kia

Too often, the only virtues cheap cars bring to the market are low price and decent fuel economy, and that latter feature is only a byproduct of a small, inexpensive engine. But Kia's Soul manages to add tech, usable space, and a little bit of fun to the usual features. We realize that the Scion xB did all of this first, but it doesn't necessarily do it better.

We spent a little time driving the Kia Soul, in its Sport trim, at a recent driving event, and had our tech sensibilities thoroughly pleased. The top-of-the-line Sport trim Soul … Read more

We spend a lot of time evaluating the electronics in new cars, digging through navigation system menus, hooking up phones and iPods, and listening to audio systems. But occasionally we get to put these very same cars on the track, to find out how their performance technologies work under stress.

This year, we drove a wide variety of cars on the track at Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca. There was the new Hyundai Genesis Coupe and Chevrolet Camaro. We had familiar rides such as the BMW M3 and Acura TL SH-AWD. Then there were the race-bred cars, the Audi R8 and … Read more

The Kia Soul hamsters aren't worried about the economy. They just saved a bundle on a brand new city car. This commercial, that popped up on YouTube and the Kia Soul Web site, features three hamsters that have given up the cage wheel and have found a new way to roll.

Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia take the limelight at the 2009 New York auto show, launching a futuristic concept and a sporty coupe. Hyundai's new concept takes a look at what a future crossover model might look like, while Kia takes its recently launched Forte sedan and gives it a performance treatment, taking on front-wheel-drive favorites such as the Honda Civic Si.

Due to high gas prices and narrow roads, Europeans have always appreciated small cars. Two new concepts from Ford and Kia show how small can be big, maximizing interior space and utility on a short wheelbase. Check out our photos from the 2009 Geneva auto show for details.

The Kia Soul'ster, considered as purely a concept vehicle for last month's Detroit auto show, is now a candidate for production.

The reason, Kia says, is the strong response at the show to the small, stylish, two-door mixture of convertible and pickup. The Soul'ster is based on the tall, boxy 2010 Kia Soul, a front-drive, five-door hatchback aimed at the Scion xB and xD.

"The response was so overwhelming" that Kia decided it needs to take a closer look, said Alex Fedorak, a Kia Motors America spokesman. "It is clearly a vehicle that was … Read more

Kia Motors America introduced the all-new 2010 Kia Forte (pronounced for-tay) compact sedan at the 2009 Chicago Auto Show. The 2010 Kia Forte will go on sale in North America in late spring or early summer of 2009.

At first glance, the new Forte appears to be a bit Civic-like, but that's not necessarily a bad thing. At least it's not Corolla-like. With its swept-back headlamps and a sleek--if not standardized--profile, Forte doesn't stray too far from the sporty econobox formula. We can just see the Forte SX, with its 17-inch alloy wheels and rear spoiler loitering … Read more

Kia has released this teaser image of an upcoming small MPV concept set to be unveiled at the 2009 Geneva auto show in March.

Kia's calling it a "Million Possibilities Vehicle," but we all know that MPV stands for "multipurpose vehicle" or, in plain English, a minivan. Honestly, when did minivan become such a dirty word that automakers just won't let themselves use it?

Since it will be a small MPV, you should try to imagine something about the size and shape of a Mazda Mazda5, but with the styling cues of the Kia Soul, … Read more

If there's one thing that Lotus Cars does well, it is building fantastically balanced cars. What many don't realize is that Lotus also works behind the scenes for many larger automakers (Chrysler, GM, Toyota, and Ford, to name a few) designing and tuning some of the most excellent power plants and chassis in the business. Kia Motors seems to have taken notice, because the Korean automaker is working with Lotus to tune the suspension setup of its future models, starting with the Kia Soul.

Lotus will be working to tune the Kias' suspensions specifically for British roads. According … Read more