kia

Kia today released images of the 2012 Rio. The wedge-shape Rio will come in three versions (three-, four- and five-door), and will be available worldwide.

Kia is offering six engines for the new Rio including a 1.1 liter, 70 hp diesel in Europe; a 1.2-liter turbocharged direct-injected engine also for Europe; and a 1.6 liter gasoline engine, which puts out 140 hp, for the North American market.

The revamped Rio is 2 inches longer, 1 inch wider, and about a half an inch shorter than the outgoing model. The wheelbase has increased by about 3 inches, which … Read more

In recent years, automotive designers have become very aware that strong design language reinforces a brand. BMW and Cadillac pushed hard in the last decade to create a common look to all models under each brand. The result was that, when you see a Cadillac on the street, you know that it is a Cadillac. No other cars look quite like it.

Other companies quickly got on board. Automotive designers come up with phrases to help their teams focus when designing a new car or a model update. Design languages such as L-Finesse, Keen Edge, and Fluidic Sculpture encompass the … Read more

General Motors won't be selling cars in South Korea under the Daewoo label, the automaker announced today. The Daewoo logo will be replaced by the Chevrolet name and signature bow-tie logo. The company name, GM Daewoo, will also be changed to GM Korea Co., the company said in a statement.

"This important new brand strategy is designed to strengthen our commitment to the Korean market, recognizing it as one of the strongest-performing countries within GM's global operations. We are well positioned to bring one of the world's iconic brands to Korea," said Mike Arcamone, President … Read more

DETROIT--At this year's Detroit auto show, the concept cars looked like serious moves toward a production vehicle rather than a designer's fever dreams. And telling among this crop was the predominance of compact SUVs, a segment that automakers expect to grow.

We started off with a new Civic concept, and in Honda style this car was a mere preview of a production vehicle. Toyota also had a small hatchback concept in its Prius line.

More exciting concepts came from Ford, Hyundai, Kia, and Mini. This crop of compact SUVs featured upright seating positions and raised rooflines. Among these, … Read more

DETROIT--Kia tries to break new ground with the KV7 concept in the world of minivans, but others have been there before. The front-end of the KV7 concept uses an upright grille and windshield, purposefully bringing a trucklike design to the minivan.

In a typical concept move, the side door opens upward, the floor is wood, and the podlike chairs swivel around. It looks like a comfortable place to ride. And Kia even points out its past record of turning forward-looking concepts such as the Soul and Forte into production vehicles with few changes.

But many concepts have shown similarly loungelike … Read more

Last year Kia showed us how to roll, with hamsters in the commercials for its Soul subcompact.

Now, it hopes to turn heads with its newest model at the 2011 North American International Auto Show in Detroit next month. The Korean automaker last week released a photo and a few details in a two-sentence press release about the KV7 concept.

The KV7 isn't just another boxy crossover. The company said it will make a "dramatic design statement" with gull-wing rear doors and hardwood floors.

Now, what little critters will be hawking the KV7, if the model makes … Read more

Today at the 2010 SEMA Show, Kia unveiled a pair of vehicles that, despite being cut from the same cloth, couldn't be more different. These two 2011 Kia Sportages--both customized by Antenna Magazine--pit work against play, Android against Apple, matte against glossy, and red against blue.

The matte red Antenna Play concept is designed for an active and playful lifestyle with a roof rack for extreme sports equipment. A working barbecue grill shares the rear hatch with a Mac Mini, a storage locker, and a flat-screen television. Molded into the center console is a cradle for an Apple iPod … Read more

Rear-view cameras are beginning to do more than just giving a driver eyes in the back of his head.

In the most basic form of the technology, a digital camera mounted in the rear captures what's behind a vehicle when it's in reverse and displays the image on the navigation screen.

After being introduced in the late 1990s, the technology has become one of the most popular options with consumers, said Mike Marshall, senior director of automotive product quality research at J.D. Power and Associates. In a J.D. Power survey of emerging technologies, released in June, rear-view camera systems ranked No. 5 in consumer interest.

The popularity of central screens has helped the technology become much more widely available. Today, rear-view cameras are offered on lower-priced vehicles. For example, the 2011 Kia Sportage crossover features a rear camera system in a $1,500 option package available on its LX trim level, which includes a navigation system.

As the technology spreads to lower-priced vehicles, higher-priced nameplates are starting to feature more advanced systems. Infiniti introduced the Around View Monitor on its 2008 EX35 crossover. The system stitches together images from four cameras to create a 360-degree view that is displayed on the vehicle's navigation screen when parking. The system is also offered as an option on the 2011 Infiniti FX crossover and QX SUV.

Meanwhile, R&D labs at suppliers are developing systems that go beyond showing what drivers cannot see. … Read more

Paris is noted as a fashion center, so we weren't surprised to find a number of very stylish concept cars at the 2010 Paris Motor Show.

As one example, French carmaker Citroen teamed up with Lacoste to design a very fun-looking car built for fun in the sun. Meanwhile Renault offered the very sexy DeZir concept in luscious red with pronounced curves.

But other regions of the world were not left out. Jaguar offers up the incredibly sleek C-X75 and Nissan came out with a funky utility car.

And BMW fans finally got treated to a taste of what … Read more