Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The latest concept that’s scheduled to break cover at the biggest auto show of the year is the Kia Sports Sedan Concept. FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive Sport sedan with suicide doors, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. It has certainly taken the company too long to get around to designing a sports car, but Kia's first rear-wheel drive car is a beauty, and it's packing a V-6 turbo, too. Kia has been changing what people think about Korean cars for well over a year now thanks to some impressive designs, and now the automaker is looking to add some performance to its lineup with the new Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show – the first ever rear-drive vehicle by Kia.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

This is the GT concept. Kia has appeared to step out of their zone of bland economy cars and into the arena of sleek custom cars. The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show apparently gives a hint to the company's new design direction inspired by "the iconic 1970s GT cars, capable of whisking passengers from Paris to the South of France in effortless style and at high speed. It would be a dream to put this into production" says Peter Schreyer, Kia design chief. "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Set to be unveiled tomorrow at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is a rear-drive coupe-styled sport sedan that we can now confirm is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injection 3.3-liter V6 making 395-hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. Helping get power to the ground in a smooth and fuel efficient manner is an 8-speed automatic transmission. This four-seat concept, introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, hints at the expected rear-wheel-drive sports car sedan from Kia—which would be a first for the brand. It’s looking like a pretty sure thing, while also looking pretty darn good and unlike anything we’ve seen yet from Korea.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, it’s a turbocharged version of the direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine the conglomerate sells in other markets. In this application, it’s tied to the new eight-speed automatic seen in the Genesis and Equus, and delivers 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The engine makes sense as the downsized replacement for the Koreans’ current 4.6-liter V-8. When the GT—or some semblance thereof—goes into production, either a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated V-6 will likely power the base model.

 Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

“This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer.  ”The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

 Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Ignore the carbon-fiber wheel fins and sills, the glass-panel OLED interior controls, and the suicide doors, and you still end up with an attractive and eye-catching design. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer has gone on record saying he wants to build more interesting and fun-to-drive cars, and this is one about which he’s clearly excited. The GT’s silhouette reminds somewhat of the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7, which is no bad thing. At least when it comes to styling, where it has in the past diverged most from its Hyundai sibling, Kia seems to be heading in the right direction.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

New vehicle platforms being the expensive, engineering-intensive undertakings that they are, we fully expect the production version of this concept to ride on underpinnings shared with Hyundai. Kia even supplied dimensions for the GT (more evidence of an imminent if not already lit green light), quoting a wheelbase of 112.6 inches, which is three inches shy of the Hyundai Genesis sedan’s and 1.6 greater than the Genesis Coupe’s. In other words, it’s doable with the company’s current rear-drive parts.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, 690 mm long and 1.890 mm wide concept car, which signals Kia’s distinctive new design direction, has the classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of a high performance sport car sedan which ensures very different proportions from a front-wheel drive car.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The new concept allowed Kia to explore exciting new visual paths – with an extended bonnet, the front wheels pushed to the very front of the car, the cab-rearward stance with powerful rear shoulders and a truncated rear end. The front doors and rear-hinged back doors open at a slight upward angle ensuring easy access to the spacious and airy interior which provides generous, uncluttered cabin accommodation for four – thanks in part to the Kia GT’s unusually long wheelbase (2.860 mm) and despite its low stance, overall height is just 1.380 mm.

New Kia KV7 Crossover Blogspot

Kia is giving us our first glimpse of its all-new KV7 concept model, which will have its world premiere at next month's 2011 Detroit Motor Show. Aside from the teaser rendering you see pictured above, the Korean firm didn't really reveal any details on the funky crossover model that features a set of Gullwing-style rear doors, but if you insist, we've added the press release after the jump.

Kia 2011 Pro

Photos of the mildly refreshed Kia Pro_cee'd are making the internet rounds before the car's scheduled world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Motor Show in early March. The most obvious visual changes concern the restyled front end that brings the three-door version of the European market Cee'd more in line with Kia's latest offerings.
Along with the new H-shaped front grille finished in black, the 2011 Pro_cee'd also gains restyled headlamps and a reworked bumper. It is also possible that Kia may have upgraded the three-door model's interior as well as its engine line-up, but we won't know for sure until we get the official press release in our hands. Until then, follow the break to check out the rest of the pictures.

Argentina Agrees to Allow Hyundai and Kia Imports for Peanuts – Literally…

Argentina’s exports for imports saga continues, with South Korean carmaker Hyundai agreeing to export peanuts, wine, biodiesel and soy flour to offset the US$91 million (€64 million) it added to Argentina’s growing trade deficit in 2010. Partner company / subsidiary Kia has agreed export white goods and plastics for their contribution.
The South American nation’s US$6 billion (€4.19 billion) trade deficit has already led to one Porsche distributor agreeing to export wine and olive products, while similar deals have been struck with carmakers Chery, GM, Peugeot-Citroen, Alfa Romeo, Mercedes-Benz, Volkswagen, Fiat and Ford.

Kia Reunites Joyride Characters for New 2012 Sorento Ad

Though not as successful as their music-loving hamster counterparts, Kia’s oddball cast of life-size children's characters from last year’s Joyride commercials are back for a new advertising campaign.
Muno, Sock Monkey, MR. X, the vintage robot and teddy bear will star in two new 30-second TV spots for the 2012 Sorento CUV. As with the original campaign, "Joyride 2" was created by David&Goliath, KMA's advertising agency of choice. The first commercial begins airing today and will be followed up by the second spot next month.

Toyota Sales Plunge More than 33% in May, Chrysler Group up by 10%

The numbers for U.S. auto sales for the month of May are out and as expected, Japanese automakers continue to be hit hard by the ongoing production disruptions caused by the March 11 earthquake, tsunami and nuclear disaster in their home market. As a result, Toyota’s sales plunged 33.4% over the year-ago month to 108,387 units, while rivaling Honda saw its sales fall 22.5% to 90,773 vehicles, Nissan recorded a 9.1% drop to 76,148 units and Mazda 17,875 vehicles, down 20.9%.
General Motors dealers in the United States delivered 221,192 vehicles in May posting a decline of 1%, while the Ford Motor Co. said its sales decreased by 0.1% to 192,253 cars, trucks and SUVs.

Hyundai Set to Become Sixth Biggest Automaker in the U.S. In 2011

In the realm of U.S. automotive sales, 8% is a magic number. When an automaker hits 8%, they know they’ve become one of the big guns. Ford, Chevrolet, Toyota, Honda, Dodge and Nissan have all made it, and 2011 is expected to be Hyundai’s year.
So sayeth market research firm Polk, and I’m tempted to agree. Hyundai and its partner-brand / internal rival Kia have steadily been evolving into truly world-class carmakers. They’re keenly priced, inoffensive to look at and comprehensively covered quality-wise – everything the vast majority of new car buyers want in this day and age.

Kia’s Brand New 40mpg Optima Hybrid Priced from $27,250

Kia is ready to talk pricing on its first ever hybrid vehicle in the States, the all-new Optima Hybrid, which we first saw at last year’s Los Angeles Auto Show. A sister model to Hyundai’s Sonata Hybrid, with which is shares the same gasoline-electric powertrain, the Optima Hybrid will reach U.S. showrooms in June with a starting price of $26,500, not including a $750 destination and handling fee that lifts the cost to $27,250. By comparison, the hybrid version of the Sonata starts at $25,795, excluding destination charges.

Kia Officials Hint at New Premium RWD K9 Sedan Based on the Genesis

South Korea’s largest automaker, Hyundai Motor Co. is leaving no stone unturned in its quest for world domination. Having already pushed its Hyundai brand into new territories with the Genesis and Equus premium sedans as well as the sporty, rear-wheel drive Genesis Coupe, the Koreans now appear to be focusing on the company’s second brand, Kia.
We first heard rumors about a range topping Kia sedan referred to by most as the K9 in late 2009, but now, the word is coming from two company officials.
"We have an interest in all new models under development. A rear-wheel-drive premium sedan could be seen as a logical step from the Optima to the next level of Kia development," Kia Motors Australia COO Tony Barlow told Drive, an Australian car site. "It is far too early at this stage to be any more precise about the car but we will definitely maintain a watching brief,” he added.

KIA Super Sport Cars Proport To The Fan of Sport Cars (Super-Sport Cloth)

KIA Super Sport Cars Proport To The Fan of Sport Cars (Super-Sport Cloth)

As we all know KIA is more into making family cars, but if the brand ever makes its mind to build a Super sport cars, it would somewhat look like this. It's almost a common thing to see designers around the world create all kinds of futuristic concepts that have close to zero chances to enter production even in prototype form. In fact, most of these are the result of pure imagination and car companies don't even hear about them, although Internet users praise the designs and ask for a production model.

KIA Super Sport Cars Proport To The Fan of Sport Cars (Super-Sport Cloth)

The brainchild of Mohammad R. Shojaie who has considerable liking for the super sport cars, this vehicle has been designed on the basis of the current design language of KIA. Dubbed the KIA Proport, which is the amalgamation of Pro plus Sport without the “S” character which means the fan of sport cars, the vehicle isn’t about designing a new style but KIA in a super-sport cloth. The vehicle has some of the famous elements of the KIA design and it seems an imagination worth commercialization.

This is exactly the car of the so-called Kia Proport, a sports car which goes way beyond what a Kia fan would expect from the South Korean manufacturer. In fact, it looks so good that it's hardly possible to see such a vehicle manufactured under Kia's badge. KIA Super Sport Cars Proport To The Fan of Sport Cars (Super-Sport Cloth). We're not the biggest Kia fans, but we really see the Korean brand more of a consumer oriented company, rather than a firm looking to build supercars.

KIA Super Sport Cars Proport To The Fan of Sport Cars (Super-Sport Cloth)

2011 Next-Gen Kia Optima Sports Sedan

The next generation Kia Optima is set to make its world premiere at the 2010 New York International Auto Show. "The next generation of Kia Optima possesses the power to surprise," says Peter Schreyer, Kia's Chief Design Officer. "It's a car that people will simply not expect from Kia - and that's exactly what we set out to achieve." Kia has officially unveiled the next Optima four-door coupe, ahead of the full reveal set to take place at the 2010 New York Auto Show. Kia’s new flagship sedan/coupe looks to be a far more attractive and far more worthy of a flagship designation.

2011 Kia Optima

Just weeks ago Kia released new sketches of the upcoming 2011 Magentis four-door coupe – currently known as the Optima sedan in America. The sketches look to be very true to the now official images that have been released ahead of the full reveal set for the upcoming 2010 New York Auto Show. The saloon exudes an athletic confidence from every angle - its raked roofline, high and pronounced shoulder line of its sculpted flanks and its extended wheelbase are complemented by flared wheelarches and a shallow glasshouse that create a saloon with a muscular, self-assured stance. The striking visage of the car features a new interpretation of Kia's bold 'tiger' family face that's edged by piercing projector headlamps.

2011 Kia Optima

The Kia Optima is currently the flagship sedan for the automaker and the next model gains considerable changes in the exterior cosmetics department. The outgoing Optima is a fairly tame sedan, but Kia is replacing its sedan with a much sportier silhouette – much more akin to a coupe, than a sedan. So much so, Kia says the 2011 Optima will be labeled as a 4-door coupe, rather than a sedan. Following the theme of recent model revisions, new Kia Optima is longer, lower and wider than before, the Kia's coupe-like profile is enhanced by the sweeping chrome arc that flows from A to C pillar, a distinctive design motif that visually lowers the car further still and enhances its cab-backwards proportions.

2011 Kia Optima

In addition to significantly overhauling the overall styling direction of the Magentis/Optima, Kia says that it will be bringing its next flagship sedan/coupe closer to the ground with a lower stance, in addition to giving it a wider and more stable stance to go long with its longer wheelbase. Kia says the end result is a four-door coupe that has more room for its occupants and cargo alike, as well as a more planted driving dynamic. "For this car we started with a clean sheet and worked to achieve an exterior design with a European feeling and stance," explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer, Kia Europe. To help achieve this, the exterior was designed by his team in Frankfurt. The interior was created by the design team in California.

2011 Kia Optima

Power-wise, the Optima will use the same engines as the 2011 Sonata and will be offered in four and six-cylinder versions. The four-cylinder offering, should it come from the 2011 Sonata, will be a 2.4-liter good for 200 horsepower and 186 lb.-ft of torque – all the while getting as much as 35 miles per gallon on the highway. The new D-segment offering is spacious, and with class-leading levels of safety and luxury equipment, the intelligently configured and driver-oriented cabin underlines a newfound poise and presence. "This new model embodies Kia's confident new design direction," says Schreyer. "It's a global car with individual appeal."

The 2011 Kia Optima is expected to hit the market in the fall of 2010, with a hybrid version possibly available at lunch, or relatively soon after.

2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

CHICAGO, February 10, 2010 – Kia Motors America (KMA) today unveiled the Ray Plug-in Hybrid concept during a press conference at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, advancing momentum of Kia Motors' global alternative fuel and powertrain research program, and its sub-brand coined 'EcoDynamics,' to develop innovative fuel-stretching and emissions-cutting technologies. 

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

The most efficient Kia vehicles with significant fuel consumption and emission reductions developed under the EcoDynamics sub-brand will be identified with the EcoDynamics badge. Recently, the EcoDynamics sub-brand took a major step forward with the introduction of the Kia Borrego Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) followed by the Forte LPI Hybrid, the gasoline Kia cee'd Hybrid and the twin-turbo diesel Kia Sorento Hybrid.

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

Kia Ray Plug-in Hybrid Concept is designed in a lowered mono-volume curvaceous shape for improved aerodynamics, while the use of lightweight and eco-friendly recycled materials is what had made it called EcoDynamics. 

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

To support this, the Ray” employs new “cool car” technology, including nano-laminate films and cool-glazing materials to reduce solar heat and demonstrate how keeping the interior cool while reducing air conditioning loads and greenhouse emissions. In addition, The “Ray” interior is also stuffed with eco-friendly recycled materials, which is strengthened by green technology feature of the all-new GreenEdgeTM system by Infinity® Audio.

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

Kia Ray Plug-in Hybrid Concept is powered by an all-aluminum 153-horsepower Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) 1.4-litre engine mated to a permanently-engaged fixed ratio Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT), which is used in combination with a 78kw electric motor. 

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

To encourage economical driving, the “Ray” is equipped with an engine-power saving alternator management system and a toggle gear-shift indicator. Moreover, the custom-designed low-rolling resistance tyres with a hexagon pattern in narrow 20-inch (195/50R20) construction also contribute to improve efficiency.

 2010 Kia Ray Plug-in New Hybrid Concept EcoDynamics

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept will present at the Chicago Auto Show

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept

KIA Motors is currently preparing their new concept car that will be displayed at the Chicago Auto Show 2010. The figure in the vehicle named Kia Ray in the form of the official release has a unique taillights.

 

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept Kia Ray is the vehicle plug-in hybrid that is a picture of Kia's green programs in the future. Platform concept would seem hibryd used Kia models that will come, but it is unlikely that vehicles will be the Kia design language that will come.

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept

Kia Ray designed at Kia's American design studios released only in an illustration. There's no other details about this vehicle and it seems we must wait until the Chicago Auto Show going to get any further to what is really shown by Kia through Ray Plug-in hybrid it.

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept

But most likely, will carry the Kia Ray drive system similar to that used by Kia Blue-will. We will wait.