Kia Launches its First Hybrid Model, Says Hybrids to be Available in Europe by 2013

Following in the footsteps of its mother company, Hyundai and its recently launched Elantra LPI Hybrid, Kia has introduced its first commercialized hybrid - electric car onto the Korean market. As its name suggests, the Forte LPI Hybrid utilizes the same drivetrain with the Elantra that comprises of a 1.6-liter LPG (Liquefied Petroleum Gas) engine, a 15kW and 105Nm electric motor and a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT). The hybrid system is also equipped with Kia's Intelligent Stop and Go system.

Furthermore, the Korean automaker's engineers honed the Forte sedan's aerodynamics by applying different front/rear bumper skirts, aluminum wheels and rear spoiler as well as using a special cover for the lower part of the engine room and centre floor. These changes resulted in a lowered air resistance of 0.26 Cd, compared to 0.29 Cd for the standard, petrol-powered Forte sedan.

The Forte LPI Hybrid has a combined fuel efficiency of 17.2km per liter of LPG which Kia says is the equivalent of 21.5km/liter (50.6mpg US, 60.7mpg UK or 4.7lt /100 km) in a standard petrol engine.

While the LPG-hybrid version of the Forte won't be making it to other markets outside Korea, Kia said that it the company is currently working on petrol-powered and plug-in hybrids that are likely to arrive in European showrooms by 2013.

Kia Soul in Police Outfit to Patrol Sussex Streets

A local Kia dealer has donated a 'vanilla-cream' Soul to the Sussex Police department in the UK for use in their neighborhood policing program. While you won't be seeing the Soul chasing law-breakers on the highway, the small crossover will be used by the team of Police Community Support Officer's (PCSOs) as part of their routine street briefings and the general safe-keeping of Horsham South's communities.

"The car is as highly visible as we are!" said PCSO Charlotte Whittaker. "We were delighted to have been given a car by Toll House, but to have one that turns heads as swiftly as this one does only helps us become more visible to the public."

Toll House Kia, which provided the police-branded Soul Shaker to the Sussex Police department for a year, said that it will replace the car after six months.

Kia Officially Reveals Cee'd Facelift, Says Two More New Models to Premiere in Frankfurt

After the first photograph of the Cee'd facelift hit the web ahead of time earlier this week, Kia came out with an official press release and a high-res version of the teaser shot. Besides the obvious styling changes to the bonnet plus alterations to the bumper, grille and light clusters which bring the Cee'd into line with Kia's latest models like the Soul, the Korean automaker said that the 2010MY also features enhancements to the interior in terms of specification and design including a revamped center console and an upgraded audio system with Bluetooth connectivity.

Furthermore, Kia's European division mentioned that the refreshed Cee'd will be revealed to the public for the first time at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show alongside "two all-new Kia models".

We do know that one of these models will be Kia's yet-to-be named, small MPV that will rival the Opel Meriva and its ilk but we have no information on the other vehicle. It could be that Kia is referring to the European-spec version of the Sorento that made its world debut at the Seoul Show this past April but then again, it might be an entirely new model. We'll wait and see.

Super Bowl Car Ads: I’d Score It Kia 1, Chevy 0

Let’s face it: if your team isn’t playing in the Super Bowl, half the game’s entertainment value is going to come from the ads. Every single advertiser pulls out all the stops to film a budget-blowing spot for the Super Bowl, because it ensures they’ll get their product in front of millions of beer and hot-wing fueled television viewers. Short of staging your own halftime “wardrobe malfunction”, there’s no better way to build brand awareness than with a Super Bowl ad that stands above the rest.

Kia is on a roll these days, launching one successful new model after another. The new Optima is a stunning car, and its quality is on par with anything else on the market these days. Kia’s already known for their Super Bowl ads, since it’s kind of hard to forget a marital aid getting down with a sock monkey on a road trip. How to top that for this year? I won’t spoil the video (below), but I’ll say this: it’s got super villains, aliens, and hopped up Mayans (or Aztecs; I always get them confused).

Chevy’s ad for the Camaro, on the other hand, just doesn’t cut the mustard. Sure, it’s got good visuals (and a stunning blond), but where’s the plot? where’s the build-up, where’s the conflict, where’s the resolution? Why do I get the feeling that the narrative is exactly how the ad agency came up with the idea? Like the bulk of their “Chevy Runs Deep” ads, this one just leaves me scratching my head and thinking about what could have been.

2010 Kia Cee'd Facelift: First Official Photo

Here's the first official photo of the updated 2010 Kia Cee'd facelift that made its way into the internet ahead of the compact hatchback's premiere at this fall's Frankfurt Motor Show. As anticipated, the Cee'd features a new fascia inspired by Kia's latest production and concept cars likes the Forte and KND-5 sedans. The cosmetic tidy-up includes the Korean firm's signature grille surround flanked by a pair of reshaped headlamps, plus a new bumper and hood design.

Furthermore, Kia's VW Golf contender also features restyled exterior mirrors with integrated turn signals while our spy shots suggest minor updates at the rear including a new set of tail lamps and quite possibly, a redesigned bumper.

As many of you might remember, a couple of weeks ago we showed you a trio of leaked shots of the 2010 Cee'd's dashboard which has been upgraded with new controls for the air-condition and audio system on the center console, a restyled steering wheel and updated gauges on the instrument panel.

Via: Automarket & Kia-World

Kia Takes on Time Travelling with New Super Bowl Commercial for 2011 Optima

This year's Super Bowl is just around the corner and automakers are getting ready to spend millions of dollars to draw the attention of buyers. For a second year in a row, Kia will be present at the event with a full marketing campaign incorporating TV, digital, print and social media as well as in-dealership components, all focusing on the 2011 Optima midsize sedan.

The highlight of the campaign is a new 60-second spot that will air in the first quarter of Super Bowl XLV titled “One Epic Ride”. According to the company, the ad shows people across space and time "from a police officer and an international villain to aliens and an ancient chief" trying to get their hands on the all-new Optima, which "becomes an object of desire even for Poseidon", the Greek god of the sea.

“2010 was a historic year for Kia, including our best-ever U.S. sales and our first Super Bowl commercial, and it was an easy decision to return to the game this year to build on the brand’s momentum with the arrival of the all-new 2011 Optima,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “The first phase of the Optima launch promised that this vehicle is ‘not your average midsize sedan,’ and we knew we had to deliver something big for this year’s Super Bowl to give this eye-catching vehicle the attention it deserves, while at the same time generating fun and genuine interactions with consumers before, during and after the Super Bowl.”

The South Korean automaker said it will extend the campaign by giving away up to five new Optimas through its “One Epic Contest,” a game in which consumers will have to solve a series of puzzles using clues found in pre-Super Bowl and game day advertisements and social media postings.

Foreign Automakers Review Relationships with Tunisian Partners, which...”happen” to be Relatives of the Ousted President

The looting of the Ferrari 599 GTB owned by former Tunisian president Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali and the smashing of cars owned by his relatives including a Ferrari California may have been eye-catching in an offbeat sort of way, but there are more important automotive-related stories coming out from Tunisia.

It has been reported by several news agencies that Tunisians are also destroying random vehicles made by Kia, Fiat, Porsche and other makers. The reason? Because the companies that distribute them are controlled by members of the ruling family. Now, in light of all the latest developments, many international automakers are reviewing their business ties to the extended family of Zein al-Abidine Ben Ali, according to the Financial Times.

The daily newspaper said that up until now, the country's car market, which totaled just under 60,000 units in 2010, was heavily regulated by its trade ministry that favored importers controlled one way or another by relatives of the former president or his wife, Leila Trabelsi.

Companies controlled or owned by the family members of the ousted presidential couple include:

-Ford, which sells cars in Tunisia through a company partially owned by Belhassen Trabelsi, the former president’s brother-in-law;

-Ennakl, a dealer for Porsche, Volkswagen, Audi, and Seat controlled by Mohamed Sakher al-Materi, the president’s son-in-law;

-Kia, which distributes its models through City Cars, part of the El Materi Princess Holding, another company controlled by the former president’s son-in-law, Mohamed Sakher al-Materi;

-Le Moteur, which acts as an importer for several companies including Mercedes-Benz and Fiat, and is owned by Marouane Mabrouk, the deposed president’s son-in-law;

-Peugeot, which is represented by Stafim, a company in which Mehdi Belgaid – said to be engaged to Halima Ben Ali, the former president’s daughter – owns a stake;

Some carmakers such as Audi have stopped exporting their cars to the country because they are not sure if they would clear customs as well for their safety once they arrive on the dealer lots. The financial daily quoted Audi as saying; “We will have to look at whether we can continue doing business with this partner and whether they are the right partner for us. ”

Ford said it also looking into the matter and reassessing ties with its Tunisian importer, while Mercedes-Benz said it found no wrongdoing on behalf of Le Moteur but will monitor the situation. A Peugeot spokesman said the automaker will wait to see what the new government will do with companies associated with the president's family.

Other carmakers, including Kia and Porsche, said that for the time being, they will continue to do business as usual with their partners. Porsche in particular said it has no plans to change its arrangement with Ennaki “as long as the company is operational and paying for cars”.

The newspaper said that Fiat "would not comment on its business in Tunisia, or its local partner."

Source: Financial Times

More Reader Spy Shots: Kia's Small MPV Snapped in the Czech Republic

Carscoop readers Vladimir Pekulas and Jan Mlejnek bagged these shots of Kia's forthcoming mini-MPV on the highway near Mlada Boleslav in the Czech Republic. If you take a closer look at the pics after the jump, you'll see that the man sitting in the passenger's seat of the Kia test car retaliated against our readers by taking or pretending to take, photos of them also... But anyways, let's refresh our memory on Kia's new model which has yet to be named.

The five-seater MPV is in effect the production version of Kia's No3 Concept study that was shown for the first time in Geneva earlier this year. The Korean automaker's retort to the likes of the Honda Jazz, Opel Meriva and Citroen C3 Picasso uses the same architecture as the Kia Soul and Hyundai i20.

It is anticipated that the small MPV's engine range will comprise of 1.6-liter petrol and diesel units, both producing an output of 126HP, while certain markets may also receive a 115HP 1.6-liter diesel along with a range-topping 2.0-liter gasoline engine making 142HP.

Kia will most probably swoop the covers off the mini-MPV at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September with European sales set to start before the end of the year. Like the European market Cee'd, the MPV will be produced at the Hyundai Group's new plant in the Czech Republic.

"Děkuji" Vladimir Pekulas & Jan Mlejnek for the pics!

Kia Release Sketches of 2012 Rio Hatchback, will Debut in Geneva

Kia has big plans for this year's edition of the Geneva Salon as along with the 2012 Picanto city car, the South Korean automaker will also host the world premiere of the 2012 Rio supermini, the first official sketches of which were released today.

The company said that its Ford Fiesta rival is "designed to inject emotional appeal into the B-segment, targeting progressive, energetic consumers who want a stand-out design", adding that the new Rio's styling marks “the next big step” in the company’s ongoing design revolution.

But while it's obvious that the new Rio will be a more stylish proposal than the current model, our recent spy shots suggest that Kia's renderings aren't as close to reality as the company would like us to believe.

Kia also says that the Rio's interior will be more upscale offering "a feeling of quality typically associated with larger, more expensive models." In the teaser sketch we see that Kia will use colored trim throughout the cabin.

The firm's Director of Overseas Marketing, Soon-Nam Lee commented:

"Downsizing is becoming more and more of a trend these days and a B-segment car as attractive as all-new Rio, with its driver-oriented cabin and interior trim options, will no doubt help consumers to be more comfortable making that switch. New Rio is the ‘next big step’ in Kia’s design revolution and we anticipate this model becoming even more popular than the current vehicle."

Kia withheld details on the new Rio's powertrain lineup but buyers should expect a similar engine lineup to the Kia Venga and Hyundai ix20, including a choice of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter diesel and gasoline units.

According to Kia, the current Rio was the firm's third best-selling vehicle in overseas markets during 2010 selling more than 205,000 units.

Carscoop Reader Spots New Kia Cadenza Filling up in California

It's been a little over a year since Kia lifted the wraps off its stylish replacement for the Amanti, called the K7 in South Korea and Cadenza in other countries, but we're still waiting for the firm's flagship sedan to show up in the USA. However if these (fuzzy) photos are anything to go by, Kia may be getting ready to launch the Cadenza onto the U.S. market.

The silver-colored mid-size sedan was scooped by Carscoop reader Nick K., who you might remember from the first ever Prius MPV spy shots we posted last September, while filling up at a gas station in California.

"The other day I was sitting at a restaurant in Corona Del Mar, California and spotted a Kia Cadenza (K7). Here are the VERY zoomed in pictures I took with my phone," Nick told Carscoop.

The Cadenza, which sits above the Optima in Kia's range, is available in its home country with a choice of three gasoline engines ranging in output from 165HP for the four-cylinder model to 295HP for the 3.5 liter V6. All variants feature front-wheel drive and a new six-speed automatic transmission.

Kudos to Nick K. for the Kia spotting!