Kia Celebrates 20 Years in the UK

Today, June 30, Kia celebrates the 20th anniversary since it sold its first ever car in the UK. In 1991, the small hatchback Pride was the only Kia model on sale in Britain and in that year, the company managed to sell just only 1,786 cars.

However, two decades is a very long time in the automotive industry. Since then Kia has changed remarkably on its way to become an important player on a global scale. In 2010, Kia sold a record 56,114 cars in the UK and, for the first time ever, more than 2 million units worldwide.

Read more »

Kia Reunites Joyride Characters for New 2012 Sorento Ad

Though not as successful as their music-loving hamster counterparts, Kia’s oddball cast of life-size children's characters from last year’s Joyride commercials are back for a new advertising campaign.

Muno, Sock Monkey, MR. X, the vintage robot and teddy bear will star in two new 30-second TV spots for the 2012 Sorento CUV. As with the original campaign, "Joyride 2" was created by David&Goliath, KMA's advertising agency of choice. The first commercial begins airing today and will be followed up by the second spot next month.

Read more »

kia sorento best review

kia sorento xm 2010
kia sorento
kia sorento
kia sorento
kia sorento lx

It has two transmission options: a 5-speed manual or 4/5-speed automatic transmission (pre-2005 models have a 4 speed automatic, whilst 2005 Sorentos come with a 5 speed tip-tronic style automatic transmission). Sorentos are equipped with a Hyundai-manufactured 3.5L 24-valve DOHC V6 producing 192 hp (143 kW) at 5500 rpm, and 217 lb·ft (294 N·m) of torque @ 3,000 rpm. The Sorento is very capable off-road, with an automatic four-wheel drive system featuring low range gearing. A sport package is available for the LX base model which adds a 5 speed manual transmission, fog lamps, alloy wheels, step bars, a leather wrapped steering wheel, a roof rack and remote keyless entry. All American Sorentos also come with dual front airbags and dual side-curtain airbags in the front and rear. The 4x4 system is a shift-on-the-fly knob located usually on the lower panel to the left of the steering column. Three modes available are Two-Wheel Drive, Four-High, and Four-Low. On-dash indicators show when the Four Wheel Drive System is active.

2010 Kia Sorento SUV Officially Revealed in Korea - First Photos

These are the first official pictures of the second-generation Kia Sorento SUV that was revealed today in Korea ahead of its public debut at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show that runs from April 3 to 12. While Kia has yet to disclose information on the European or North American-spec model, the company did release initial details on the Korean-market Sorento that will be initially offered with Hyundai's new 2.2-liter turbo diesel engine that produces 200HP and returns 39.8mpg US (7.1 lt/100km) on the combined cycle (automatic transmission).

Depending on the market, the new Sorento will also be available with a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder gasoline unit, a 2.7-liter LPI (Liquified Petroleum Gas ) engine as well as a V6 gasoline unit.

The 2010 Sorento is longer than its predecessor measuring at 4,685mm (+95mm) but has retained the same width at 1,885mm while the SUV's height has been reduced by 15mm to 1,710mm. In its official Korean market press release, Kia did reveal whether or not the new Sorento will be offered with the option of 7-seats.

2010 Kia Sorento SUV: Official Sketches, Debut set for April

In addition to the teaser photo released earlier in February, Kia has issued two new renderings along with initial details of its forthcoming 2010 Sorento SUV. The Korean automaker said that the second-generation Sorento, codenamed XM, is set for launch in April, meaning that it will most likely make its world premiere at the Seoul Motor Show. The teaser sketches reveal that the new model will follow the 2007 Kue concept car's edgy and chiseled lines while it will also feature Kia's new corporate grille.

Kia Motors Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer said, "The dynamic design of XM adopts simple linear lines to lend a powerful, yet polished appearance. Sporty and striking, XM represents a new breed of SUV."

The 2010 Sorento will most likely offer buyers the option of adding a third row of seats, increasing passenger capacity to seven.

The new Sorento will become the first Hyundai-Kia vehicle to come equipped with the firm's all-new environmentally-friendly passenger diesel R-engine. The 2.2-liter 4-cylinder unit produces an output of 200-horsepower. According to Kia, when hooked up to a 6-speed automatic transmission, the new Sorento 2.2R will have a combined fuel consumption of 7.1lt / 100km or 33.2mpg US.

Kia also plans to satisfy diverse consumer tastes by offering the model with a 2.4 gasoline and a 2.7 LPI (Liquified Petroleum Gas ) engine. The Korean carmaker claims that this makes Kia XM the first vehicle in the world to run on all three fuel types.

Sales of the new Sorento are expected to commence in Korea this spring, with the rest of the world following in late 2009 and early 2010.

Source: Kia , Via: Kia-World

2010 Kia Sorento Crossover Teaser Photo

This is the first official teaser picture of Kia's second generation Sorento crossover that's set to go on sale by the end of the year in some markets and early 2010 in others. The 'smoked' photo outlines the new Sorento's boxy looks which are partially inspired from the KND-4 concept that was penned under the guidance of Kia´s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

The 2010 Sorento will most likely offer buyers the option of adding a third row of seats, increasing passenger capacity to seven.

Depending on the market, the Korean crossover will be available with three gasoline engines - a 2.4-liter four-pot, a 3.0-liter V6 with 240HP and a larger 3.8-liter V6 delivering 260HP.

In Europe and other selected international markets, the Sorento will also be offered with Hyundai's newly developed 2.0 and 2.2-liter turbo diesel engines with outputs of 184HP / 392Nm and 200HP respectively and a new 3.0-litre V6 CRDi turbo diesel producing 240HP.

It has yet to be confirmed if the 2010 Sorento will make its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show or if Kia will prefer to take the covers off the crossover at the Seoul Auto Show in April.

Via: Kia-World