Kia Soul Flex features 1.6L four-cylinder engine that can run on ethanol or gasoline…

Making its official premiere at the 26th International Auto Show in Brazil is the all-new Kia Soul Flex. The Soul Flex is especially adapted Kia crossover vehicle which can run on an ethanol-gasoline mixture, 100% ethanol or 100% gasoline.

According to Kia, the Soul Flex represents the very first Korean Flexible Fuel Vehicle -FFV which can run either on gasoline or ethanol. It was especially developed for the Brazilian market, where “flex” vehicles account for more than 85 percent of the new car sales.

“Flex” cars such as the newly-introduced Kia Soul Flex are so popular in Brazil due to many benefits that consumers gain once they purchase such vehicles. Not only they enjoy lower costs of ethanol, which is priced at 40 percent less than regular gasoline, but they also pay 2 percent lower “purchase” tax.

The all-new Kia Soul Flex looks no different than other Soul models sold internationally, however, it features some major technical upgrades made to the 1.6L four-cylinder engine. Those include the newly adapted fuel injection and catalyst system as well as engine compression ratio – changes which combine to achieve enhanced fuel economy.

Changes made to accommodate the more abrasive nature of ethanol fuel include reinforcing the fuel pump, pillar cap and fuel line, and fitting a gasoline tank assistance system in order to aid engine ignition at low temperatures.

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Kia Canada releases official information on the 2011 Kia Forte sedan and Forte Koup.

Those waiting for the official information about the 2011 Kia Forte sedan and Forte Koup to pop up to the web, read this post! Earlier today, Kia Canada released full information on the 2011 Kia Forte range and its improvements.

As expected, the 2011 Forte line-up has been taken to a new, higher level by offering the six-speed automatic or manual transmissions on both models, the 2011 Forte sedan and the 2011 Forte Koup. In addition to powertrain upgrades, the automaker also made some styling tweaks to the 2011 Forte line-up.

Exterior styling tweaks include redesigned fog-lights, updated outside mirrors with LED turn-signals, LED tail-lamps and new 16-inch alloy wheels. Read more about the upgrades made to the 2011 Forte line-up in the official press release published after the jump…

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A computer-generated rendering showcases next Kia Rio completely undisguised…

Following our recent update on the next-generation Kia Rio is another post related to the upcoming Kia sub-compact car. Earlier this day, we have been sent a computer-generated image previewing the all-new Rio sedan. Take a look at it and let us know what you think! P.S. thanks for the tip, Rio fan!

Update: 2012 Kia Rio official premiere & exclusive images!!

Kia Rio rendering:

Have a look at the next-generation Kia Rio image gallery, which includes the very first interior images.

Next-generation Kia Rio sedan has been spotted again, this time wearing slightly less camouflage. We have seen the very first 2012 Kia Rio spy shots surfacing to the the web about a month ago, when the prototype model has been caught while parked somewhere in South Korea.

This time, the new Rio has been spotted in China, which means we are looking at a 2012 China-market Rio model. The model is rumored to look slightly different than the US-spec Rio model. Only minor styling changes will be made to the two models so don’t expect to see the same as it has happened with all-new Hyundai Accent and Hyundai Verna that both feature a completely redesigned front fascia.

The power is expected to come from a wide range of small four-cylinder engines. Some of them, like Kia’s all-new 1.6L engine, will also feature the automaker’s latest gasoline direct injection technology. The 1.6L GDI engine has already been fitted under the hood of a Korean-market Forte 5-door hatchback and will soon appear in a wide range of compact Kia and Hyundai cars sold on the international markets.

In addition to the 1.6L GDI unit, there will also be a 1.4L four-cylinder gasoline engine available, as well as one or two modern diesel engines. Engines will be mated to five-speed, six-speed manual and 6-speed automatic transmissions.

The next generation Kia Rio will boast a wide range of improvements in comparison to the current one. It is expected that Kia engineers will make some major improvements to the interior of the car. Autoexpress recently reported that a Kia insider revealed them the new Rio will match the interior quality of new VW Polo.

The safety comes first with all Kia vehicles, which means that the 2012 Kia Rio will also feature all-up-to-date safety features, including six airbags, ABS, ESP and many other safety systems. The next-generation Rio will ride on an improved Hyundai i20 platform, which was recognized as the safest car in its segment by the European New Car Assessment Programme. Therefore we are expecting the new Rio to receive maximum 5 stars at EuroNCAP crash tests.

How about the release date of the next generation Kia Rio? It’s still too early to tell. We have not been revealed this yet, however, you can expect the new Kia Rio to go on sale sometime next year as a 2012 model year. Stay tuned for more information of the next generation Kia Rio! [Image source: auto.sohu.com]

Next generation Kia Rio image gallery:

2011 Kia Sportage crash tests videos: frontal, side, rear impacts + new rollover test information.

Recently, the all-new Kia Sportage won the honor of Top Safety Pick in the small SUV category by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. In order to be named a Top Safety Pick, a vehicle has to earn “good” ratings in side, frontal, rear and rollover crash tests. The vehicle also must have electronic stability control ESP, which is standard on the 2011 Sportage.

Earning the Top Safety Pick Award has become tougher when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced the rollover crash test, which measures vehicle’s roof strength and is twice as stringent as the federal requirement.

To pass this test, a vehicle’s roof must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle’s weight. According to the IIHS, the 2011 Kia Sportage can withstand 4.43 times its body weight, which means it easily surpasses the IIHS requirements!

Read more about 2011 Kia Sportage safety here, or check out two videos of Sportage’s frontal and side crash tests, posted below.

2011 Kia Sportage frontal imapct:

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The all-new 2011 Kia Cerato five-door hatchback ads enhanced practicality to the Cerato/Forte range.

Kia Cerato range has recently been expanded by a brand-new five-door model, the Cerato hatchback. Known also as Kia Forte 5-door in the USA, the new model joins Kia Forte range as the third model after the four-door Forte sedan and popular Forte Koup model.

The 2011 Kia Cerato will be marketed in the USA and other international markets, such as South Korea, Middle East and China. As we also learned, Kia will not put it on sale in Europe where it has achieved a tremendous success with its cee’d hatchback. For the past couple of years, the cee’d has been the best-selling Kia car in Europe.

Kia says the all-new Cerato five-door hatchabck should appeal to younger buyers and consumers with young families looking for stylish and practical compact cars.

The all-new Cerato does not only bring a new body-style to the Forte/Cerato range, but also introduces several styling and refinement improvements. In addition, the model also boasts some important technical improvements, which will all be also featured on the up-coming 2011 Forte Koup and Forte sedan models!

The 2011 Forte hatchback will be available with Kia’s 2.0L Theta II engine, which packs 156 horsepower and propels the vehicle from 0-100 km/h in 9.1 seconds. The smaller, 1.6L four-cylinder engine with estimated power output of 124 horsepower, will also be available in some international markets and mos likely, not in the USA or Canada.

Another important technical upgrade for the Cerato/Forte 2011 model year is the new six-speed automatic transmission. The six-speed unit is equipped with a gate-type shift pattern and offers the driver fully automatic or Sport modes. According to Kia, steering wheel paddle shifters will also be available in the 2011 Forte/Cerato.

US sales of the 2011 Kia Forte five-door hatchback is scheduled to commence later this month, according to Kia Motors America.

Kia Motors announces US-market sales numbers for the month of September 2010. 2011 Sorento sales hit an all-time high of 10.112 units.

Earlier this week, Kia Motors America issued its September 2010 sales report, which reveals the fast-growing automaker has hit an all-time quarterly sales record in the US-market. Kia’s September sales have grown up 39 percent compared to a year go to 30.071 units.

August 2010 monthly sales record is Kia’s second in the past three months and sixth overall in 2010. Record sales during the last couple of months have also helped the brand achieve its best quarterly sales of 97.955 units!

September sales were driven mainly by new Kia cars, such as the 2011 Soul crossover, Forte sedan and Forte Koup, and new Kia Sorento and Sportage crossover vehicles. The Sportage 2011 model year has just recently hit the US Kia dealerships and already received a great response from consumers. Kia sold 2.497 units of new Sportge last month and 5.221 units since its launch about two months ago.

The vehicle who lead Kia’s August 2010 sales was the popular Sorento crossover, which has posted record-high sales last month. For the first time since its introduction, the 2011 Sorento sales eclipsed the 10.000 units sales mark. With 78.174 units sold so far this year, the new Sorento remains the best-selling vehicle in the Kia’s US-market line-up.

Other high-performing (in terms of sales) Kia vehicles include the funky Soul crossover and Forte compact car, which posted sales of 5.346 and 5.116 units, respectively. According to Kia, sales of the above-mentioned Kia vehicles accounts for more than 76 percent of sales in September.

With  the new Optima mid-size sedan and Forte 5-door hatchback just around the corner, we are expecting to see the Kia sales rising further. The Forte hatchback is scheduled to hit the dealers by the end of the month, while the long-awaited Optima 2011 is scheduled to go on sale in November this year.

US Kia sales in September 2010: