The 2011 Kia VG, rumored to be named Kia K7, leaks to the web before its official debut!

Looks like we got our hands on a very exclusive image today! The car on the picture appears to be the all-new Kia premium sedan, codenamed VG, which will make its official debut in November (next month).

As the image reveals, the production-ready model will adopt most of the styling cues from the KND-5 concept car, that Kia displayed at the Seoul auto show in April. The front-end of Kia’s new premium sedan features a massive, chrome surrounding signature grille, incorporating 5 horizontal bars, while a pair of distinctively styled headlamps feature LED daytime running lights.

First impressions, based on the leaked image, seem to be very good as the front fascia design appears to be light years ahead of the current bland and cumbersome Amanti/Opirus design.

A while ago, one of the car magazines reported that Kia has been considering to replace some of its unique vehicle nameplates with new nomenclatures, based on alphabet leters and numbers. The all-new premium sedan, rumored to be the first Kia vehicle to adopt new naming scheme, is expected to get a K7 nomenclature!

Right now, this is only a speculation and even if it comes out as true, it could only affect Korean-spec models. Naming, as well as other details, for the US-market VG sedan will be revealed closer to its official US debut, scheduled for the first half of 2010.

It’s no secret that the official Kia K7 (VG) launch is only a few weeks away, so so we are expecting more spy shots to leak onto the web shortly. Therefore, stay tuned for frequent information updates in the weeks to come.

UPDATE: Check out a gallery with numerous images of new Kia K7, here.

2011 Kia K7 (VG)

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A prototype model of the 2011 Kia VG has been spotted again. While nothing really changed since last week when we published a series of spy shots of the VG, the new spy shots are bringing us something new, and that is the very first image of a completely undisguised interior lay-out of the VG sedan.

Being larger and wider than the current Amanti, the interior of the new VG has been rebuilt completely to offer increased passenger space. To our surprise, the interior design looks faithful to attractive VG concept car, that the Korean second largest carmaker unveiled at the Seoul Auto Show earlier this year.

The interior features high quality materials and a range of luxury equipment not available in the existing Amanti sedan.Those include a panoramic sun-roof, ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and others.

As seen from other spy shots, the 2011 Kia VG will incorporate modern lines and dynamic look from the VG concept. It will feature a completely different and slightly lower roof-line than the current Amanti. Production model will also feature Kia’s family-look radiator grille and for the very first-time in any Kia vehicle, LEDs technology equipped head-lights!

The all-new VG sedan is expected to ride on a new front-wheel-drive platform that is expected to be shared with next-generation Hyundai Azera/Grandeur. Some rumours also indicate that the platform has been modified to adopt Haldex AWD system, but that remains to be seen.

As we learned in the past, Kia VG will be available with Kia’s all-new six-speed automatic transmission coupled to a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines offering class-leading power outputs and fuel-consumption ratings.

Powering Kia’s new sporty sedan will be the all-new Theta II four-cylinder engine with gasoline-direct-injection technology and maximum output of 200 horsepower, or the companys Lambda 3.5L V6 with impressive 275 horsepower.

With its official Korean premiere scheduled for this coming Novemebr, the all-new Kia VG sedan is less than two months away. According to latest reports from Korea, the VG sedan is set to go on sale in the Korean market in late Novemebr, while North American and European sales are scheduled to commence sometime in 2010.

Based on these latest shots, we can’t wait to finally see the production-ready 2011 Kia VG in the flesh!

2011 Kia VG gallery:

Kia UK announces best-ever sales month in September. UK becomes the biggest Kia market in Europe!

Kia Picanto was the runaway leader in terms of sales last month. With sales of 3.395 units, Kia’s city car accounted a whopping one third of all Kia vehicles sold in the UK in September.

Picanto’s sales have soared dramatically since UK’s government introduced the scrappage scheme, but the overall September performance and Kia’s year-to-date result can not be attributed to scrappage alone told Michael Cole, Managing Director at Kia Motors UK. Under the scrappage scheme, consumers in the UK can get a £2,000 discount on a new car, provided they scrap a car at least 10 years old.

According to the report, the second best-selling Kia vehicle in the UK last month was a B-segment Rio hatch with 2.066 units sold, while taking third spot, with sales of 1.592 units sold, was the European-built cee’d hatchback. Popular cee’d was followed by Sportage SUV in forth place, with 792 units sold.

The award-winning Kia Soul crossover, which sells like a hot cake in the North American market, has also recorded its highest sales in the UK market since its March launch. In September, Kia Soul attracted over 550 new customers!

With sales reaching record-high 9.772 units in September, Kia Motors UK has hit a new record for the brand in any European market. Reportedly, no other Kia distributor in Europe has ever sold so many new Kia cars in one month alone throughout the brand’s history.

The result gives Kia a 2.66% share in the UK market and a 3.73% market share of the retail market in September. With total sales for the year passing 34.700 the UK performance has overtaken Kia Motors Germany, traditionally the biggest Kia market in Europe.

Congrats to Kia UK team & keep up with the good work!

Kia posts 24 percent higher September sales, while other automakers experience slump in sales.

As latest automotive sales reports reveal, the end of “cash for clunkers” program meant the end of strong sales for majority of automakers. New car sales have fallen sharply with GM, Chrysler, Toyota and Nissan reporting the largest drop in sales.

Out of 33 automotive brands, only nine of them posted higher sales compared to the same month last year. Among those nine brands were both Korean carmakers, Kia and Hyundai, with sales gains of 24 and 27 percent, respectively.

After record-high August sales, Kia enjoyed another “healthy” month with sales increasing 24 percent to 21.623 units. The best performing Kia vehicle in September was the mid-size Optima sedan with sales of 5.986 units.

The all-new Forte sedan (and Forte Koup), which has replaced Spectra sedan, has had the best sales month since it entered the US market earlier this year. Almost 4.500 units of new Forte left dealer’s showrooms in September.

The all-new Soul urban passenger vehicle continues to perform well. With 2.459 units sold, the Soul has been the fourth best selling car in Kia’s line-up, right behind Kia’s Rio with 2.811 units sold.

Kia’s sales in the first nine months of fiscal year totaled 238.570 units, representing a remarkable 4.6 percent increase over the same period last year.

“Consumer confidence in the Kia brand is on the rise, and on the heels of an all-time record sales month in August we continue our momentum by achieving the best sales quarter in company history,” said Alex Fedorak, director of public relations, KMA. “New designs, like the highly styled and personalized Soul, Forte compact sedan and Forte Koup, are appealing to a larger consumer audience while staying true to our brand’s core pillars of value, safety and fuel efficiency.” [Source: Kia Motors America]