Tag Archives: KIA
Top 3 Features Of The Kia Soul First Class Concept
The Kia Soul First Class concept, which was specifically designed for the 2016 SEMA show, is taking autonomous technology to the next level by pairing it up with luxurious features such as rear facing front seats, a massive rear view screen, in-floor leg rests, and an elegant and comfortable cabin you’ll want to rest in.
Here are the top 3 features of the concept car based on a source:
Exterior
Kia tapped the resources of LUX Motorwerks to give the Soul a unique vision of what’s in the future for SUVs and crossovers. The first step is to bathe the Soul in LUX Electric Blue finish from top to bottom. Then, they also put LED lights that give a mysterious blue glow on the upper and lower grille.
The concept’s Rotiform Monoblock CCV 19-inch wheels are also fitted in Continental all-season tires. The backgrounds of the Kia emblems on the exterior are also painted LUX Electric Blue while the “Kia” lettering remains black. The headlights are getting the same LUX Electric Blue treatment as accents.
Interior
This is called Soul First Class for a reason. The interior is so luxurious it can make you think you’re inside a Bentley or a Rolls-Royce. What modifications this concept lacked outside, it more than makes up for what you can find inside.
What LUX did was to strip off everything out of the cabin and start on a clean canvass. The rear seats now face the back of the car while a new console was installed between the two seats. Each of the passengers will have access to a tablet device that can control and monitor every aspect of the vehicle.
The seats are made with gray leather with diamond stitching while the floor has been equipped with a modern gray wood, giving off that feel of class and luxury. In the rear, you’ll be able to see an entertainment center installed to that floor that has a Mac Mini computer.
Drivetrain
There are no chassis or drivetrain upgrades, but it is expected to have a 1.6-liter, all-aluminum, four-banger that can produce 130 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque. Higher models can offer 164 horsepower and 151 pound-feet of torque from a 2.0-liter engine.
2017 Kia Rio 5-Door Receives Minor Enhancements
Kia is carrying their five-door sedan for the 2017 model year with a few minor enhancements, including the new red and black color exteriors for the LX trim.
According to the company news site, the Kia Rio 2017 five-door sedan has three variants, so far—LX, EX, and SX. Excluding an $850 destination charge, the LX is priced at $15,495, the EX at $17,905, and the SX at $20,905. All the variants will carry an engine that is coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission that can produce 138 horsepower and 123 lb-ft of torque.
EPA estimated Kia’s five-door sedan to have the ratings 27/36/30 for city/highway/combined for all variants. As for dimensions, the overall length of the five-door sedan is 159.4 inches, the overall width is 67.7 inches, the overall height is 57.3 inches and the wheelbase has 101.2 inches.
It has a maximum cargo capacity of 49.8 cubic feet when the rear seat is folded without a luggage under tray, and 47.1 cubic feet when the rear seat is folded with luggage under tray. As for the curb weight, the LX is at 2,564 lbs., the EX is at 2,601 lbs., and the SX is at 2,732 lbs.
For 2017, the five-door Kia sedan continues to be the smallest and most economical model that can deliver a combination of world-class styling, fuel economy, advanced technologies, and good value.
The hatchback will be receiving design upgrades in the form of Kia’s signature tiger nose grille and wider, thinner body structure. The LED lights have also been redesigned with a U-shape for the headlights and an arrow design for the taillights.
Production for this new sedan from Kia will begin at the end of 2016 for overseas markets. Release dates for the United States have yet to be determined, so check back again for more details on that.
Will The Kia GT Concept Be Called The Stinger?
Reports have it that Korean auto maker Kia is working on a sleek sports sedan with a rear-wheel drive. This was apparently first featured in 2011 in the form of the Kia GT concept. Oh, how time flies.
It now carries the codename CK, and has recently been spotted on the back of a truck. Sources said it is set to make its debut later this year at the 2016 Paris Auto Show in September.
Until recent reports that reveal it might carry the Stinger name, this particular Kia was called a GT. Is the revelation that it will be named Stinger a confirmation that the GT would be a sports car performance-wise? After all, Kia used the name Stinger for its sports car concept in 2014.
That particular sports car was ruled out for production because of a low demand, but elements of it—the design and apparently, the name—will be featured on this sedan.
This GT or Stinger is based on the platform used on the Genesis G80 and the G90 sedans. One of the available powertrains for that platform is the twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 fitted in the Genesis sedans. That can produce 365 horsepower. Customers can choose between 4- or 6-cylinder engines.
Whatever it will be called, this new Kia is slated to be a part of the 2018 lineup for the Korean brand. It will fit somewhere in the middle of the Cadenza and the K900, and would compete with style-led sedans such as the Audi A7 and the Mercedes-Benz CLS. The Kia, of course, will be way cheaper.
Cheap cars are the centerfold of Kia’s business model. Though this was a successful strategy at first, Kia and sister company Hyundai are experiencing declining profits amid increasing sales. The new strategy seems to be targeting more profitable segments, such as the one where this new Kia will fit.
Kia Plans To Introduce Turbocharged Kia Soul Hatchback
Kia Soul has been highly popular the past years. Although I am personally not a fan of the bodystyle and there are extreme reactions to it among the auto industry experts, it was certainly one of Kia’s most popular models.
In fact, the only thing more popular than the Soul is the commercials Kia has produced for the incoming hatchback. Aside from the catchy hit songs that they used, the commercials also featured hamsters (which Kia tagged as Hamstars). Can anything be cuter than that?
The latest commercial is now out and it’s full of the same things—catchy song and Hamstars. But what specifically is being talked about right now is the “wink” at the end of the commercial, hinting of the possibility of a turbocharged Soul hatchback.
An overview of the current Soul lineup was also shown at the end of the video. The lineup included the regular gasoline-powered model, the electric model and a “turbo” version. Kia teased that all of these will be arriving just in time for Winter 2016.
We’ve heard rumors that Kia has been planning a turbocharged Soul hatchback for years. So far, this is the first evidence of those plans, and it’s just in time for a change in the Soul’s performance and power.
As for the bodystyle, many experts have always raved about the Soul’s standout styling, roomy interior and useful in-car technology. That’s not to mention that the Soul is nicely priced.
But what it does lack is more power and better performance on the road. The current Soul has either a gas-powered 130-hp 1.6-liter or a 164-hp 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, the latter offered only with automatic transmission.
What are we expecting? Kia currently has a 201-hp 1.6-liter turbo four on the Forte5. If that would be used to turbocharge the hatchback, we’re sure it will add a bit of pep, complete with either a manual or dual-clutch auto transmission.
2017 Kia Cadenza Gets 8-Speed Auto, Fuel Economy
The 2016 New York International Auto Show highlighted a slew of budget sedans and SUVs that would revamp market availabilities, targets and demands in the following months. One of the most anticipated confirmations is Kia’s 2017 Cadenza.
The brand has finally gives a glimpse of what’s new with the 2017 Kia Cadenza during the New York Auto Show. It can be recalled that the company revealed that the car will arrive in US shores later this year.
The car was first offered to Americans in 2013, so it’s not exactly old, but changes are forthcoming and much needed amid a society of automobile enthusiasts constantly needing upgrades, not to mention options for fuel economy.
The big sedan is related to the Azera, made by sister company Hyundai. It sports the same 3.3-liter V-6 and front-wheel drive setup currently in the outgoing model. The use of the same drive setup is not really surprising, although we expected more from this upgrade—preferably a smaller and more fuel-efficient engine.
The new Cadenza will also replace its current 6-speed automatic with the new 8-speed automatic transmission that promises to improve fuel economy.
If it follows the schedule, the new Kia Cadenza will be the first one from the brand to use the front-wheel and 8-speed auto transmission combination. We’re expecting that combination to be a platform for other future Kia vehicles, although the company has yet to confirm that.
Although it’s looking like the new Cadenza will be more fuel efficient than the current one in the market, Kia did not give any details to how economic it will be. Experts said it’ll be a slight improvement from the 19 mpg city, 28 highway and 22 combined from the current car. Here’s hoping the 2017 Cadenza will breach the 30 mpg threshold.
Outside, the Cadenza will have the same design as the one that debuted last November in Korea. It has a European-inspired exterior while the interior has light updates.
Source: Motor Authority