by Kia in the News on July 20, 2011
The Kia Sportage again put its unique combination of affordability and adaptability on display recently, winning kudos as the “2011 Northwest Affordable SUV of the Year” from the Northwest Automotive Press Association (NWAPA).
The award was given during the NWAPA’s annual “Mudfest,” a unique one-day event in which the year’s top SUVs and crossovers are gathered for a comprehensive, hands-on evaluation of their performance, both on and off the road. This includes off-road tests of low-range handling, ride comfort, and hill-climbing and descent abilities, as well as on-road comparisons of stability, handling, emergency-braking maneuvers, and more. In addition, versatility and overall value are scored separately to provide a comprehensive picture of each vehicle’s attributes. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on July 14, 2011
With a fresh and funky appearance, the Kia Soul is finding its way on to more and more people’s consideration lists this year—and that includes the people behind the NADAguides 2011 Must Consider List. That team of experts, leveraging the resources of the National Auto Dealers Association (NADA), develops the rankings each year to shine the spotlight on some of the industry’s most under-appreciated players.
The Soul earned its recent honor thanks to factors like a low MSRP and high levels of standard and optional content, which combine to provide owners with plenty of opportunities for customization. As pointed out by NADAguides, this cool Kia offers features like a sport-tuned suspension, fog lights, auto-off headlights, heated power mirrors, a rear wiper, privacy glass, satellite radio, USB connectivity, remote entry, steering-wheel-mounted controls, Bluetooth compatibility and a full complement of safety equipment. In fact, boasting advanced driver, passenger and full-length side-curtain air bags, the Soul was named a 2011 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on July 11, 2011
Just weeks after seeing its urban trendsetter set a new monthly sales record—finding more than 10,000 new customers in a single month for the first time ever—Kia has unleashed a thoroughly refreshed update in the form of the 2012 Soul. It’s a bold move for the boldly designed Kia, according to Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing and communications for Kia Motor America.
“After just two model years, we’ve given the 2012 Soul significant improvements in power, style and fuel economy, making this iconic vehicle the perfect package for consumers looking for something a little outside the box,” he said. “With gas prices on the rise, this mid-cycle refresh adds even more style and fun-to-drive performance to the vehicle that started our design-led transformation, while also improving fuel economy by 10 percent.” [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on June 30, 2011
The all-new Kia Optima added to its trophy case once again recently, with Auto a Fondo (“Fully Auto”) recognizing the dramatically styled sedan as one of its “Top 10 Best Buy Cars for 2011.”
The Auto a Fondo honors are now in their ninth year and are selected annually by a panel of top Hispanic automotive professionals. Charlotte Kia said that earning “Best Buy” status from the panel meant the new Optima achieved high scores in areas like innovative engineering, exterior design, ergonomics, ride and handling, fit and finish, content levels, and competitive pricing. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on June 21, 2011
When people think “KIA”, they normally look to the east at South Korea where the company is based. Over the last few years, people need look only a little to the east, specifically Alabama, to see where 60 plants are currently operating. Now, with expansions continuing in West Point, Georgia, the southern parts of the United States are seeing major economic influence from the import automaker.
The Georgia plant, which currently builds around 360,000 vehicles annually, is ramping up to include the Optima sedan on its assembly lines. While this will mean more jobs in West Point, it is having an even greater effect on 23 Alabama counties that supply parts and materials for the plant. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on June 2, 2011
About.com, one of the country’s leading online information providers, recently asked its millions of readers to pick their favorite rides of 2011, and in the Best New Crossover Vehicle category, the votes were all about the new Kia Sportage. In fact, the dynamically designed Sportage dominated the rankings with 64 percent of the votes—no other rival received more than 15 percent.
Danbury Kia said it’s yet another impressive honor for the Kia crossover, which also was recently named a “Top Safety Pick” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS). Kia Of Old Saybrook CT agreed. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on May 25, 2011
It’s another breakthrough for Kia: Garden Grove Kia tells us the all-new 2011 Optima has now become the first Korean-built vehicle to garner a five-star overall rating—the highest possible score—in the U.S. government’s recently introduced, more stringent crash-test evaluations. In fact, according to Middletown Kia, the Optima received five stars in each category of the testing conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), including for front, rear and side impacts, as well as for rollovers.
And notably, Charlotte KIA pointed out this recognition comes after the Optima had already been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on May 18, 2011
The recently redesigned Kia Sorento achieved an important new benchmark for its automaker, becoming the very first Kia to be named to Consumer Reports annual list of “Top Picks.” The honor goes only to the best all-around models from the different CR vehicle categories, and each one must put up superior performances in a wide range of key quality, safety and reliability measures.
The Sorento claimed the highest spot among “Family SUVs,” thanks to “a roomy, nicely finished interior [that] includes comfortable seats and easy-to-use controls,” according to CR. Other Sorento advantages noted by the publication included the vehicle’s smooth-running V6 engine, which delivers an impressive mix of performance and fuel economy, and its high-value combination of an affordable MSRP with premium levels of standard content—“making it one of the bargains of this class.” [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on April 27, 2011
Proving once again that big-time safety can come in relatively small packages, Forbes magazine recently named both the Kia Forte and the Kia Soul to its Safest Small Cars, 2011″ list.
The publication based its choices on data from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), which also just happened to honor the Forte and Soul as Top Safety Picks. This recognition is only given to vehicles that earn the highest possible ratings in IIHS front, side, rear and rollover crash testing, as well as offer electronic stability control—a potentially life-saving technology that is standard on the Forte and Kia Soul. For Sale In CT, there’s a configuration for just about anyone. [click to continue…]
by Kia in the News on April 6, 2011
A wave of new-product launches have U.S. customers once again turning to minivans for their transportation needs, but it wasn’t one of these rookies that was honored by U.S. News & World Report in its recent Best Cars for the Money 2011 awards. It was a proven professional—the Kia Sedona—that won the segment as the Best Minivan for the Money. According to Dealer Garden Grove Kia, the recognition is based on an extensive survey of published reviews and test drives from the nation’s top auto publications, as well as safety and reliability information from TrueCar.com, a website dedicated to providing accurate cost-of-ownership data to consumers. [click to continue…]
