With sales up by a stellar 209 percent last year, the striking Kia Optima garnered new fans at an impressive rate, and among those impressed were clearly the writers at Autobytel. In fact, the folks at the popular online resource for all things automotive were so taken by the Optima that they named it their Sedan of the Year. [click to continue…]
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With sales up more than 35 percent through the end of November, Kia is one of the fastest-growing brands in the industry, and the automaker pins much of that success on the recent “design-based transformation” of its lineup. The experts behind the annual GOOD DESIGN awards would probably agree, too: After all, they recently honored the Kia Rio5 with one of the world’s most prestigious awards for new product design.
The Rio 5 is Kia’s all-new small hatchback, introduced earlier this year and putting a fresh spin on Kia’s signature design cues, including a modified “Tiger Shark” grille, a particularly dynamic headlamp design, a large front air intake, and a sculpted, wedge-shaped exterior that boasts the aggressive lines and athletic proportions that are hallmarks of the new Kia family. That same attention to design detail also is evident in the Rio5’s cabin, where touches like a driver-oriented gauge cluster and two-tone color scheme create a sporty yet spacious interior.
“GOOD DESIGN” is an appropriate description of the Rio 5’s powertrain as well. Thanks to technologies like gasoline direct injection and a choice of two high-efficiency six-speed transmissions—one manual, one automatic, both developed in-house by the automaker—the Rio 5 offers both a best-in-class 138 hp and best-in-class fuel efficiency of up to 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway/34 mpg combined.
And the Rio 5 wasn’t the only Kia vehicle to earn one of these prestigious awards: The Kia KV7 concept vehicle, first shown at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit, also received a GOOD DESIGN recognition for its futuristic and stylish reinterpretation of a large crossover vehicle, complete with gullwing-style doors.
The Kia Rio 5—and its sibling, the Kia Rio sedan—are on sale now.
Given annually to recognize designers “for advancing new, visionary, and innovative product concepts, invention and originality, and for stretching the envelope beyond what is considered ordinary product and consumer design,” the GOOD DESIGN awards are presented by the Chicago Athenaeum: Museum of Architecture and Design, in tandem with the European Centre for Architecture Art Design and Urban Studies.
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Saying that it “has achieved a metamorphosis from ‘unremarkable’ to a first-class, five-passenger, mid-sized sedan,” writers for the Boston Globe recently chose the 2012 Kia Optima as one of their Top Drives for 2012. It’s further evidence of the success of Kia’s design-based transformation, which also has provided the Optima with a “surprisingly spacious” cabin that “got a gold star for having a heated steering wheel as an unexpected accoutrement.”
Also gaining the Globe’s attention was the fact that the Optima family offers a range of choices to satisfy different owners’ driving requirements:
The Optima also was named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and has earned a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).
“With its powerful combination of world-class design, advanced technology, turbocharged performance and outstanding value, the Optima has been turning heads since arriving in showrooms in January and demand has outpaced supply all year,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing and communications, Kia Motors America (KMA). “Kia is the fastest growing car company in the U.S. and earning a spot on The Boston Globe’s Top Ten Drives List adds to our unprecedented momentum heading into 2012.”
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Consumers Digest just named four Kia vehicles “Best Buys” – the 2012 Kia Optima, 2012 Sorento, 2012 Soul, and 2012 Sportage. This latest recognition comes after Kia Motors America (KMA) announced the company’s best-ever October sales and setting its 14th consecutive monthly sales record. [click to continue…]
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The completely redesigned 2012 Kia Rio—which was first conceived here in the U.S. at Kia’s California design studio—will provide customers with a lot to like in the subcompact segment, but it certainly won’t cost a lot. In fact, Kia recently announced that the MSRP of the Rio sedan will start at just $13,400, while the price of admission to the five-door hatchback will open at $13,600—that’s $1,900 less than the least-expensive Ford Fiesta hatchback. [click to continue…]
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Since their first appearance in 2009 to announce the arrival of the Kia Soul, Kia Motors’ lovable hamsters have entertained Americans in movie theaters, on television, and on the web. In recognition of the popular ad campaign, the Madison Avenue Advertising Walk of Fame awarded Kia’s hamsters with its first-ever “Rookie of the Year” award.
“In just two years the hamsters have become pop culture icons and driven record sales for the Soul and the Kia brand,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “The Soul and its advertising were designed to stand out in a sea of sameness, and this ‘Rookie of the Year’ honor is a tribute to the hamsters’ viral success and ability to grab the attention of consumers looking for something with a unique style and personality.” [click to continue…]
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Three Kia vehicles were recently named “2011 Best Car Buys” by some folks who should know a thing or two about the vehicle-purchasing process: Members of the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA). The group’s annual NADAguides Best Car Buys Report analyzed criteria like price, depreciation, fuel efficiency, warranty coverage and safety ratings to determine which vehicles are the country’s true customer satisfiers, and among them were:
Kia Soul—The funky-fresh urban passenger vehicle has become one of the most popular subcompacts on the road today, selling in record numbers in 2011 thanks to its unique mix of bold styling, notable fuel efficiency and starting price of just $13,300. The Soul also earned “Top Safety Pick” status from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). [click to continue…]
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Consider it a knockout performance: In a recent head-to-head battle between two mainstream middleweights, conducted by the team of experts at Consumer Reports, the all-new Kia Optima took on—and then took down—the Honda Accord.
According to CR, the Kia won the day based on its performance in five key areas: [click to continue…]
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With sales of the all-new Kia Optima headed north, the automaker is headed south: The company recently announced it would move production of the 2012 Optima to its Kia Motor Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG) facility, located in West Point, Ga. (The current model is now built in South Korea.) And not only will the change help Kia keep up with demand for its hot-selling new sedan, but it will also mean adding a third shift to its Georgia plant, at which point the automaker will have directly created nearly 3,000 jobs there.
It’s a testament to both the continued success of Kia’s design-led product transformation and the hard work already being done at the plant. The KMMG facility is now home to the Kia Sorento, the best-selling model in the automaker’s 2011 lineup. The Sorento crossover attracted more than 123,000 new customers last year alone, representing some 30 percent of Kia’s total in the U.S. [click to continue…]
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When production of the 2012 Kia Sorento kicked off in May at the automaker’s manufacturing facility in West Point, Ga., it brought with it two impressive upgrades for the new model year: A new 2.4-liter gasoline direct injection (GDI) engine and a dramatic increase in residual value.
The former comes courtesy of Kia engineers, who incorporated the new technology into a responsive powerplant that now offers both the most horsepower and the best fuel economy in the Sorento’s class. The bottom line for the 2012 Sorento: 191 hp and 32 mpg highway. And actually, that’s just one of the changes coming for Kia’s best-selling model, which also will offer power-folding mirrors, a power-adjustable passenger seat with memory, a ventilated driver’s seat, a heated and wood-trimmed steering wheel, and Kia’s new Microsoft-powered hands-free infotainment and communications system—UVO. [click to continue…]
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