Kia Confirms 2012 Rio Sedan and Hatch, and 2012 Soul Facelift for New York Show

In a move that shows Kia has no intention of letting the momentum it has gained with the launch of seven new products in the past two years fade away, the South Korean automaker confirmed today the world premiere of two new models at the rapidly approaching New York Auto Show (April 22 – May 1).

The first global debut concerns the four-door sedan version of the 2012 Kia Rio, which was unwrapped in hatchback form at the Geneva Salon in March. The 2012 Rio sedan will be joined by the North American debut of the Rio5 hatchback.

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Kia Adds Some Luxury to Facelifted Pro_Cee’d with New UK Market Version

A new high-grade version of Kia’s recently facelifted Pro_Cee’d model has been introduced in the UK. The three-door Pro_Cee’d ‘4’ comes with added standard features and is powered by the latest version of Kia’s 1.6-liter turbo diesel producing 126bhp or 13bhp more than the previous engine for a 0-60mph (96km/h) sprint time of a little over 10 seconds and a top speed of 122 mph (196 km/h).

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Rumors: Kia to Reveal New Rio Sedan at New York

The word on the street is that Kia will lift the covers off a sedan version of its new Rio series in a world premiere at the upcoming 2011 New York International Auto Show in mid-April. The new generation of the Rio was recently unveiled in hatchback form at the 2011 Geneva Motor Show earlier this month.

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Kia Unveils Naimo EV Concept at Seoul Motor Show

Making its world premiere today at the at the Seoul Motor Show, is Kia’s Naimo electric crossover utility vehicle (CUV), a B-segment sized concept car that will serve as a test-bed for the company's EV technology. Penned by Kia's international design team in Seoul, the car takes its name from the Korean word “Ne-mo”, which is pronounced ‘Neh-mo’ and means ‘square shape.

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BMW, Hyundai and Renault Donate for Japan Earthquake Relief

After Japan’s local automakers, foreign car companies are also rallying to support people affected by the earthquake and the tsunami that hit the Asian nation on Friday. BMW has offered an emergency aid worth €1 million ($1.4 million) destined for the treatment of traumatized children, emergency aid and reconstruction work. The money will be split evenly between the international non-profit organization “Save the Children” and the Japanese Red Cross. Read more »

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Kia Recalling 70,115 Optima Sedans Over Transmission Flaw

Kia has issued a recall on 70,115 Optima sedans manufactured from September 29, 2005, through June 13, 2007 because of a problem related to the transmission that can cause the cars to roll even while they are in park. The company said that in some cars, the transmission shift cable may have been installed incorrectly and can become detached from the shifter. If that occurs, the car would stay in the last used gear before detachment, even if the driver moves the shift lever to the park position. Read more »

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SCOOP: Kia Readying a Facelift for the 2012 Soul

It appears that the Soul is the next vehicle in Kia’s list to receive an update. Caught here in testing in Germany by our spy photographers, the bagged-up ends do their job to hide the Soul’s stylistic upgrades with the only visible change being the redesigned exterior mirrors that house the turning lights.

However, it is expected that the Soul will take some cues from the new Picanto and Rio hatchbacks (both of which were revealed at the Geneva Motor Show) such as the pulled back headlamps and more pronounced bumpers. An interior rework may also be in the cards.

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Kia Adds 256HP 2.0-liter Turbo to Sportage Range, Priced from $26,490

Kia has released details and pricing on its new turbocharged 2011 Sportage SX compact CUV, scheduled to arrive in the firm's U.S. showrooms later this month. The Sportage SX is Kia's second vehicle in the States to feature the company's 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with direct-injection technology and a twin-scroll turbocharger that delivers 256 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of peak torque.

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New Kia Cadenza Sedan in California

An undisguised example of the new Kia Cadenza sedan has been spotted by a carsandtec reader rolling around in California for the second time since the beginning of the year. This one was caught by Sanjay Patel. "Saw this Kia Cadenza with Michigan plates going 55 North in Orange County, California," 

The sleek looking sedan which is already on sale in South Korea as the K-7, is longer and wider than the Amanti it will replace. It is expected to be revealed this year in U.S.-spec with sales to follow before the end of 2011. In its home market, the K7/Cadenza is offered with three gasoline engines ranging in output from 165HP for the four-cylinder unit to 295HP for the 3.5 liter V6. 

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U Spy: New Kia Cadenza Sedan Spotted Again in California

An undisguised example of the new Kia Cadenza sedan has been spotted by a Cascoop reader rolling around in California for the second time since the beginning of the year. This one was caught by Sanjay Patel. "Saw this Kia Cadenza with Michigan plates going 55 North in Orange County, California," Sanjay told Carscoop.

The sleek looking sedan which is already on sale in South Korea as the K-7, is longer and wider than the Amanti it will replace. It is expected to be revealed this year in U.S.-spec with sales to follow before the end of 2011. In its home market, the K7/Cadenza is offered with three gasoline engines ranging in output from 165HP for the four-cylinder unit to 295HP for the 3.5 liter V6.

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Geneva 2011: All-New Kia Picanto Grows Up, Gains 3-Door Variant

The 2012 Kia Picanto mini made its global premiere alongside the also new Rio supermini at the Geneva Motor Show today. The South Korean firm's city car will be offered for the first time with a choice of 5-door and 3-door body styles, with Kia officials expecting the new three-door model to account for 33% of Picanto sales.

Like all recent Kia models, the new Picanto benefits from a far more expressive design inside and out compared to its predecessor. It also promises to offer more space inside as the overall vehicle length has increased by 60 mm, and the wheelbase has grown by 15 mm. These increases, along with the enhanced interior packaging, offer an additional 36mm legroom for the front passengers while trunk capacity has increased by 27 per cent to 200 liters.

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Geneva 2011: Next Kia Rio Keeps the Tiger Style Alive, the Circle is Complete

Kia insists on not holding back any punches with its new lineup, and its fourth-gen Rio is no different. The new Rio is lower, longer, and wider, and looks all the better for it. With the added dimensions come more passenger space, more comfort, and more storage capacity. Don't worry, as Kia will offer a variety of engines and transmissions to suit your needs. Scroll on down for the all-informative spreadsheet.

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Kia Rio 2012

Kia's product assault continues with the presentation of the all-new Rio subcompact, which will receive its world premiere together with the new Picanto at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.  

The latest car to be revealed by Kia boasts a far slicker exterior design than the current Rio bringing it in line with the rest of South Korean company's passenger model range. There are no photos of the interior, but Kia says its newcomer "will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models" along with a wider selection of trim options.
The Korean firm's Ford Fiesta-sized vehicle features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) compared to the outgoing Rio thus promising to offer improved passenger space together with an increased cargo capacity to 292 liters for the hatchback body style. Exterior dimensions changes include: +55 mm (overall length), -15 mm (height) and +25 mm (overall width). 

In Europe, the firm's B-Segment contender will be offered with a comprehensive range of petrol and diesel engines including a 1.1-liter diesel unit delivering 70-horsepower and CO2 emissions from as low as 85 g/km. 

But the big surprise is the announcement of an all-new 1.2-liter Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) that will be available from 2012, and which will offer the Koreans a significant advantage over its Japanese rivals.
Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing for Kia, commented: “This new model is a big step forward. The Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car that people will want to buy for its looks.”
The new Rio will go on sale in Europe as a 5-door model this fall, with a 3-door to be introduced into the range in early 2012. Pricing and full range details will be announced nearer the on-sale date.

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Geneva Preshow: 2012 Kia Rio Revealed in Detail, gets 1.2-liter Turbo Gasoline Engine

Kia's product assault continues with the presentation of the all-new Rio subcompact, which will receive its world premiere together with the new Picanto at the forthcoming Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.

The latest car to be revealed by Kia boasts a far slicker exterior design than the current Rio bringing it in line with the rest of South Korean company's passenger model range. There are no photos of the interior, but Kia says its newcomer "will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models" along with a wider selection of trim options.

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Record Audience to Make Super Bowl Advertisers’ Financial Efforts Worth While

Paying $3 million or more for a Super Bowl ad could be a stretch for automakers, even though the economic climate is slowly improving. However, according to New York advertising executives Peter Gardiner of Deutsch Inc. and Andy Donchin of Carat North America, a record audience is expected for this year’s game, which means that, overall, manufacturers might end up with a bargain.

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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.

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2012 kia picanto

Kia has released images of the domestic market version of its Picanto city car, which will be sold as the Morning in South Korea. From the looks of it, there won't be any notable differences between the local and European market specification Picanto, which will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March. You can read our previous post for more details including the powertrain options here. For the high resolution image gallery and the official brochure of the KDM Morning, follow the jump below. 

photos and video

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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.

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2012 Kia Picanto: HD Photo Gallery and Official Brochure of South Korean Model

As pointed out by a Carscoop reader in a previous post, Kia has released images of the domestic market version of its Picanto city car, which will be sold as the Morning in South Korea. From the looks of it, there won't be any notable differences between the local and European market specification Picanto, which will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March. You can read our previous post for more details including the powertrain options here. For the high resolution image gallery and the official brochure of the KDM Morning, follow the jump below.

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Kia Details Engine Range and Releases First Interior Photo of New Picanto

Kia today revealed that its new Picanto city car, which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March, will be available with a total of four-new engines. The South Korean automaker also released the first official picture of the car's interior and added that the Picanto will go on sale across Europe this Spring.

Buyers of the new Picanto will have a choice of up to four powertrains, with the exact choice depending on individual markets. The range includes three versions of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Kappa engine (petrol, flex fuel and bi-fuel) and a single 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol Kappa unit. The engines will be hooked up to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, depending on model.

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