but in the comments below it, one guy says some positive lines but then says the 4 speed auto tranny is old-school. people actually care about that vital bit as much as the engine. Kia really went wrong in that area.
November 8th, 2008 at 11:01 am
I reckon that in Belgium 85% of the sales will be diesel…
Better fuell efficiency, more torque hence more fun to drive, cheaper fuell prices, lower CO2 emissions… I actually cannot imagine why somebody would even consider gasoline…
November 8th, 2008 at 11:34 am
because its not available in their market…
November 8th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
I am sure you have posted this before, but when / if at all is the Soul coming to Australia?
November 8th, 2008 at 4:49 pm
I wonder if the Sorento in the one picture is coincidence. Anyway, WOW! That was the most positive Kia report motortrend has ever given!
November 8th, 2008 at 7:08 pm
It must be co incidence. it in Korea afterall. there was also a sportage in one pic.
November 8th, 2008 at 7:47 pm
I want a Turbo Version like the PT Cruiser 2.4 Liter. Maybe someday. Lets see what the tuner market can do, its going to be a fun car I am looking forward to owning..
November 9th, 2008 at 3:09 am
Autoweek’s article, “All but the base Soul will come with features such as Bluetooth connectivity and dark-tinted solar glass, and the 325-watt stereo upgrade sounds like the car should cost $20,000 more.”
…..YAY!!!!
November 9th, 2008 at 4:23 am
The Soul looks great, but displacing the Rondo in the US line-up? Argh! The Rondo is arguably the best family car on the market today–Kia, please reconsider! There’s definitely a market for both these vehicles in the US, and I hope they both see the success they deserve.
November 9th, 2008 at 1:29 pm
I dont think Kia confirmed it. Indeed it would be a bad choice to replace the rondo with a 5 seater [unless they're making soul 7 seater version like the qashqai+2]
November 9th, 2008 at 6:47 pm
You have to have something that sells,the Soul will be a great hit, the Rondo is not a very fast mover even though it is a great family car . I think the name hurt it, sometimes I wonder who comes up with the names?
November 9th, 2008 at 7:04 pm
the rond is a good seller in canada…
November 9th, 2008 at 10:26 pm
I think the Rondo suffers from the same marketing problem the Mazda 5 (another great family car); people just don’t know what to make of it. Both those vehicles should be selling in droves rather than thousands of other sedans, crossovers and SUVs people buy instead.
November 9th, 2008 at 10:33 pm
The Rondo is just a really practical vehicle. To most, it’s not overly attractive, it’s not good on performance, and gas mileage, while not bad, isn’t all that great. People buy it as an appliance. I have a Ford Freestyle, and it wasn’t a great seller for the same reason. It’s just a little boring. The Mazda5 doesn’t sell because the 2nd row is just really tight. I don’t fit anywhere but the front in a Mazda5.
November 10th, 2008 at 5:29 am
if i remember right wasn’t there an article about the Rondo being the #1 most researched car on the market? i don’t think the Rondo will go anywhere. @ least not anytime soon. Hyundai even has a new crossover coming out based on an old concept.
November 10th, 2008 at 1:03 pm
The new tucson for 2010?
November 10th, 2008 at 6:28 pm
nooo… Portico.
November 11th, 2008 at 12:31 pm
I think pulling out a Rondo would be quite a misstake! It’s a nice vehicle. All it needs is a little styling change on it’s front fascia and better materials inside. Of course, more advertising would also bring it’s sales numbers higher.
November 11th, 2008 at 3:14 pm
I agree, though I also think it needs Jenny Craig for some weight loss tips. The V6 version in the US weighs in at 3500 lbs at 179 inches long. My Ford Freestyle is a little over 3900 lbs at 198 inches long. They get the same gas mileage as each other too at 20/27. I think it’s a fabulous car, but I think a little weight reduction and a more efficient engine would go a long way.
November 11th, 2008 at 6:02 pm
I actually think that Rondo uses pretty nice interior materials. Some I prefer over the materials in our Optima! Anyway, many drivers like a heavy vehicle (I know I do) because with a heavy vehicle in high winds, you stay put. That is especially needed with a vehicle the size of the Rondo. My grandma’s LX I4 gets an average of 28 MPG. I’m not sure what it is about that car, but the 4 cyl seems much more powerful, smoother, and quieter than our Optima’s 4 cyl. Even though the Rondo has 7,000 less miles, the Optima was never that quiet. Driving the Rondo is like driving a Lexus!
November 11th, 2008 at 7:13 pm
I drove an I4 Rondo. It seemed a little overburdoned, but it had just enough kick to get the job done. I think a 200 lbs weight reduction would have been just right, enough weight for it’s slightly top heavy nature. Motor Trend and Edmunds averaged about 19-20 in their V6 Rondo’s. They drive theirs a little harder than the average user though.
November 11th, 2008 at 9:21 pm
To be honest, materials in Rondo really suck! Of course they are better than in a car from 10 or more years ago, but compared to all European competition, they are really not up to the same class.
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I know this is not an issue that would turn me off from buying a Kia! But everytime I sit in a competitor cars, in this case VW Touran or Renault Scenic, I notice that European automakers do use higher grade materials. While Kia still mostly uses hard plastics, you can get much nicer and soft at touch plastics in it’s competitors!
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Again, I don’t have problems with that, but a lot of Europeans do and Kia cars also get a lot of bad publicity just because of that. Somehow I don’t get this. Kia continuously gets a lot of hints from media that this is the area where they have still lots of room for improvements, but seems like they don’t take that into consideration.
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I have heard of that from previous generation Kia’s, and the currento one as well. With next gen I hope they’ll improve this, but then again, first reports from those who drove the Forte say quality of materials inside the car is pretty dissapoinitng and recent reports from Soul indicate the same.
November 11th, 2008 at 10:08 pm
European “Carens” uses different interior materials. I can tell from the photographs.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:43 am
Well, I don’t care about “sub-standard” interior build materials. I tend to like my ’08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS interior hard plastics, though, my Lancer’s interior material does have some racing-tinged color and graphic tailoring to it that I really like. Same thing with Kia interiors. To me, the important thing is the drivetrain and not the pansy-wansy VW interiors. Who gives a crap about interiors? Now, I wouldn’t want my car’s interior laced with pics of Dennis Rodman and Donald Trump, either. Kia and Mitsubishi continue to offer the best values and the best bodystyles available anywhere.
November 12th, 2008 at 3:54 am
Hi Bryan, I know we aren’t supposed to talk too much about other manufacturers here on a Kia site, but I do like the look of the new Lancer Hatchback, it looks really cool and I like it better than the sedan actually.
It’s called “SportBack” here in Australia, but I’m not sure what it’d be called in your part of the world.
November 12th, 2008 at 10:31 am
Hey, who says you can not talk about other manufacturers here?
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Feel free to share your thoughts about everything you want here at KIA-WORLD blog, OzyTone!
November 12th, 2008 at 12:42 pm
Sorry there Himi, I assumed wrong there didn’t I. I’ll remember that next time I’ve got a comment about another car manufacturer.
November 13th, 2008 at 1:41 am
Ozytone-yep, the new Lancer Sportback is not here yet in the U.S. But it’s a cool new rig from Mitsu. I even like Mitsubishi’s new Colt for the European market. Kia and Mitsubishi have some similarities in that they are smaller manufacturer’s who both offer an excellent Warranty and also offer good, solid vehicles.
November 13th, 2008 at 2:39 am
You’d be surprised how big Mitsubishi is on the world scene. The motor vehicle side of the company has taken a hit in recent times because of some stupid moves by the parent company MMC in Japan. But as you say they are making a huge comeback world-wide and even here in Australia where the manufacturing plant here in Adelaide South Australia was recently closed. All Mitsubishi cars here are now fully imported from Japan, or where-ever.
But as you would know Mitsubishi as a company is huge in ship building, banking and of course electronics. Nikon cameras is a Mitsubishi company. So they are not a small company as such on the global scale, but as I said the motor vehicle side has slowed somewhat.
November 14th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
Truedat, OzyTone. It seems as if the shipbuilding income could support the automaking side of Mitsubishi’s house if that need should come to be. I think Mitsu is slowly progressing upwards, though this faux-Depression thing we have going economically in the U.S. is not helping matters much.
November 15th, 2008 at 1:06 am
Hi again Bryan,
So whats the short specs of your ‘08 Mitsubishi Lancer GTS?? Is it 2 litre or 2.4, or the 2 litre (low boost) Turbo?? I guess it may be equivalent to our VRX.
Just for your interest here’s the URL of the local Aussie Mitsubishi site, if you’re interested, so you can see what we’ve got available here. Remember prices are in AU dollars, so they may appear a little expensive to you.
http://www.mitsubishi-motors.com.au/pages/home.aspx#/pages/home.aspx
November 15th, 2008 at 5:15 am
Mitsubishi-like Samsung, make almost everything! From cars to cameras to appliances to air conditioners. They are huge companies, but their cars aren’t popular. Samsung is a growing name in the US. They have all kinds of kitchen appliances, we have a Samsung fridge and microwave. They make construction equipment, cars (not for US), and home HVAC systems. They make Cameras and Tvs too! They just make hardly any cars.
November 15th, 2008 at 10:00 am
does samsung make laptops?
O anyway, Samsung basiclly has rebadged renaults and nissans in their line- up. cuz samsung motors is parly owned by renault. I dont like samsung cars very much. Just my opinion.
November 15th, 2008 at 4:38 pm
OzyTone-my ’08 Lancer GTS has the 2.0L 4-banger with 152hp and 147 ft.-lb.’s of torque. It is the engine Mitsu put in the first batch of new world order Lancer’s that came out in March of 2007. I bought one of the first ’08 Lancer’s in Arizona. The happy sales manager told me I bought the 2nd one sold in Arizona in 2007! Phoenix would be the top Mitsubishi market in Arizona just because Phoenix is so large, for no other reason. I pissed off this Mitsubishi salesman in Tucson when I passed Tucson in my ’01 Sportage 4X4 and went up to Avondale to buy my Lancer GTS. Avondale is a western burb of Phoenix, about 9 miles west. But he cursed me out in a few e-mails for not buying at Wildcat Mitsubishi in Tucson. The thing is, I had an appointment to meet him in the Safeway parking lot in Benson, AZ, before I purchased. He stood me up! Couldn’t find him! Turns out he was showcasing a couple ’08 Lancer’s at a Tucson Air Show! I was ready to deal, too. So I got on the phone and within hours located my ’08 Lancer GTS in Rally Red in Avondale, AZ. What an idiot. I think car salesmen get too pre-occupied sometimes in scoping out their next victim, umm,,,I mean sale, that they forget things they’ve said only hours earler. Anyway, the 2.0L 4-cyl. is plenty a juice for me with that car. I have the 6 “speeds” forward and back with titanium paddle shifters and automatic tranny in my Lancer GTS. I like it, though originally wanted a 5-speed. The auto CVT w/paddle shifters has suited me well, though.
November 15th, 2008 at 4:55 pm
CVT might be good for soul…
November 15th, 2008 at 8:35 pm
CVT would work out fine with the Soul.