kia

The Kia Soul Hamsters are still on a roll with the arrival of the special-edition 2011 Hamstar Soul.

This is the sixth special edition of the funky urban passenger line. The Soul was first seen as a concept at the 2010 SEMA Show.

The Kia Soul Hamsters rolled into pop culture in staring in music-filled commercials. Since then, those commercials have been viewed on YouTube more than 7 million times. And the Hamstar clothing line has been launched.

The Hamstar Soul special edition features off-black matte finish stripes on the vehicle's sides and a black star graphic with the … Read more

SEOUL--The way Peter Schreyer sees it, there is one key difference between European and Korean automakers: Europeans design from the heart, Koreans from the head.

"In a European company, everybody is a car driver, a car enthusiast," says the Germany-born design chief of Kia Motors Corp. "Everybody from the CEO to the little designer to people on the production line, they want to build cars they want to drive themselves."

Koreans can be more market-oriented: "They look at the big picture, which markets to explore or conquer. What do you do to get into that … Read more

From Paris to New York, automakers showed off their latest concept cars over the last seven months. These design and technology explorations were intended to incite buzz among auto show goers and demonstrate the future direction of their creators.

Many concepts, such as the Kia Pop, are odd-looking vehicles that will never see production. Then there are concepts such as the Jaguar C-X75 that we dream about night after night, despite the fact that Jaguar doesn't plan to build it.

The Ford Vertrek concept, and others like it, represent a future design idea for a specific model. Then there'… Read more

Kia debuted its electric car concept Naimo (pronounced "Neh-mo") at the 2011 Seoul Motor Show.

Named for its square shape, the Naimo looks a little like a scaled-down Pontiac Aztek without B-pillars. By using carriage doors and a hatchback, the four-seater maintains a small footprint with a length of just under 13 feet, putting its size somewhere between a Mini Cooper and a Mini Clubman. It also forgoes traditional windshield wipers, and instead uses a high-intensity air jet at the base of the windshield to blow off rain and water. You may have experienced similar technology at your … Read more

It's no secret that Kia and its parent company, Hyundai, have been making almost quantum leaps in the quality of their vehicles in the last generation or two. Comparing, for example, the 2011 Kia Optima to its 2010 iteration is almost like comparing apples to oranges. The new model is larger in nearly every dimension, but thanks to its sportier proportions, it looks much more menacing than its pudgy predecessor. While both examples offer 2.4-liter engines, the 2011 Optima's gasoline direct-injection system gives it a 24-horsepower advantage while also gaining 2 mpg in both city and highway … Read more

Kia has come a long way since it was a cheaper Hyundai (and who wouldn't want to progress with that hanging over their heads?) Brian Cooley takes you for a drive in the crisply folded 2011 Kia Optima to check the tech.

In this edition of CNET's Roadside Assistance, Brian Cooley and Wayne Cunningham are out, but Antuan Goodwin is in to answers questions about the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, Bose audio, and something about a Kia and an Oldsmobile sharing the same design cues.

Kia used to be a cheaper Hyundai. Not cool. But starting with the Soul they began to fully recast their brand, and Optima is their most important step yet in that direction. Brian Cooley takes you for a drive to check the tech.

Claiming it's the most fuel-efficient turbo crossover on the market, Kia is rolling out the 2011 Sportage SX compact CUV later this month.

The turbocharged Sportage SX gets its power from a Theta II 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder. It features up to 256 horsepower while boasting 27 miles per gallon on the highway.

Two versions of the Sportage SX will be offered. The front-wheel drive will start at $25,795, and the all-wheel drive will start at $27,295.

"In addition to power-train enhancements, the Sportage SX employs sport-tuned suspension featuring firmer shock and strut rates for … Read more