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Kia bringing KV7 gullwing concept to Detroit

Filed under: Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Crossover, Kia

Gullwing doors… they’re not just for SLS AMG owners or Back to the Future fans anymore. Kia is bringing its KV7 crossover concept to the 2011 Detroit Auto Show, and the ingress/egress on it looks to be pretty simple. This is very clearly just the rendering of the concept vehicle, and we’d bet a pair of DeLorean-themed Nikes that nothing with these doors or interior finish enters production. However, the KV7 could offer some subtle styling clues as to the future of Kia’s crossover design language. We’ll be in a better position to break it all down when we see it up close in Detroit.

Just past the break, you’ll find a brief official statement from Kia on the KV7 concept. Enjoy!

[Source: Kia]

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Kia bringing KV7 gullwing concept to Detroit originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 23 Dec 2010 18:23:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

Filed under: Sedan, Kia, First Drive

Meet the Sonata 2.0T’s Evil Twin

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T – Click above for high-res image gallery

By this point, you should know all about the excellent new turbocharged, direct-injection four-cylinder engine from Hyundai and, by extension, Kia. We’ve spent plenty of pixels gushing about the engine’s power and efficiency when lodged in the nose of the 2011 Hyundai Sonata 2.0T, and judging from our time behind the wheel of the 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T, the engine is no less at home lighting up the tires of the newest sedan from Kia. Buyers looking for a four-door with a little more edge than the Honda Accord, Toyota Camry or even the embiggened Sonata will be happy to see that the newest interpretation of the Optima wears some seriously aggressive sheetmetal outside to go with some of the best power and fuel-efficiency in the mid-sized sedan class.

Kia says that the Optima 2.0T was built to be the Sonata’s more menacing cousin, and in addition to the sedan’s brawny lines and 274-horsepower four-cylinder turbo, the company’s engineers folded in a firmer suspension and reworked power steering system for a more athletic driving experience. The changes may not be enough for us to call the 2011 Optima 2.0T a sport sedan, but they do serve to give the vehicle a significantly different flavor compared to the 2011 Sonata. We jumped into the driver’s seat of the 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T SX to find out just what those changes meant on the road.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T: First Drive

2011 Kia Optima 2.0T

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First Drive: 2011 Kia Optima 2.0T originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 20 Dec 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Korean War: Inside Line pits Hyundai Sonata against Kia Optima [w/poll]

Filed under: Sedan, Hyundai, Kia

2011 Kia Optima and 2011 Hyundai Sonata

2011 Kia Optima and 2011 Hyundai Sonata – Click above to enlarge

The Koreans are coming! Actually, strike that… they’re already here. As a matter of fact, both the 2011 Hyundai Sonata and its corporate kissing cousin, the 2011 Kia Optima, rank very highly on our own midsize sedan pecking order chart. All of this begs the question: Which one is better, and why?

The boys from Inside Line decided to pit the two sedans, which share most major components and assemblies, against each other in a no-holds-barred fight for supremacy. Not surprisingly – both use 2.4-liter four cylinder engines (plus or minus California emissions…) and six-speed automatic transmissions, and both weight nearly the same – picking a winner means delving into the details.

And IL found that the details favored the Kia. There are a number of reasons given for the why and how of this conclusion, which you can read all about right here. Basically, though, IL found that the Optima is tuned more for the enthusiast as opposed to the competent and comfortable nature of the Sonata.

Which one would you pick? Take our poll below and then feel free to talk about your choice in Comments.

View Poll

Gallery: First Drive: 2011 Hyundai Sonata

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima: First Drive

[Source: Inside Line | Main Image: Kurt Niebuhr for Edmunds]

Korean War: Inside Line pits Hyundai Sonata against Kia Optima [w/poll] originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 15 Dec 2010 19:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia steams ahead with 100,000th Sorento

Filed under: Car Buying, Crossover, Kia

2011 Kia Sorento

2011 Kia Sorento – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia is setting up the streamers and the champagne is on ice. The 100,000th Sorento crossover just went home with a new owner and it marks the first U.S.-built Kia vehicle to pass that milestone. For the past 11 months, the Sorento has been the brand’s sales leader and it was only a matter of time before 100,000 of the crossovers took up residence in American driveways.

The Kia Sorento is built at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, which is located in city of West Point. It shares the facility with the Hyundai Sante Fe. KMMG has an annual capacity of 300,000 units so perhaps the 100,000th sale is just the beginning of many more Sorento sales for the United States.

Gallery: First Drive: 2010 Kia Sorento

Photos copyright (C)2010 Jeremy Korzeniewski / AOL

[Source: Kia]

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Kia steams ahead with 100,000th Sorento originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 17:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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2011 Kia Optima receives service bulletin for accelerator pedals

Filed under: Sedan, Recalls, Safety, Kia

2011 Kia Optima

2011 Kia Optima – Click above for high-res image gallery

That was quick. Kia has issued a service bulletin asking its dealers to check the operation of the accelerator pedal on all-new 2011 Optima models that are just now arriving at dealerships across the country. According to Consumer Reports, workers are to press and release the pedal 25 to 30 times to listen for noisy operation and anything that would indicate unsatisfactory pedal feel. If either problems surface, Kia will replace the pieces under warranty free of charge. As of right now, it’s unclear whether sticking pedals instigated the service bulletin or some other fault prompted the Korean automaker to issue the service bulletin.

Keep in mind that a service bulletin differs from a recall in several ways; most notably, recalls are government mandated and require automakers to alert consumers. Service bulletins are voluntary and typically just go out to dealers. Since the National Highway Transportation Safety Administration isn’t forcing Kia’s hand, we’re guessing that there isn’t any danger to consumers. Models impacted by the bulletin were built between October 16th and November 24th of this year.

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima: First Drive

[Source: Consumer Reports]

2011 Kia Optima receives service bulletin for accelerator pedals originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 10 Dec 2010 13:32:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: NHTSA opens safety probes into older Honda CR-V, Kia Optima models

Filed under: Sedan, SUV, Recalls, Safety, Honda, Kia

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration is looking into issues with 2006 Honda CR-V models and 2007 Kia Optimas. According to The Detroit News, both vehicles have garnered a fairly small number of complaints – just three each – for separate problems. In the case of the CR-V models, owners have experienced electrical failures that led to fires in the driver’s side door. Owners claim that the master window switch overheated, causing the damage. NHTSA is looking into around 150,000 of the Honda models.

Meanwhile, the agency is investigating 41,000 Kia Optimas for faulty transmission shift cables. Owners have reported problems with the cables becoming detached from the transmission, effectively locking the vehicle into or out of gear. In one case, a vehicle rolled away after being shut off. The Detroit News reports that Kia has issued a service bulletin concerning improperly-installed shift cables that may detach over time.

[Source: The Detroit News]

Report: NHTSA opens safety probes into older Honda CR-V, Kia Optima models originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 29 Nov 2010 18:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Hyundai-Kia overtakes Toyota as biggest Asian automaker in Europe

Filed under: Car Buying, Europe, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Earnings/Financials

2011 Hyundai Sonata Hybrid

European car buyers have a favorite Asian automaker, and its name is no longer Toyota. Hyundai and Kia have tag-teamed to best the longtime Japanese automaker, with a four percent overall rise in total units through the first ten months of 2010. During that same period, Toyota-Lexus sales have fallen 17 percent, with Hyundai at 521,369 vehicles sold compared to 511,754 for Toyota.

Toyota’s recent tough road, along with the expanding number of quality offerings from Hyundai-Kia, have allowed the Seoul train to slide past the Japanese brand. Unless Toyota picks up the pace, that gap could widen because the Korean company is understood to have a greater number of new models planned for its European portfolio.

Of course, Hyundai has a long road ahead if it wishes to make the same claim here in the States, but it’s certainly moving in the right direction. Overall sales in the U.S. have risen 21 percent and demand for the redesigned Sonata has jumped 64 percent.

[Source: Automotive News – sub. req.]

Hyundai-Kia overtakes Toyota as biggest Asian automaker in Europe originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 23 Nov 2010 19:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Optima configurator finally up and running

Filed under: Car Buying, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Configurator

If you’ve been waiting for the 2011 Kia Optima configurator to come online so you can whittle away a few precious minutes from the work day, wait no more. You can now load up or strip down your very own imaginary four-door however you like. From the looks of things, buyers will be able to weasel their way out the door in a base model with a six-speed manual transmission for the lowly price of just $18,995 without destination. Go crazy with the options, however, and you’ll be staring down the barrel of an MSRP of just over $31,170 with the $695 destination fee included, but that still strikes us a fair shake for a loaded SX trim with the powerful 2.0-liter turbo.

Notable options include a premium package that throws in a pair of panoramic moonroofs and heated and cooled seats for $2,150 and a technology and premium touring package that adds in niceties such as navigation, fancier wheels and an eight-speaker Infiniti sound system among other tricks for $4,150. Head over to the Optima configurator to see for yourself. Thanks for the tip, Matt!

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima

[Source: Kia]

Kia Optima configurator finally up and running originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 22 Nov 2010 13:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Hybrid, Sedan, Kia

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid – Click here for high-res image gallery

Kia is just now beginning to roll out its sexy new 2011 Optima, with the 2.4-liter GDI version priced from only $18,995. Much like its sister car, the Hyundai Sonata, the Optima will be offered with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine in EX and SX trims, and here at the LA Auto Show, the Kia has unveiled its third member of the Optima family – the Hybrid.

Much like the Sonata Hybrid, the gas/electric Optima uses the same 2.4-liter direct-injected inline-four, mated to an electric motor. Combined with a six-speed automatic transmission, the Optima Hybrid will yield 40 miles per gallon on the highway – besting its eco-minded competitors, the Ford Fusion Hybrid and Toyota Camry Hybrid.

Pricing will be announced closer to the car’s on-sale date early next year, and you can read the full details in Kia’s press release, after the jump. Check out our high-res galleries of live and stock shots, as well.

Gallery: LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Gallery: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

2011 Kia Optima Hybrid

Continue reading LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’

LA 2010: 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid is good-lookin’, green-drivin’ originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Nov 2010 21:30:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2011 Kia Sportage

Filed under: Budget, Crossover, Kia, Reviews

Another Korean Competitor That Beats Expectations

2011 Kia Sportage

2011 Kia Sportage – Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia likes to say it has the Power to Surprise. Back in the day (oh, five or so years ago…), the Korean automaker’s customers were supposed to be pleasantly surprised that their new car, crossover or SUV was a better vehicle than expected. Perhaps you’ve heard the drill: “I bought it because it was cheap… and you know, it’s really not that bad.”

These days, though, being less mediocre than expected simply isn’t good enough. See not-so-(inter)stellar brands Saturn and Mercury for proof thereof.

In other words, each new Kia has to be completely on-target and every bit as good as its competitors from America and Japan – and judging by the ambitions of its corporate partner, Hyundai, you might even be inclined to include Germany on that list.

And we’ve come to expect exactly that from Kia. If the company’s first Sportage was a passable entry with a cut-rate price to make the masses take notice, and the second go-round was, you know… “not that bad…” then this crossover, the third-generation Kia Sportage, had better be good.

So, were we pleasantly unsurprised by the 2011 Kia Sportage?

Gallery: 2011 Kia Sportage: Review

2011 Kia Sportage

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Review: 2011 Kia Sportage originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 11 Oct 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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