Initial Pictures Of 2011 Kia Sportage

The Official pictures of the Sportage have been released. Stunning are words used to describe the new SUV from KIA. A vast improvident over the old sportage in terms of design and hopefully performance and frugality. Hints of volkswagen Tiguan can be seen from the front but it really does not matter to me as the overall design hits the sweetspot with me. Here are pictures of the new Kia Sportage in various colours.

According to Carscoop, the Kia Sportage like all recent Kias are design under the guidance of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage carries the new Kia family look as seen on the Soul, Cadenza sedan and Sorento SUV, but it appears to have a more European flavor to it, with extra attention given to details.

The five-door crossover shares its platform with the also new Hyundai Tucson, known as the ix35 in Europe. It is longer and wider than the outgoing Sportage, something that should translate to improved cabin space.

We're still short on details about the engine range, but chances are that the 2011 Sportage will be offered with the same 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines coupled to six-speed transmissions as the Tuscon in North America, while in Europe, it will most likely get the same 1.7-liter and 2.0 liter diesels, and 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline units as the iX35. Official launching will be carried out at the Geneva Motor Show.

Kia cadenza/ K7 unveiled in Korea + photos

Kia's flagship sedan has officially made its debut in Korea today where it is called the K7. To the rest of the world the car will be known as Cadenza. The Cadenza replace the 10 year old Amanti/Opirus which carries a design that actually went out of fashion many years ago.

According to chief designer Peter Schreyer,"The traditional three-box sedan shape was retained, but was morphed into a more flowing design with an aerodynamic Cd of just 0.29." He further added " The interior is dominated by the treatment of the futuristic 'floating' dashboard that highlights Kia's innovative design approach.".

The Cadenza is shorter then the Opirus but manages to offer more space to the occupants through the extended wheelbase (up by 45 mm to 2845 mm), additional exterior width and more compact rear suspension. The Cadenza which sits on Kia's new 'Type-N' platform sheds 130kg from the previous generation Opirus.

Energy saving LEDs are used extensively on the cadenza from the front head lamps to the rear combination lamp clusters while dual mufflers integrated into the bumper, enhance the new Cadenza's sporty appearance.

The press release by Kia also highlights the 'welcome' system turns on the exterior puddle and interior lights to 'greet' the car owner. I can imagine how Jeremy Clarkson will be annoyed by this feature.

The Kia Cadenza comes equiped with electronic amenities such as Dual-zone climate control air-conditioning is standard, and other high-tech 'comfort & convenience' features include keyless entry and an engine 'start' button, RPAS reversing sensors, a reversing safety camera with interior mirror display screen and a powered extension for the driver's seat cushion.


Here is the technical details :

Body & Chassis
Four-door, five-seater sedan, with all-steel unitary construction bodyshell. Powered by transversely-mounted V6 gasoline engine driving the front wheels.

Engine
3.5-litre / 290 ps : [ Middle East & General Markets ]
Type : 'Lambda II' Quad-OHC, six-cylinder in V, with dual CVVT
Max power : 290 ps (213 kW) @ 6600 rpm
Max torque : 338 Nm (34.5 kg.m) @ 5000 rpm

Transmission
Automatic : 6-sp with fully auto & sequential manual modes

Suspension & Damping
Front : Fully independent by MacPherson Struts.
Rear : Fully independent by Multi-Link rear axle.

Steering
Type : Hydraulic power-assisted rack and pinion
Gearing : 2.94 turns lock-to-lock with 11.08 metres turning circle

Brakes
Front / Rear : 300 x 28 mm ventilated discs / 284 x 10 mm solid discs

Wheels & Tires
Standard LX : Alloy 16 in x 6.5J 215/65 R16 tires
Standard EX* : Alloy 17 in x 7.0J 225/55 R17 tires
*Optional on LX















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Naza Forte Launching On the 25th Of NOV '09

The Kia Forte will be arriving to Malaysian shores very soon in the form of a Naza Forte.A short conversation with one of Naza's representative reveals the estimated starting price to be around 80K - 90K region which puts it in direct competition with the popular Honda City & Toyota Vios. The representative also told me that there will be two engine options available which is the 1.6liter and the 2.0 liter.

The 1.6 liter version will be available in two trims (EX & SX) while the flagship 2.0 liter comes with full specifications which includes 6 airbags & the start/stop engine button (hopefully its the hot Koup Version). The Forte represents the new breed of Kia Cars which are design by Kia's Chief Designer Peter Schreyer. While Naza may want to leave you speechless over the new Forte, its long term success very much depends on Naza's after sales service & availability of affordable spare parts which seems to be lacking many sense. Naza needs to buck up on their part to help improve the resale value of Kia s in Malaysia.
















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2010 Kia Sportage Spied

The next generation of Kia Sportage was caught in Kia's R&D center in Germany with heavy camouflage. Set to make its debut in the 2010 Geneva Motor Show, I am confident Kia is going to deliver another class leading product just like how Hyundai did with the ix35. Speaking of Hyundai, the next generation Sportage share the same underpinning as the Hyundai ix35/Tucson. Under the hood, one can expect the 2.0L and 2.4L Theta II gasoline engines that will generate 166 and 175 horsepower along with Hyundai/Kia's new generation of efficient Diesel powerplant. The gem of the family has to be the 2.0L R-diesel engine with class-leading 184 horsepower rating and 15.4 kilometers per liter fuel economy. Markets who prefer smaller displacement diesel engines may get the 115-hp 1.7L four-cylinder diesel engine, as well as 1.6L GDI gasoline powerplant with 140 horsepower in the line up as well. The package is complete with Kia’s all-new six-speed automatic transmission coupled with ISG (Idle, Stop & GO).






Source: KiaWorld

Kia Soul Video

From the directors of Kanye West’s ‘Good Life,’ and Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s ‘4 Minutes,’ comes.... (I know it sounds cliche here) the Kia Soul Video ad directed by French filmmakers Jonas & Francois. Yea, the Kia Soul has been in the market for sometime but that does not deter Kia from further promote tha car. The advert incorporate Kia Motors America’s concept for the Soul, ‘A new way to roll.’ I am not going to spoil it all by telling you what the video is all about. I've also included the previous video that features cute hamsters taking the Soul for a spin. Source

Kia K7 also known as Cadenza

The Kia VG concept car has an official name now. It is known as the Kia K7 in Korea and Cadenza for the rest of the world. If you are wondering what Cadenza means it is actually an elaborate, ornamental flourish for a concerto or aria which according to Kia perfectly symbolizes the dynamic sedan’s striking design philosophy and upscale image.

The k7 stays pretty much faithful to the concept shown and it looks sporty and sleek upfront flanked by a bold headlamp design. Unfortunately the Schreyer Grill is too wide & plain for my liking. The rear features an Audi inspired ring of LED break lights which work fine with the overall theme.

Latest news from Kia World.net reveals that the K7 will be available with two engine options namely the 290-hp 3.5V6, 2.7L V6 with 200-hp and 2.4L Theta II with 180-hp which will be available at launch, while 201-hp Theta II GDI (gasoline direct injection) will be available from October 2010.

The interior sports an upmarket design & trim first seen in the VG. Chrome linings can be seen paving the 'floating' dashboard and air-cond vents. Kia should have fitted the dashboard with knobs & switches unique to the k7 instead of borrowing cheap looking parts from the Forte. Kia will be asking for 28 million Korean Won (US$23,800), while the top of the range K7 will go for 40 million Korean Won ($34,000). Both prices are quoted for the Korean Domestic Model.









Source

Kia VG Spied

I posted up an article showing Kia's rendering of the upcoming D-segment sedan VG. It seems that spy shots of the actual vehicle has surface on the net thanks to Kia World. The Kia VG will be the newly launched Sonata YF's cousin with a range of efficient four & six cylinder engines found under the hood. The mostly likely candidate of power plants would be the

2.4L Theta II and revised V6 Lambda engines featuring Kia's direct gasoline injection technology. Rumors had it that a 3.5 liter V6 unit might find its way to the flagship variant to offer the best of performance & luxury. One can aspect the 6-speed transmission box found in the 2010 Sorento to channel power from the engine to the wheels. There are intentions of bringing the VG equipped with Kia's most potent Diesel engine to battle out with more established makes in Europe. From the spy images I can see that Kia has stayed true to the concept from the Aston Martin/Audi inspired LED break lights to the Pearl white paint seen on the concept.

Source

AutoAlert : Kia VG Official Sketch Released

Set to replace the aging Amanti, the Kia VG will be available with a 2.4L Theta II 4-cylinder or a 3.5L Lambda II V6 under the hood. This luxury vehicle will share the same platform with Hyundai Grandeur/Azera which unfortunately now looks dated & tired. The Kia gave the VG a very modern design to further strenghten their presence in the Luxury sedan segment. The US will probably get the car in the first quarter of

2010 after the Korean release in November 2009.

The Following pictures are taken from the Seoul International Motorshow earlier in April 2009.

Related Article : 2010 Kia Cee'd Facelift

Source : Kia via Thecarblogger