Kia
Chicago 2012: Auto Show Round Up
Chicago’s 2012 show has come and gone, and while it wasn’t as jam-packed as Detroit or Los Angeles, the Windy City still had more than a few newsworthy debuts. We’ve wrapped up all of Winding Road’s coverage for your easy perusal.
Chicago 2012: Kia Track’ster Concept
Okay, silly name aside, everything about this Kia concept sounds awesome. For a start, it’s a Kia Soul minus two doors, which is pretty cool on its own. This thing looks like a second-gen RenaultSport Megane crossed with a Range Rover Evoque, only funkier. Despite the elimination of the back portals, the Track’ster’s wheelbase is almost a full inch longer than a standard Soul. It’s also five inches wider than the standard car, as well.
First Look: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe
Continuing the expansion of the North American Car Of The Year winning Elantra range, Hyundai has unveiled the two-door Elantra Coupe alongside the five-door GT. The Elantra Coupe will give Hyundai its first true competitor to the small two-door offerings from Honda and Kia.
Super Bowl Ads: Kia Puts Adriana Lima In A Bathing Suit, Mötley Crüe On Stage
This is an ad we can get behind, and not just because Adriana Lima is in a swimsuit. Kia enlists Mister Sandman to sprinkle some dreams on a happily sleeping couple. The wife dreams of riding through the countryside on a white horse with her Prince Charming at the reins. The husband’s dream is altogether more awesome, due to the slightly clumsy Sandman using a bit too much of his magic dust.
Quick Drive: 2012 Kia Soul ! 2.0
If you’ve read our Quick Drive of the 2011 Kia Soul, you’ll know that we like this boxy little vehicle, except for a few issues. Of course, a month after we publish that piece, Kia sent us its new-and-improved 2012 Soul, and addresses some of our baser concerns with the otherwise competent Kia.
List: Top Ten Concept Cars Of 2011
There are few things that get us going like a major international auto show. The sheer level of excitement that comes with new production models is trumped only by the concept cars that preview advanced technologies, new design directions, or near-future models. There have been more than a few concepts over the past 12 months, and we’ve gathered together ten of our favorites. Also, keep an eye out for the next issue of Winding Road, where we’ll be breaking down our outright favorite autos of 2011.
Driven: 2013 Chevrolet Malibu Eco
So what, if anything, should/will make this new Malibu stand out to you? How can a reasonably resurgent Chevy hope to compete with the numbers game so stacked against its gas/electric warrior? Chevy’s answer, one that should interest the typical Winding Road reader, we’d guess, is that the Malibu is a better, more engaging, less hybrid-like car to drive.
Quick Drive: 2011 Kia Soul White Tiger
Ask me which of the boxes (Scion xB, Kia Soul, Nissan Cube) I’d drive, my response was, and continues to be, the Kia Soul. That’s because the Kia walks the line; it avoids feeling too big like the obese xB while delivering a firmer ride than the squishy Nissan Cube. It doesn’t hurt that its funky styling is the freshest execution of the box-on-wheels-theme.
Driven: 2012 Kia Rio Five-Door
The Rio five-door is one of the new B-segment cars that now seem to be proliferating on our shores. If you haven’t been following this closely, we’ll jog your memory by mentioning the Honda Fit, the Ford Fiesta, the Nissan Versa, the Chevrolet Sonic, the Toyota Yaris, and the Mazda2. With EPA regulations forcing up average fuel economy numbers through 2016 and beyond, suddenly Americans are getting small cars whether they want them or not. Turns out the Rio has plenty to offer. But to understand that, you have to view the car from the right perspective.
Blog: Checking In On The Circuit Of The Americas
While we were attending the launch event for the Kia Rio5 in Austin, Texas the kind people from Kia arranged a visit to the site of the Circuit Of The Americas, home to the US Grand Prix Formula 1 race in 2012 and Moto GP in 2013. It was our first chance to get a close-up look at the topography with the track area clearly demarked.
Quick Drive: 2011 Kia Forte Koup
Kia did some things with the Forte Koup quite well, while other things don’t quite measure up. For a start, it’s a good looking car, especially in the Corsa Blue paint that our tester came in. It does look a bit too much like a Honda Civic Coupe, but the added aggression in the front and rear fascia really works well.
Kia Announces Pricing For All-New Rio Five-Door
Kia’s model revolution continues with the 2012 Rio, which has just been priced out at under $14,000. The base five-door manual hatch starts at $13,600, while adding a six-speed automatic will add $1100 to the base price. Option up to the top of the line SX, and you’ll be cutting a check for $18,000.
Frankfurt 2011: Frankfurt Auto Show Wrap-Up
As quickly as it began, the first media day of the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is over. This year’s show featured no shortage of concept cars, including one designed by a racecar driver. As for production metal, there seemed to be something for everyone: exotics, hybrids, station wagons, SUVs, GTs, and sports cars were all well represented at this years show.
Frankfurt 2011: Kia GT Concept
Kia has just unveiled a seriously good looking concept at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. Called simply GT, it’s a significant departure from anything we’ve seen from the South Korean manufacturer before.
Driven: 2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo
In case you haven’t noticed, we really like what Kia (and sister company Hyundai) have been up to lately. Case in point is the new turbocharged Optima, which takes all the things that made the regular mid-sizer so great, and adds a big, fat helping of force-induction goodness.
Driven: 2012 Volkswagen Passat
Regardless of engine, the Passat was quite simply one of the best mid-sizers in terms of ride and handling that we’d experienced in some time. The damping walked a perfect line between sportiness and comfort, with very little lateral movement, even under hard cornering. Aggressive brake and throttle inputs didn’t do much to disturb the car either. Unfortunately, this wasn’t the most communicative of vehicles. It was difficult to feel out things like grip levels and cornering loads due to the lack of movement through the suspension.
Quick Drive: 2011 Cadillac CTS-V Wagon
The greatest thing about the CTS-V Wagon isn’t the way it performs; it’s the reaction it generates on the faces of people you take for rides, pass on the freeway, and cruise by on the street.
First Look: 2011 Kia Sportage SX
Kia has announced a new version of the 2011 Sportage crossover, the SX, which features a more powerful turbocharged engine.
Driven: 2012 Mazda5
The hard-to-define Mazda5 sits lonely in its segment since the discontinuation of the Kia Rondo. That’s not to say that Mazda prefers to be the sole competitor—quite the opposite, in fact. Mazda welcomes the Ford C-Max to the arena, as the company claims to believe this will shed more light on the mini-minivan, or whatever you choose to call it. The company is confident the 5 will stand up to scrutiny, which is why they invited Winding Road to take it for a whirl.
List: Geneva Motor Show Preview
The Geneva Motor Show—always a paradise for insane concept cars, design studies, important new production vehicle launches, and the goofiest of the Euro boutique companies—is just around the corner. Here are just a few of the many reasons to stay tuned to news from the show.
Quick Drive: 2011 Kia Optima EX
Here comes Optima, one of the best-looking sedans from the 2011 model year, hot on the heels of the Sportage and the Koup, two of the best looking entries in their respective market segments, too. All offer exterior design that manages to be a little bit edgy without stepping far enough outside of the mainstream to risk polarization. That’s a fine line to tread, and one that the Kia folks have tight-roped beautifully for two years now.
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