Next generation, 2011 Kia Optima/Magentis to bear K5 nomenclature in its home market.

Following our news, and exclusive image of the all-new Kia K7 that we published at our blog yesterday, is another report related to one of Kia’s forthcoming sedans. This time, the news relates to Kia’s all-new, 2011 Optima sedan.

Today, we have learned that a completely redesigned Optima sedan will make its inaugural Korean debut in the first quarter of 2010, while its official sales has been scheduled to commence in May next year.

Reportedly, the all-new Optima (NOTE: Korean market model only!) will be the second model after Kia K7 to adopt the brand’s new alphanumeric naming scheme.  According to latest rumours, the model is expected to bear a K5 nomenclature in its home Korean market.

A dozen of spy shots published on the web lately prove that the 2011 Optima is undergoing final phase of pre-production testing. Although most of the car has been hidden underneath a heavy camouflage, there have been several partly exposed parts, including a roof-line, signature grille, head-lights, tail-lights and side-mirrors, that allowed us to build a clearer picture of what the next-generation Optima will look like when it arrives into the showrooms.

Styling-wise, the all-new Optima will follow the trend of four-door coupes, set by pioneering Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class. The model will incorporate Kia’s latest design scheme that will surprise many people yet again like how the all-new Forte and Forte Koup have done so.

Mechanically, the all-new Optima is a twin model of the all-new Hyundai Sonata so both are sitting on the same platform. However, since Kia is considering itself as a sportier brand in the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, it is very likely that Kia’s engineers will modify Optimas platform to offer sportier and more agile handling than its Hyundai counterpart.

2010 US-spec Kia Forte sedan

Kia Motors America has released an extensive official press pack for it’s 2010 US-spec Kia Forte sedan ahead of it’s official US debut - slated for the 2009 Chicago Auto Show (starting on February 13th).

First of all, it has been officially announced that from now on, Kia’s all-new compact sedan, which will replace the Spectra, is going to be renamed to Forte. Until last, Kia has kept us guessing whether the Spectra name will be retained or replaced by a brand-new nomenclature. Now we know…

The all-new “head-turning” Forte sedan (pronounced for-tay) blends Kia’s exciting new design direction under the tutelage of Kia Motors’ chief design officer Peter Schreyer,  who has joined Kia in 2006 and has been responsible to incorporate a unique and distinctive styling to all future Kia models ( including Forte) .

“The Forte is an aggressively stylish blend of comfort and practicality – and with a host of standard features it provides the great quality and value that consumers have come to expect from Kia vehicles,” said B.M. Ahn, president and CEO of Kia Motors America and KMMG.

(more…)

Kia has announced it has began a full scale production of the Cee’d ISGs at it’s European manufacturing plant in Slovakia. Kia cee’d ISG models are already underway, while deliveries to European customers are scheduled to begin during the next two months.

At the beginning, Kia will build 6 different cee’d ISG models, while later, during the year, ISG technology will be expanded to diesel engine equipped cee’ds as well. Furthermore, Kia also promised to expand it’s innovative technology to other models in the range, while in the 2010, the ISG technology will also spread to markets outside of Europe.

Kia’s innovative ISG system automatically switches the engine off when the car is stopped in traffic and restarts the engine instantly when the driver wishes to move again. When city driving, in typical heavy traffic conditions and constant stop-start motoring, the ISG system cuts the fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by up to 15%compared to the standard cee’d model, while everyday driving over town, country and motorway routes, the officially measured fuel saving is 6% on the combined cycle. (See the table!)

The Kia cee’d ISG also benefits from a significantly improved, new-generation 5-speed manual transmission, which weighs 5 kilograms less than previous unit and features new selector mechanism.

Pricing details for cee’ds sporting the fuel saving ISG technology is yet to be announced, but we were told that it will vary across Europe to suit individual market conditions.

(more…)

Shown in over 40 countries worldwide, Auto Mundial has spent the last year testing and reporting on a wide range of machinery from across the globe.  Despite the gargantuan range of new cars on offer, from sports cars to 4×4s and city cars to people movers, the Auto Mundial team put the pro_cee’d up against them all but chose the Kia as their number one.

Auto Mundial producer, Guy Hicks, said; “Making our choice on that basis put it up against very stiff opposition because we haven’t confined it to a small group of newcomers but made a choice based on anything that’s crossed our path during the last 52 weeks.

“That means the Kia, which stood out not just for its looks and driving entertainment but also for technical innovations, was matched against cars as diverse as the Porsche 911 and the BMW M3, beating all of them to the top of the podium on a range of criteria which had to include price and purpose.”

Click image to enlarge!

(more…)

For the 2009, Kia Sportage received a mid-cycle exterior update resulting in a fresh, new exterior look. Improved exterior design, contemporary technological features on the interior and improved fuel economy have helped Sportage increasing it’s sales worldwide last month. Kia’s global sales report for the month of November 2008 reveals it’s compact SUV Sportage has been the top selling Kia vehicle globally.

A few days ago Kia released official Sportage information. Here you can see some nice images and if you follow the link below, you can also read the full official Sportage press release and vehicle specifications.

Click image to enlarge!

(more…)

UK automotive media are the first ones to test drive the 2009 Kia Soul. The fellows at Whatcar magazine put together a short preview of the Korean-spec Soul model when on visit in South Korea. The same folks also exclusively test drove the 2010 Kia Sorento prototype, which report you could have read at the KIA-WORLD blog yesterday.

They test drove a brand-new Soul equipped with 1,6L CRDI diesel engine that generates quite a respectable amount of horsepower (126hp). This is their first Soul review and they collected some interesting opinions on the car. I will not get into the actual review, but would like to point out some important details.

The Soul is described as an attractive looking car that offers lots of interior space and is a great value with a temptingly low starting price of just Ł11,000. Although the cabin plastics aren’t the last word in quality, the interior is comfortable and attractively designed. It offers a variety of interior colours and seat fabrics. Whatcar states that there is plenty of space in the Soul, almost nearly as much as in the Nissan Qashqai, a vehicle larger by at least one size.

(more…)

UPDATE: Seven Kia Soul models: image preview of all seven Souls from auto show is now available.

Seven versions of the all-new Kia Soul urban crossover passenger car will star in a special “Soul World” as the new segment-busting vehicle makes its world debut at the Paris Mondial de l’Automobile from 2 October 2008.

The eagerly awaited Kia Soul marks a revolutionary expansion of the Kia product line-up. A bold statement of Kia’s determination to succeed as one of the world’s top automotive companies, Kia Soul is destined to appeal to a whole new group of European and global consumers.

“Soul presents consumers with such a broad selection of styling, comfort and equipment choices, that it redefines the concept of freedom. It’s a brand new urban car packed full of liberating ideas - a car that challenges consumers to ‘free your mind’, to build an emotional bond with their new car and to rethink everything they know about Kia,” enthuses Mr Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, International Business Division, Kia Motors Corporation.

Kia Motors Corporation Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, has overseen the evolution of Kia Soul from 2006 concept fantasy to its 2008 production reality. “The new Kia Soul will be a breakthrough vehicle for Kia on its journey to be seen as a design-led company and the maker of distinctive cars which consumers aspire to own. Conceived in the USA, developed in Korea and fine-tuned in Europe, I strongly believe that the production Kia Soul urban crossover is a completely resolved design that has successfully achieved its own distinctive style.

“Kia Soul is all about creating a car that demonstrates our passion for automotive design, gets Kia talked about, and generates an irresistible customer appeal that will translate into strong sales,” added Schreyer.

(more…)

While I was looking for some more shots of the Soul Burner that I showed you in the previous post, I came across these, even greater shots, where you can see two range topping Souls, a Tomato-Red and Clear-White painted cars.

The exterior of the Soul looks impressive and unique, but what’s even more exciting is the interior, which seems to be really well laid out and quality built. The leather-wrapped steering-wheel seems light years ahead compared to steering-wheels we have used to see in Kias and the center dash looks absolutely beautiful. It has a very clean design and seems to be made of higher quality plastic materials.

Hit the jump to see more images… (more…)

Kia Forte update: As you may already know, after the deluge of official and unofficial reports, Kia has finally debuted it’s all-new Forte sedan today. It seems like we have been waiting for this day to come forever, but it’s finally here, and at last, we can show you the car that has been eagerly awaited by many Kia fans around the world.

Kia Forte is a very important vehicle for Kia Motors Corporation. It was developed not only to succeed it’s best selling vehicle (Spectra/Cerato), but also to show the world that Kia is capable of building good, quality and attractive cars at the same time.

The costs of Kia Forte development exceeded $200 million and it took the company 29 months to to bring the car from the paper to the showrooms. This year, Kia plans to sell 20,000 units on it’s home market and export about 10,000 units.

The Forte will be exported to Eastern Europe, Asia and South America, as well as to Australia and USA. You can expect to see it at North American dealers in the first quarter of the 2009. Next year, Kia Motors hopes to more than double Forte sales numbers. The automaker plans to sell 50,000 units at home and export more than 200,000 units abroad.

The Forte has been fitted with 1.6-liter gasoline and 1,6 diesel engine. The gasoline engine puts out 121 brake horsepower, while the diesel engine packs a maximum output of 128 brake horsepower. Both engines outperform domestic competitors in terms of power and fuel consumption.The Forte will also be available with more powerful 2,0L engine that will be added to the range at a later date.

Kia Forte comes equipped with new features such as navigation system with voice recognition, smart key button ignition system and Bluetooth technology. In addition to the high technology features that are normally reserved for larger cars, the car comes equipped with complete safety fetures, such as side and curtain airbags, a VDC (Vehicle Dynamic Control) system and active headrests.

The price for the 2010 Kia Forte ranges from 11.9 million won (US$11,300) to 19.6 million won, depending on accessories and engine types.

For the beginning you can take a look at the gallery of 28 images, that leaked to the web a few hours prior Kia Forte made it’s official Korean debut. Later on, I hope I can provide a video preview of the ceremonial unveiling and even more official images to you.

Kia Forte gallery:

(more…)

This is a guest post, written by our daily reader JoshyLofty. He came across the facelifted version of Kia Sportage that was parked at the local mall. He grabbed his mobile phone with integrated camera and took some images for us.

I took some great pics today of a brand new Sportage LX AWD model this morning @ a local mall. I called the dealership I used to work at (Southwest Kia/Hyundai) and asked a friend of mine I worked with if they had any of the new bodystyles and she reported they’ve only seen pictures but not the actual car.

What else was weird was there was a lot of plastic on the interior you can see a little in the interior pic. I don’t know for sure if this was a tester or what because the car had no cladding or covers outside.

The rear end definitely had the new rear, a slightly changed & sculpted bumper and taillights were the imediate giveaways. The tails had a while backup and turn signal with the turn signal sporting an orange bulb. The front looked VERY much like the Rondo in person and had a more rounded front reminiscent of the Spied Sorentos and Rondos alike.

Another interesting tidbit was the sunroof. It had a LARGE sunroof rather than the older small ones. It wasn’t a “skylight” sunroof but more of something found in the latest model BMW X5 and Mitsubishi Montero Limiteds.

The interior was slightly changed and I noticed a first in the Sportage. “Infinity” was written on the stereo along with “MP3, MDA, & 6DISC”. I also counted 9 speakers with one being a subwoofer in the rear. The windows, however, were too dark to get a good picture. The dash looked the same with minor changes (I used to own a Sportage so i noticed this right away) to shape and material looked of higher quality. This car did not have leather.

Related link: Find more information and some great official images of the 2009 Kia Sportage here.

The current Sportage has regularly been one of the Europe’s best selling compact SUVs. Since its introduction in 2004, more than 125,000 units have been sold to European consumers. To keep it’s sales numbers on the rise, Kia has updated the exterior and interior of its European-made Sportage SUV.

The 2009 brings a host of new changes to the exterior of 2009 Sportage. It receives a more “performance styling look” with new radiator grille, reshaped headlights and sportier bumper in front, while rear bumper and tail-lights also benefit from subtle change. Redesigned 17-inch alloy wheels make up the tweaks outside.

Power continues to come from Kia’s clean and efficient 2,0L diesel engine. The four-cylinder turbodiesel received an upgrade and now packs more horsepower, runs quieter and delivers even lower fuel consumption. The engine now produces 10 extra horsepower for a total of 150, while its previous edition “only” had 140 hp.

The freshened Sportage goes on sale shortly after it makes a European debut at the Paris Auto Show in October.

(more…)

Popular Sorento SUV is now available for a limited time with $3,400 worth of extra equipment that makes Sorento perfect for your next trip, whether it’s circumnavigating the world or just going away for the weekend. The new limited edition Sorento Global Circuit pack is available through Kia dealers across Australia from July to October this year.  

The limited edition Sorento Global Circuit pack, with a retail value of $3,400, adds a towbar with wiring, nudge bar, roof bar set, genuine tailored carpet mats, rear parking sensors, alloy side steps, rubber cargo mat, ARB recovery kit and unique Global Circuit badging - at no extra cost. (more…)

Last week, Kia Motors America invited more than hundred journalists and automotive press reporters to the Suncadia Resort in Cle Elum, Washington, where the company has held an official presentation of the all new Borrego SUV to the U.S. media.

Less than a week has passed since then and first test drive reports are coming in sight. The reviews you can read so far are certainly very positive and highlight the Borrego in terms of refinement, looks and (towing) performance. They also praise Borrego for its combination of the premium power and fuel efficiency, combined with luxury appointments that are not typical for a mid-priced SUVs.

I have garnered some reviews that I find the most interesting. Not to violate the copyright rules, only quotes from test drives were posted in this post. If you want to read complete reviews just hit the link you see at the end of each quote and you’ll be redirected to chosen Borrego review. Each of the reviews posted below includes lots of high quality photos so make sure you hit the jump and continue your read.

(more…)

Kia UK has released special cee’d SW Medical Car, which will be employed as an official Medical Response Unit at circuits and events around the UK, including high profile events at Castle Combe and Silverstone. It will be joined by the cee’d Safety car that was introduced to the public last year and serves to intervene in serious and dangerous incidents during racing events at Castle Combe circuit (UK).

To make the cee’d SW more circuit friendly, a few changes had to be made to the car. The suspension system used on SW Medical Car has been upgraded using Eibach lowering springs, pro_cee’d sport dampers and an upgraded rear anti-roll bar. The 1.6 liter diesel engine has also been upgraded using a K&N air filter and modified ECU, taking power from 113 bhp to 142 bhp and adding 37 lb/ft of torque, taking it up to 225 lb/ft.

To ensure much needed extra grip at the track, cee’d SW received black 8 x 18-inch wheels, from Team Dynamics, which are wrapped in low profile 205/40 Michelin Pilot Sport rubber. A state-of-the-art blue and white LED digital lighting system from Vision Alert has been fitted throughout the car, along with a high tech emergency siren and PA system. The system is fully flexible and pushing one button can activate the whole system for a swift set-off. Bespoke graphics, which meet with complex Motor Sport Association regulations, complete the look.

These are the first available images of the SW Medical Car, exclusively brought to you by KIA-WORLD blog.

Click image to enlarge!

Here are the first non-official pics of the 2010 Kia Forte. A series of images were taken recently at one of the Kia showrooms in South Korea, where Forte was presented to consumers in advance of it’s official Korean debut. Our daily reader, Mr. Lee, sent us a tip including these exciting new images. Thank you very much for the tip, Lee!

UPDATE: 2010 Kia Forte

The Forte sedan will be the first production model to carry Kia’s new corporate look and will feature sportier design overall. Forte will include more distinctive design elements such as striking side character lines and a subtly designed, chromed grille. The H-shapped grille is set to become a Kia trademark in the future.

Kia will initially introduce the Forte with two gasoline engines. First available, will be the brand new 1.6L four cylinder rated at 124hp. More powerful 2.0L four-cylinder, which hp output has not been released yet, but we predict that engine will deliever higher power rating than the existing engine, currently found in Spectra. The 2.0L will be available soon after the official Forte launch.

The Forte will replace Spectra sedan and is expected to enter the U.S. market by mid-2009. A two door variant, reportedly dubbed the Forte Coupe, will follow later in the year.

Expect more info and plenty of closer images on August 21. when Kia Motors officially pulls the wraps off it’s new Forte sedan. Follow the link below to see more images. Update: More images added! (more…)