Kia Soul Forums website breaks two-thousand members in less than nine months and keeps rising fast!

This past week was a big milestone for the Kia Soul Owners Club website! Our stats revealed that we have gone past the 2.000 members/Soul owners mark. Today, five days after, we already have 2.054 members and we are on a good way to pass the 2.100 members mark within the next few days.

This is awesome and a great result for us, especially when considering that our Kia Soul forums has only been on-line since December 2008. Those of you who are members of the world’s largest “Hamster World”, or at least browse through the website from time to time, do remember our 1.000 member announcement back in June 2009. Since then, the site exploded with more new members joining us each day! Less than three months after our first 1.000 member announcement, we already passed another 1.000 member milestone and we keep growing fast.

At this special occasion, I’d like to greet and thank all the members of the “Soul community” that make this forum the best of the best on the web. At the same time, I’d also like to thank our super moderators, as well as our two sponsors, Shark Racing and Evo Fusion USA. We wouldn’t be able to achieve these milestones without all of you! So, thank you everybody for your continued support!

Of course, special thanks go also to Kia Motors, the creator of the fabulous Soul crossover, which is making huge strides all over the world, but especially in the North American market, where it has been conquering hearts of thousands of young and young at heart people.

Visit our Kia Soul owners club here: Kia Soul Forums

Wheelchair accessible vehicles are remodeled cars, vans or SUVs that enable disabled people to travel in them while remaining seated in their wheelchair either as a driver or passenger. Such vehicles are usually based on standard car models and include additional features such as a lift or a built-in ramp, wheelchair tie-downs and seat belts for wheelchair users to keep passengers secure and to aid entrance into the vehicle.

In Australia, there is a company called Freedom Motors that coverts regular cars to wheelchair accessible vehicles. They offer a range of eight different vehicles to wheelchair users, with two of them wearing Kia badges.

Kia Soul Freedom Van is Freedom Motors’ latest addition to their growing wheelchair accessible vehicles line-up and although it has just been introduced to the market it already promises to be very popular with the smaller vehicle conversion buyers.

If you are looking for a small trendy vehicle modification for wheelchair access, have an obligation free look at this beauty, and don’t worry, Kia Australia backs up this vehicle with a 5 year unlimited Kilometer Warranty Australia wide. (- quotation from FMA website)

The Soul is available as a Family Member (2 seater) and Self Drive (transfer seat) Conversion and offers surprising levels of interior room. According to Freedom Motors Australia, the Soul is fantastic car for those people who don’t want to drive the larger wheel chair accessible vans.

For easier manoeuvring and parking, the car is equipped with reversing mirror - camera system and parking sensors. It also features fold-down double seat to add 2 extra seats,  electric opening and closing ramp, electric wheelchair restraints, remote opening and closing tailgate and ramp system and a Wheelchair Docking System that eliminates any use of wheelchair tie-down straps resulting in locking and releasing the wheelchair in only seconds.

The other wheelchair accessible vehicle with Kia badge in their vehicle line-up is a converted Kia Sedona minivan, known as Kia Grand Carnival in Australia. The vehicle offers a lot more room than Kia Soul Freedom Van and is available in 2 types, the standard and the premium conversions.

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First spy shots of the 2011 Kia Optima appear on the web. Stunning exterior design for Kia’s next generation mid-size sedan.

If you like spy shot reports and new Kia cars, then you definately don’t want to miss this post. Our spy report today is related to next generation mid-size Kia sedan, known as Optima in the US market, Lotze in Korea or Magentis elswhere.

KGP photography crew managed to take a few shots of a heavily camouflaged prototype of next Kia Optima, which has been spotted while undergoing hot-weather testing in the US Death Vally. These very first spy shots reveal that Optima will undergo dramatic exterior styling changes. The 2011 Optima will be penned by Peter Schreyer, the creator of iconic Audi TT sports car, and will feature far more aggressive and sportier look than its predecessor.

Underpinnings of the next Kia Optima, as well as engines and transmissions will be shared with next-generation Hyundai Sonata and will include a range of powerful EURO5 compliant diesel and gasoline engines, equipped with gasoline direct injection technology. For the first time, Optima will also be available with Hyundai-Kia’s new six-speed automatic transmission.

The all-new Kia Optima is expected to hit Kia dealers in Korea in the first half of the 2010, while US and European sales will likely commence in late 2010 or early 2011.

To find more info about the 2011 Kia Optima and see more images of the prototype, please, head over to blogs.edmunds.com.

Update: Worldcarfans crew published even more spy shots of the all-new Kia Optima. As you can see, the future Optima sedan will be a fantastic looking car and one of the best in its segment! Link: Worldcarfans.com

The 2010 Kia Venga spied completely undisguised. Kia plans to officially unveil Venga at Frankfurt Motor Show next month.

One week after Kia released first official photos of its upcoming mini-MPV called the Venga, we bring you the very first live shots of a completely undisguised car that has been spotted in the wild, somewhere in South Korea.

Codenamed YN, the spacious new compact crossover-hatchback from Kia goes on sale across Europe later this year, shortly after it makes its official public debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show. The 2009 Frankfurt Auto Show opens its doors on September 15th and already on its very first day, we will be able to follow the official premiere of the 2010 Kia Venga.

According to Kia, the all-new Venga will be available with a range of four-cylinder diesel and gasoline engines, generating from 75 to 115 horsepower and will be mated either to manual or automatic transmissions.

All engines in the Venga line-up will be paired with Kia’s fuel-saving Idle Stop and Go technology and will satisfy EURO5 emission standards. Venga will also be the first compact car from Kia that will be available with huge panoramic glass roof. Full details about powertrains, option packages, pricing and available features will be announced during the upcoming Frankfurt auto show.

Kia will market Venga mini-MPV exclusively for Europe, where the model will also be produced. According to latest un-official news and rumors, Venga will be built by Hyundai at its European manufacturing plant which has an estimated production capacity of 300.000 new cars per year. [Photosource: bobaedream]

Kia Venga spy gallery:

The 2010 Kia Sorento becomes the third Kia vehicle to receive a 5-star safety rating at EuroNCAP crash tests! 

The all-new Kia Sorento crossover, which is going to make its official European debut at the upcoming IAA Frankfurt Auto show next month, has received a maximum 5-star safety rating from EuroNCAP organisation.

The latest 5-star safety rating is another landmark for Kia vehicles and the brand itself. Sorento is already a third new model in Kia’s European vehicle line-up that scored maximum 5 stars at EuroNCAP crash tests and follows up Kia Soul, that was crash-tested earlier this year and Kia cee’d hatchback that achieved 5 stars back in 2007.

The 2010 Kia Sorento has been one of the top performing vehicles in the latest EuroNCAP crash tests and the result places Sorento among the safest mid-sized vehicles in its segment. The all-new Sorento managed to secure 87 percent score for Adult Occupant Protection, 84 percent score for Child Protection and 71 percent score for Safety Assist equipment.

New Sorento was designed and engineered to meet or surpass the expectations of European, North American and global consumers in every respect – including safety.”

“Safety engineers at Kia’s world-class Namyang R&D facility in Korea developed the new Sorento SUV to provide the highest levels of occupant protection in real-world accident scenarios. Our engineers predicted that Sorento would achieve a 5-Star rating in both Euro NCAP and the very different NHTSA tests in the USA. Now, this Euro NCAP result confirms the major advances made by Kia with its latest SUV,” added Mr. Oeyen.

Every Sorento model supplied in Western Europe features an Electronic Stability Programme (ESP) as standard. Sorento buyers in other European markets can specify ESP as a factory-fitted option. This system comes together with TCS (Traction Control System) and BAS (Brake Assistance System).

If a collision is unavoidable, all-new Kia Sorento is engineered to safeguard the occupants with a range of “passive safety” measures as standard – starting with its all-new, all-steel monocoque bodyshell. Featuring high-tensile strength steel in key areas, the bodyshell is designed to offer occupants good protection in front, side, rear and roll-over accidents.

Every Kia Sorento sold in Europe is equipped as standard with dual front airbags, front side and full-length curtain airbags (to protect the occupants in all three seat rows), height-adjustable front seatbelts with pretensioners and belt load-limiters, plus three 3-point seat belts for all middle row and back row seat occupants. In addition, all Sorento models can be ordered with ‘active’ front seat head restraints to protect against whiplash injuries.

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This is the very first image of the interior lay-out of the all-new Kia VG. It looks classy and modern. In addition to the interior image, we bring you two exterior spy shots of a heavily disguised VG sedan. Enjoy the pics!

Kia VG gallery:

The 2010 Kia Soul earns Top Safety Pick Award from Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.

The 2010 Kia Soul has earned “Top Safety Pick” award from highly coveted North American Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Ratings from the Institute are based on crash test results from frontal, side and rear impacts. To earn the “Top Safety Pick” the vehicle must score the agency’s highest safety rating of good, and at the same time, it also has to be equipped with electronic stability control (standard on the 2010 Kia Soul).

Kia Soul has been on the market since February this year and so far, the popular eye-catching crossover vehicle has won plenty of accolades from various automotive institutions. Among all, the most important accolade that the Soul received so far was a 5-star safety rating received at EuroNCAP crash tests earlier this year.

The 2010 Kia Soul crossover has became the first subcompact car from Kia Motors that received the highly coveted safety result at EuroNCAP crash tests after cee’d hatchback. Kia’s halo car now adds a “Top Safety Pick” from the IIHS to its fast growing list of accomplishments.

Other Kia Soul awards include Best new MPV from Which? Driver’s 2009 consumer survey in the UK and the world’s most prestigious Red Dot design award. Funky looking Kia Soul has also been named “The coolest car under 18 Grand” by Kelly’s Blue Book, while Soul’s interior has been named as the “Grooviest Interior” on the Ward’s AutoWorld “Interior of the Year” list.

“Safety in particular continues to be a top purchase consideration for consumers in today’s market, and having Soul honored with a “Top Safety Pick” further strengthens its position as a vehicle that offers the entire package.” said Michael Sprague, Vice President, Marketing of Kia Motors America.

Kia announces that it will build the all-new Kia Sorento at its US manufacturing plant, located in Georgia.

Introduced in 2002, the original Kia Sorento midsize SUV marked a huge step forward for Kia Motors, challenging established brands and beginning the process of changing perceptions of Kia Motors as solely a maker of small cars.

That process will continue with the arrival of the all-new Kia Sorento CUV, which is scheduled to begin rolling off the assembly line at Kia’s first U.S. plant - Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) in West Point, Georgia - later this year, and offers improved fuel economy and more passenger room and seating capacity than the previous model.

As Kia Motors America continues to make dramatic market share gains in the U.S., the new Kia Sorento will continue the brand’s design-led evolution, following the recent introduction of several dynamically styled vehicles including the Soul urban passenger vehicle, the Forte compact sedan, and Kia’s first-ever two-door coupe, the Forte Koup.

“It will be a historic milestone when the first Sorento rolls off the assembly line at our state-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia later this year,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing, KMA. “Our first domestically built vehicle, the all-new Sorento will be built by team members who have undergone rigorous training and who have great pride in their newly learned skills.”

Styled by a global team headed by Kia Motors’ Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the longer and lower 2011 Sorento brings sleek styling and a futuristic touch to the world of the urban CUV.

Following Kia Motors’ core philosophies of providing value, safety, warranty and fun to the driving experience, the all-new Kia Sorento will offer an all-new design inside and out, a host of standard safety features, two- and four-wheel drive options and a variety of upscale appointments to appeal to a wide range of consumers. [Source: Kia]

Kia Venga images released ahead of its official Frankfurt Auto Show unveiling.

Kia has released the very first official images and details about its long-awaited B-segment mini-MPV, which will be officially unveiled at the upcoming Frankfurt auto event in September. In addition, Kia also announced its all-new model will feature a Venga nomenclature.

When Kia Venga goes on sale across Europe, it will be available with a choice of two 1.4L or a 1.6L gasoline and diesel engines. All four engines will be mated to manual or automatic transmissions and will generate from 75 to 115 horsepower. Every single engine in the Venga line-up will be fitted with Kia’s eco-friendly start-stop technology, called Idle Stop & Go -ISG system and will comply with strict EURO 5 emission standards that will go into effect in 2010.

Kia Venga is based on a slightly modified B-segment platform which is also used in the Soul crossover. With its overall length of 4,068mm, the 2010 Kia Venga is just a little shorter compared to the Soul, but features longer wheelbase. The 2,615mm long wheelbase is un-usually long for the B-segment vehicle and promisses to offer levels of interior space typical of a larger C-segment car.

Kia’s stylish mini-MPV will be equipped with a sliding 60/40 split rear seat that folds flat into the floor and a twin-level boot floor. Kia Venga will also be available with tilt-and-slide glass panoramic roof and other luxuries such as heated seats, navigation system, automatic climate control and a wide-angle rear view mirror reversing camera.

The all-new Kia Venga will be built in Hyundai’s European manufacturing plant and will be marketed exclusively for European market. Depending on country, the new Venga is expected to go on sale later this year or early 2010. There are no plans to put Venga mini-MPV on sale in the States.

More images and official information of Kia Venga will be released closer to its inaugural European debut, scheduled for September 15th. Stay tuned forKia-World’s complete Frankfurt auto show coverage!

Kia Venga gallery:

Kia Q2 net operating profit highest since Q4 2003. Outlook bright on increasing small car demand.

Kia Motors announced yesterday that it has more than quadrupled quarterly profit to the highest since 2003 as higher domestic and Chinese sales allowed it to avoid the worst of a global auto market meltdown.

Kia’s net income jumped to $278 million in the three months ended June from $70 million a year earlier thanks to rising demand for popular compact Kia cars and weakening won.

In the second quarter of the year, Kia sold 428,615 new vehicles around the world. By region, Kia posted the largest sales gains in China and Korean markets with sales increasing 52 percent and 13 percent, respectively.

Kia’s first-half global retail sales rose 4.4 percent from a year earlier to 748,000 vehicles, while its global market share also rose from 2.1 percent a year earlier to 2.5 percent in 2009.

Kia Motors also released its first half earnings for 2009. Despite a 5.7 percent drop in export revenue, total revenue increased by 3.3 percent to $6.05 billion in 2009 versus $7.96 billion achieved in the first half of 2008. This increase was powered by a strong domestic revenue gain of 23.3 percent to $2.2 billion.

Corporate profitability rose overall in the first half. Operating profit rose 91.5 percent from $220 million in 2008 to $310 million, aided by ongoing efforts by the company to improve its cost structure, a favorable foreign exchange rate, and a revitalization of the domestic auto market. Net profits increased by 627.2% rising from $61.4 million in 2008 to $328 million USD. [Source: Kia]

Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group replaces Ford as the fourth largest car manufacturer in the world!

According to the latest report from Automotive News Data Centre, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group has became the fourth largest automaker in the world! Based on new-vehicle sales figures from the first half of the 2009, Hyundai and Kia together sold 8.000 more cars than Ford, whose sales have dipped by more than 30 percent so far this year.

Toyota retained the crown of the world’s largest automaker, but recent financial recession has hit it’s sales hard and the automaker experienced a 26 percent drop in new car sales. Troubled US giant, General Motors, sits in the in second spot, but it has experienced a similar first-half sales fall as Toyota.

GM is closely followed by VW in third position. VW’s sales have decreased slightly compared to last year’s figures, however, Germany’s largest automaker managed to narrowed the gap between itself and Toyota @ No.1 position to less than 500.000 units from last year’s 1.500.000 units.

The battle for the first position is expected to intensify in the second half of the year, according to automotive experts, when VW could overtake both of its main rivals and become the No.1 automaker in the world.

The battle for fourth spot, between Hyundai-Kia and Ford is expected to be tight as well through the rest of the year. At the moment, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group leads Ford by only about 8.000 units. Results for all of last year saw Hyundai-Kia lagging behind Ford by around 1 million units, but by producing the right product for the right times, Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group managed to take fourth place much quicker than it had been predicted.

Battle for fourth spot will continue in the second half, when both automakers (Ford and Hyundai-Kia) plan to launch a slew of new models. Ford plans to launch new Fiesta sub-compact, while Kia will market new Sorento and Koup in the States. According to latest reports from South Korea, Kia also plans to lift production of existing models by almost 100.000 vehicles and boost its marketing activities this year. [Source: Kia]

UPDATE: Feel free to take a look at our latest poll in the sidebar of the blog and let us know when you think Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group will become the third largest car manufacturer in the world.

Kia has released some information and details about the 2010 Kia Sorento in advance of the vehicle’s official debut. The Korean carmaker confirmed that the all-new Sorento crossover will make its official European premiere at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show in September, where it will be put on display alongside facelifted cee’d hatchback and production YN mini-MPV.

Kia’s Official press conference for European press and media is scheduled for September 15th (13:00 Central European Time).

New Kia Sorento

In comparison to previous model, the 2010 Sorento sports sleeker exterior lines and more modern look. It successfully incorporates Kia’s up-to-date design DNA into its “stand-out” looks, while featuring a much more spacious and luxurious cabin. The 4,7 m long Kia crossover is also significantly sleeker in comparison to the previous model with an aerodynamic drag down from Cd 0,43 to 0.38.

New Sorento is available with various four-cylinder and six-cylinder gasoline and diesel engines, but in Europe, the most popular engine choice is expected to be the all-new 2.2L diesel engine with 197 ps and 421 Nm of torque. Buyers will be able to choose between a 6-speed automatic and a 6-speed manual transmission.

The all-new Sorento sits on monocoque bodyshell, which improves the vehicle’s on-road handling and comfort while keeping its original off-road ability intact. Thanks to the new monocoque bodyshell, Kia’s engineers managed to reduce the weight of the new Sorento by 215 kg, which will greatly affect the vehicle’s fuel economy ratings.

Kia Sorento highlights

- more spacious cabin

- 7-seats

- weight lowered by 215 kg

- greatly improved drag coeficient (from Cd 0,43 to 0.38 )

- ultra modern 2.2L R-diesel engine

- all-new 6-speed automatic gearbox

- panoramic glass-roof

“With the all-new Kia Sorento crossover,” said Panu Vainamo, General Manager Marketing, Kia Motors Europe, “we have created an all-new, “Highline Cruiser” that we believe offers buyers the benefits of an exciting all-rounder with a much broader appeal.

Kia Sorento will be the first Kia vehicle in Europe to offer a panoramic glass roof. It will also feature high-tech gadgets such as engine start button, in-mirror reversing camera  and keyless entry.

The 2010 Kia Sorento will be launched on September 15 but pricing and final specifications will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date. [Source: Kia]

Kia Sorento gallery:

Production ready 2010 Kia YN spied in Spain, this time with slightly less camouflage!

The long-awaited mini-MPV from Kia, codenamed YN,  is due for release at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Until now, the YN has always been spotted in deep camo, which prevented us to see the styling of its front and rear fascias, but this time, it was caught while wearing slightly less camouflage.

Autoblog.es reader Tony picked up a few shots of YN while on visit in Spain. He caught a barely disguised production Kia YN with almost no camo on it’s rear. This is for the first time, that the rear has been exposed to the public and from what we can see, the rear looks sporty and a bit “Audi-sh”.

Judging by the looks of the lightly camouflaged prototype caught by a spy photographer, the production YN will stay very true to the concept car that Kia debut at Geneva auto show earlier this year. [Photosource: es.autoblog ]

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Kia is set to launch a special edition of existing Sorento in Germany, where the company has teamed up with tuning company called Irmscher, a specialist for Opel cars tuning. The model will be available exclusively for buyers in Germany and will be launched only a few weeks before next generation Kia Sorento makes it’s official European public debut.

Kia Sorento “Edition by Irmscher” will be available in black or a silver metallic finish and will get two-tone interior with leather seats featuring Irmscher’s brand logo. The same logo will also appear on the side sills and the tailgate of Sorento. The “Edition by Irmscher” Sorento will also have a roof-mounted DVD player with a large 8.5-inch screen.

The special edition of Kia Sorento will be offered with choice of two different 18-inch alloy wheel designs and two transmissions (manual or automatic). Kia has yet to announce the pricing details.

Latest sales reports from Kia show that Soul crossover continues to perform very well in the North American market and it’s sales numbers continue to climb each month. Just like the Soul, our Kia Soul Forums have been dooing great as well.

Since the forum has been put on-line - in December 2008-, more than 1,600 Soul owners joined the board already, which is absolutely amazing. It has grown fast and already became the largest Kia Soul owner community in the world.

Since April, we have been running the Soul of the month competition in the forums and so far we have got 5 winners, all from Canada! The winner of August 2009 Soul of the month competition is denim_guy and his funky looking Denim Kia Soul with Dragon tatoo. He has joined our Soul forum in June and has been one of the most active forum members since then.

I’d like to thank him for joining us at the forums and also congratulate him for the win! Here is his honorable interview:

1. How and when did you find out about the Kia Soul? I saw it driving by my local dealer in mid April. Our lease was going to be up soon on our other car and I told her she had to come with me and see this Soul. We went the next day and the rest is history!

2. How long have you owned your Soul and what are your experiences so far? We’ve had it since April and we are soooo in love with it. The looks, the handling, the comfort, the practicality and the price were a combination we couldn’t refuse.

3. If you had to pick one thing what was it that really sold you on the Kia Soul? I’m a big guy, so it’s hard to find a small car that is roomy enough. The Soul fit the bill in spades.

4. Did you name your Soul? My wife has officially named her “Lola”. She’s a naughty little temptress apparently.

5. Can you tell us some interesting comments that you have heard about your ride from friends, family and other people? Well, we loved the denim color from day one. And once we put on the dragon decal, well, lets just say we turn some heads. The mpg and roominess really impress as well.

6. What are your plans as far as modifications? Are you interested in that at all? Well, already changed the outside appearance a bit, but I can see new wheels in my future.

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