This is something interesting. The pictures we have are tempting, indeed. Kia Motors has announced that they will be unveiling the new all-electric city car concept ‘Pop’ at the Paris Motor Show next month. The zero-emission concept car follows last year’s Ray plug-in hybrid and the company’s announcement of the ambition to become a leading supplier of fuel-cell cars by 2015. Kia must be planning similar grand ideas for electrics and plug-ins.
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The US market might soon get to see Kia Motors going in for a change in nomenclature of its models. The automotive company is mulling over changing the names of its US range of vehicles from product names to alphanumerics.
With the new change soon to take effect, the US buyers can choose their Kia models from among different alphanumeric names. In home country South Korea, the Kia line up has already been given partially alphanumeric names. For instance, the mid-sized Optima sedan has been named the K5, while large sedan Cadenza comes with theK7 name. The Kia Forte is to be called the K3. This doesn’t mean that all Kia models have been renamed. The Morning, Pride, Koup, Soul and Sportage have retained their nomenclature. The thought of renaming the vehicles with alphanumerics in the US car mart stems from the belief that such a move could enhance the strength of the car brand.
The Ray Concept was unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show and it is a plug-in-hybrid concept designed for the eco-conscious. The concept features a direct injection 153hp 1.4L engine and a 78kW electric motor where the engine is mated to a CVT set-up. The Ray concept has an overall driving range of 1,200 Km and it can travel 80kms on the electric power alone while it has a fuel economy rating of more than 202mpg. The Ray Concept adjudges the driving conditions and then decides the escalation of power from the two sources i.e. the engine and the electric unit.
There’s no news anymore that Kia would like to have their share in the luxury sports sedan segment. Supposedly dubbed Kia K9, the company’s luxury sedan has made an appearance last week at a design conference near Seoul where Kia’s chief designer Peter Schreyer (the guy behind the original Audi TT) bragged with it. Comparable to Audi’s A8 or BMW’s 7 series, the K9 luxury sedan is a more streamline and futuristic Equus that is rumored to pack all Genesis motorizations along with a new petrol V8 or an 8-speed automatic gearbox to get the most bang out of it. Not much else is known and nothing confirmed for now, but boy that Kia K9 looks sharp enough to charm our hearts!
The new Kia Cadenza was presented to the Korean public today, creating a wave of excitement among them. The new vehicle will be the replacement for the Opirus/Amanti and will be called K7 in its home country. There are a lot of obvious borrowings from the design of the KND-5 Contept Car, and it’s worth noting that this is the first vehicle to use Kia’s new platform, branded “Type-N”.
The Cadendza comes out a bit shorter than its predecessor, but it’s been redesigned to make it a bit more roomy for occupants. There are also various other luxury goodies added to the interior, such as special lighting, a welcoming system, and advanced air conditioning. The car is driven by a 3.5l V6 engine capable of producing 290 hp and 338 Nm of torque, so it should give you the performance you’d expect.
The third generation model of the 2010 Kia Sportage Compact CUV was caught testing is Germany giving the auto fanatics a glimpse of the upcoming model. Based on the Hyundai ix35 platform, it borrows the roofline and the windshield rake from the 2010 Kia Sorento. More to it, although smaller than the Sorento it replaces, images have revealed that the upcoming model will come with plenty of cargo space.
As far as the engine speculations go, the Sportage will surface with a 2.0L petrol engine found on the ix35 that outputs 165hp and a 2.0L diesel R-Series engine that churns 180hp. For the US market specifically, the Sportage ‘might’ surface with a V6 petrol variant given the market conditions. All the engine options will be mated to six-speed automatic and manual transmissions. Not bad eh? [via WCF]
The luxury sedan which goes by the name of K7 in Korea, the Kia Cadenza (also called the VG Sedan) has hit the web with its first images and a limited set of details. This sporty and sleek luxury sedan takes inspiration from the KND-5 Concept with external features like an LED headlight surrounds, a bold grille and an upscale design.
However, a lot more work has been done on the interior of the Kia Cadenza where the floating dash is glorified with some avant-garde high-tech adaptations that include a heating steering wheel, automatic defogging of the windshield and ventilated front seats. The engine choices will probably include a 175 hp 2.4-liter Theta four-cylinder and a 273 hp 3.5-liter Lambda V6. These engines will power both the FWD and AWD options. This design upgrade as per the company officials is reflective of the continuing evolution in Kia’s striking design language where the lights and lines are blended.
What we’d like to know right now is the price this jewel will run for.
We all know Sorento as an SUV which was transformed from a compact variant to a mid-size crossover and the legacy was furthered with the 2010 MY Sorento unveiling at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show in April. It will now be the turn of the Europeans with this crossover coming their way at the Frankfurt Motor Show (along with the facelifted Ceed). The changes for the 2010 variant include a higher-class cabin (compared to its predecessor), with some sleek additions and a spacious interior.
The 2010 Kia Sorento will have a new addition under the hood which is the 2.2L turbo diesel unit which produces 197hp at 421Nm of torque. The transmission is a choice for you to make between a 6-speed manual and a 6-speed automatic option. Gadgets on the menu will include an engine start button, keyless entry with an in-mirror reverse camera. The overall weight of the Sorento has also been decreased by 215 kg thanks to the redesigned body which also facilitates an improved fuel economy and a better controlled ride.
The 2010 facelifted Kia Ceed has just been announced and as per the automaker it will make its debut at the upcoming Frankfurt Motor Show. The small family car went under a facelift borrowing traits for the front of the face from the Ford’s new Fiesta look, also with a slight touch of Peugeot with the triangular side windows at the back on the wagon model.
The car best described as an evolving model gets a brand new suspension set-up and a start/stop system for the ECO dynamics variant capable of checking the emissions under check. With a freshly laden interior and equipment specs, the car has been increased 25mm in length as well. The 1.6 L diesel engine has also been updated with ISG Technology which is mated with a 6-speed manual gearbox. The facelifted Kia Cee’d will be available in showrooms across UK from October 1st.
This time there are no spy shots for the Kia VG Sedan, instead, a set of renderings revealing many facets of this saloon have surfaced. Slated to compete with the likes of the Volkswagen Passat, this sedan will replace the current product model Avanti. The renderings reveal Kia’s signature H-shape front grille with LED lights. Ironically, this is what the images reveal for it is more of a teaser. Other things known about the car is the engine option- a 3.5-litre V6 Lambda and the car will be based on the next-gen Hyundai Azera platform. It will pip the Amanti in the luxury quotient with a roomier interior and better material usage. FWD will be s definite option and it is being speculated that a Haldex AWD system will also be offered.
