The 2011 Kia Sorento made its North American debut at the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show. The new Sorento will be the first vehicle to roll off the new assembly line at Kia Motors’ state of the art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia and will start to arrive in dealer’s showrooms starting in January of 2010.
For 2011, the Sorento CUV will be offered with a choice of two power plants, the first is a 2.4 Liter four cylinder that delivers 175 HP and 169 lb-ft of torque while a more powerful 3.5 Liter V6 making 276 HP and 248 lb-ft of torque, both coupled to Kia’s new six speed automatic transmission that provide the driver with effortless shifts.
The new car will be both longer and roomier than the previous generation Sorento, with an overall length of 184.4 inches and overall width of 74.2 inches.
A first for Kia, the 2011 Sorento comes with a panoramic sunroof. While standard equipment includes an AM/FM/CD/MP3/SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities complete with three months of complimentary service. Your iPod can be hooked up via auxiliary and USB inputs and Bluetooth connectivity with steering wheel mounted voice activation controls that allow you to safely communicate with loved ones while driving down the road.
At the 2009 Los Angeles Auto Show Kia revealed the 2011 Sorento SUV. Now the Korean maker announced sales will begin in early next year, with prices starting from $19,995 for the entry level version which is powered by a 175-hp 2.4L 4-cylinder engine. Prices will go up to $27,195 for the top of the line V6 version.
Customers will be able to chose between three additional packages: Limited Package, priced at $2000 (navigation system with real-time traffic, Infinity sound system, 18-inch chrome wheels, interior accent lighting and high-style interior color theme), Premium Package priced at $1500 (roof-rails, leather-seats, heated front seats and a rear-view backup camera) and Third Row Package priced at $700.
Last year at the New York Auto Show Kia showed off the Koup, which had obvious design links to the Forte but was still good enough to make our top 10 concept cars of 2008. This week was back in New York Kia to show off the production version of the Forte Koup, and we’re happy to report it hasn’t changer much from the concept.
The idea for the car is simple: a sleeker coupe look for the sharp Forte sedan. That also means the engine lineup won’t change from the sedan. The Koup will be available with either a 156 hp 2.0-liter or 173 hp 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine. Both engines are mated to either a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic transmission.
So what makes this car so special? Well, although Kia has not released pricing for the Forte Koup, we’re operating under the assumption that it will be in line with the rest of Kia’s budget-minded lineup. That means a car that looks better than a Honda Civic coupe (opinions vary) with plenty of money left over. The after-market is going to have a field day with this one.
When the entire auto industry convenes in Chicago next week for the Chicago Auto Show, Kia will finally be on the clock to lift the covers off of their new Ray concept car. But just like any car manufacturer that gets a kick out of teasing a lot of us with their still-to-be-unveiled vehicles, Kia decided to show us another teaser photo of the 2010 Ray Plug-In Hybrid Concept.
The photo, which shows the car’s front fascia and headlights, doesn’t reveal that much. But then again, that’s what teaser photos are all about, right?
As far as details surrounding the concept car are concerned, to the best of our knowledge, we don’t know a whole lot about it except that it looks edgier than just about any car Kia has come out with recently and solar panels just might be present on the roof of the Ray. Other than that, our best guess on the concept is as good as yours.
By our count, that’s two teasers Kia has released of the Ray concept – one of which looked more like a digital rendering than an actual photograph. The good news is, we won’t have to wait long to see the official concept break cover in Chicago next week.
Hopefully by then, we’ll have more answers than questions regarding Kia’s new concept car.
The Korean automaker Kia has officially released details about the next generation Sportage SUV, the 2011 Kia Sportage.
Sharing the same platform with its compatriot, the Hyundai Tucson, the 2011 Sportage looks to have the leg-up on the Tucson in terms of being a little bigger and wider, which should translate into having a roomier interior.
The design for the 2011 Sportage also seems to have benefitted from the supervision of Peter Schreyer, whose previous design work with Audi has seemingly translated into some of the aesthetic design cues that can be noticed in the new Sportage, including sharper curves, and a completely revamped front end that previous Sportage models didn’t come in.
Featuring a fresh, bold, athletic and sporty design; longer, lower and wider than the previous generation model, the new Sportage will offer more space for people and cargo, with improved ride quality thanks to the longer wheelbase; the new Sportage will go on sale later this year, with a choice of both diesel and gasoline engines following its debut in March at the Geneva Motor Show.
Kia announced today the debut of the new Ray Plug-In Hybrid Concept at the Chicago Auto Show next month. The concept was styled by the team at Kia Design Center America and wants to demonstrate how Kia’s evolving design direction would be applied in the packaging of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.
Kia offered no details on the concept, but the first teaser image reveal a sporty fastback profile, a panoramic glass sunroof and LED lights on the rear tail-lamp assembly.
The Korean automaker Kia unveiled the third of four planned special edition Soul models at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. The Shadow Dragon Soul is an all new special edition of the plus size people mover and features a deep shadow black finish complete with matte black dragon graphics on the larger panels like the hood and tailgate along with a set of matching 18 inch wheels with machined accents and a body colored rear spoiler while on the inside, the special edition Soul benefits from black leather trimmed seating, making it the first Soul with Leather ever, as well as the usual fare including an iPod connection to allow operators full control of the MP3 device via the standard head unit and steering wheel mounted controls along with the little tings that go a long way like carpeted floor mats and a power moon roof while the outside gets practical touches like fog lights and fender vents with side marker repeaters. The Kia Shadow Dragon Soul is priced at $18,1951 and combines the peppy little four cylinder with a five speed manual gearbox.
In 2008 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, Kia revealed the Kee - a concept that at the time made quite a sensation. Now it seems that the company has plans to put it into production as a competitor for the Toyobaru.
The production version will be a compact, rear-driven model built on the technology of the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe. In an interview with AutoCar, Kia design director Peter Schreyer said that Kia really needs to make a deep analysis on the market and decided if a Kee will sell.
"We are not like Audi or Porsche. We are not in a position to just create something and then announce to the market that it’s the perfect kind of sports car. When you’re making cars like this, it’s important to make them with a great deal of confidence. So I think the Kia brand has to grow a little more in stature before the time will be right for Kee."
Kia announced today the addition of the Ignition Soul special edition on the US market. Prices for the special edition Ignition Soul starts at $17,500 for five-speed manual transmission version.
The special edition name (Ignition) is a reference to its unique exterior color treatment: ignition orange. Besides the special exterior color, this edition is distinguished by striking black 18-inch alloy wheels with machined accents, an athletic-looking body kit and rear spoiler found standard on sport trims.
The Ignition Soul comes fully equipped with: Audio Upgrade Package (center speaker, subwoofer, external amplifier and speaker lights that pulse to the beat of the music), an iPod® connection cable for full functionality via the radio head unit and steering wheel controls, carpeted floor mats, moon roof, fender vents with side marker repeaters and fog lights.
Kia’s foray to the luxury-car market took a step forward when the brand revealed a sketch of the ‘K9’ at a design conference in its homeland of South Korea last week.
Unveiled by the company’s chief designer Peter Schreyer – the same man behind Audi’s enormously-successful Audi TT – the ‘K9’ is expected to be Kia’s entry to the world of luxury sedans where it is expected to go up against highly-touted cars like the 2010 BMW 7-Series and the 2011 Audi A8.
While there are no concrete details about the car except for the little sketch that was revealed, there are rumors that the ‘K9’ – the car’s real name has yet to be revealed – is going to have a V8 engine and an 8-speed automatic gearbox.
Like we said, information has so far been scarce, but as soon as any developments surrounding this car comes out, we’ll be sure to keep everyone updated.
Ever since Peter Schreyer – a former designer for Volkswagen and Audi – jumped on the Kia bandwagon to become its new design chief, the aesthetic quality of Kia cars have, to say the least, bumped up into the ranks of the ‘that’s actually a pretty classy-looking ride’ category.
Coincidence or not, you still have to give credit where it’s due and Schreyer has to receive – even if it sounds obligatory – some props for what he’s done to Kia. By taking some styling cues from his previous employers, Schreyer has turned cars like the mid-sized 2011 Cadenza sedan into something worthy of a positive double-take.
While there are still other qualifications we should judge the 2011 Cadenza on – handling and price tag come to mind – we can all take comfort knowing that Kia’s newest mid-sized sedan can hold its own in the aesthetic department against other more high-profile brands in the same class.
If you still need some further convincing on the design merits of the car, take a look at these promo videos and judge for yourself. It may not generate an overwhelmingly positive response but given it’s track record – which is, to say the least, average – the 2011 Cadenza looks like a Thanksgiving Day touchdown.
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