Aussie Motoring

by Stuart Livesey

Before winter arrives Kia plans on having the Kia Rondo available in Australia.

If you don’t quite recognise the model name then think Kia Carens in overseas markets and you’re right on the button.

Overseas the Kia Carens comes in a variety of equipment levels and is available in either 2 litre petrol or a 2 litre diesel versions with either a 6 speed manual or a tiptronic automatic transmission. The Carens seats 6 in three rows and comes with a variety of features including rear-park assist.

Overseas the Kia Carens is marketed as a fusion between an SUV and a people mover.

Here in Australia the Kia Rondo may come with the diesel option and it may also come with the option of some rather eye-catching colours including this one - otherwise known as Violet Iris.

Final details - including price - are yet to be decided.

by Stuart Livesey

Despite some heavy advertising campaigns Kia continues to not live up to its potential in the new car market in Australia. Kia’s share of the market currently wanders between 1.8% and 2.1% but things might improve for Kia if they were to bring these three models into the country.

Two are based on the cee’d (spelling is correct) - Kia’s European built small car. One is a convertible and the other is a small station wagon.

cee’d Cabrio

Now this is definitely one sweet looking fun car. The vehicle is based on the yet to be released cee’d sporty hatch - not due out till December - but includes several new exterior panels plus a folding fabric roof.

It will come fitted with 19 inch alloy wheels and if it ever makes it to Australia it should be a hit in the cities.

cee’d Sporty Wagon

This wagon features a unique extended tailgat for maximum access to the luggage area. Luggage space when loaded to the bottom of the rear window is 534 litres - but who only loads a station wagon to the bottom of the rear windows?

It will go on sale in three equipment levels and buyers will have the choice of 4 engines with manual or automatic transmission.

Kia Rio Hybrid

The Kia Rio Hybrid is been in limited production - or ‘real-world testing’ - for some time now. It features a unique powertrain with a 1.4-litre, 90 ps gasoline engine, mated to a high-torque 12kW, 95 Nm AC synchronised electric motor and a CVT gearbox.

The electric motor is mounted between the flywheel and the gearbox and ‘assists’ the gasoline engine during starting, accelerating and hill-climbing. During steady cruising the electric motor switches off, while during deceleration it employs ‘regenerative braking’ to store energy and re-charge its power pack.

The hybrid Rio is the first Kia to employ a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and also features computer-controlled stop/start motoring which switches both engine and motor off whenever the car comes to a standstill for more than a few seconds.

Special lightweight components parts cut the Rio Hybrid’s weight by 220 kg. It accelerates briskly from 0-to-100 kph in 12.2 seconds, can reach a top speed of 180 kph and returns a fuel consumption of 5.29 litres per 100 km (53.4 mpg). Air pollutants are reduced by 37% and fuel efficiency is improved by 44%.

I’m sure that all three of these Kia models would find a niche in the Australian market and just might get Kia out of the sales doldrums.

by Stuart Livesey

Imagine a Kia Rio with a 4.6 litre V8 under the bonnet

If you can stretch your imagination that far then you’re getting close to the Kia Kue. Sadly you’re not likely to ever see this in production but it is fun to let your imagination run wild with the latest Kia concept car.

It was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show today and you can read it more about it at Kia Kue Concept Car

A Driver’s Car with SUV Tendencies - or so they say

Kia Motors Corporation has released a preview sketch of the all-new ‘Kue’ concept car, which will make its world premiere at the upcoming North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit in early January.

The Kia Kue concept employs a different approach to the crossover utility vehicle segment by taking elements of what makes a CUV to a new level, namely performance.

Kue is designed first and foremost as a driver’s vehicle. While possessing SUV characteristics and capabilities, the Kia Kue focuses more on giving the driver an exhilarating driving experience on the way to the home improvement center than on how much it can haul.

The Kia Kue has a monocoque platform that sits on 22-inch tires with a wheelbase of more than 114 inches, packaged in an overall length of 186 inches. Though purely a concept, the Kia Kue does, however, hint at future styling directions for Kia Motors.

Well at least that’s the way the UK sees it

Kia Motors has been named ‘Global Automotive Manufacturer of the Year 2007’ by the UK’s Institute of Transport Management (ITM) in its recent report into global manufacturing processes and companies operating within the industry.

The award recognizes the considerable progress Kia Motors has made in promoting sustainable development within the industry. Amongst both product and next generation initiatives, the report recognizes the advanced technological solutions Kia has implemented to minimize energy and water consumption, emissions and waste at its manufacturing plants.

It anticipates a year of continued expansion for the Kia brand in which its first European production facility and its second Chinese production facility will become fully operational, increasing sales from overseas production to almost half a million units per year by 2008.

Five-Star crash safety rating for entry level SUV in frontal and side impact crash tests

The 2007 Kia Sportage earned a five-star crash safety rating, the highest possible, for all seating positions in the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration

Latest Kia concept car to make its debut at Paris Motor Show

When Kia’s designers created the cee’d ‘sporty hatch,’ they set out to maximise the differentiation between the five-door and three-door cee’d models as much as possible, without losing the family likeness.

Exterior – the same, but strikingly different

Consequently, the pro_cee’d actually looks very similar to Kia’s new cee’d ‘sporty hatch’ model with its dynamic, muscular and masculine nature.

“Colour plays an important role in generating the bold image of the pro_cee’d concept. We call the exterior colour ‘Cashew’ and it is a daring colour for a showcar,” observed Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Kia, European Design Centre.

“It looks almost solid, but does have a small percentage of metal flakes that give a discreet sparkle. I think the colour works well in contrast with the bright metal and dense matt black elements of the exterior like the door mirrors and the special road wheels, and shows off the car’s solid forms to perfection.”

The wheels are a two-part design, featuring five double-spokes arranged with a recessed black power-coated centre and brightly polished convex perimeter spokes. These dramatic wheels sport 265/30 R19 low profile tyres.

Key attributes which the pro_cee’d and ‘sporty hatch’ models will have in common include the lowered roof line (down by 25 mm compared to the five-door cee’d) and shallower side windows ringed in chrome trim that create a robustly sporty window graphic.

Interior – creating a strong ‘performance’ feeling

The pro_cee’d interior is designed to accommodate four people and is trimmed to give a strong ‘performance’ feeling with deeply matt surfaces. Like the exterior, the cab uses bright metal and dense matt black elements, but in the interior these appear to ‘float’ amidst areas of contrasting leather trim.

In the earlier Geneva Kia cee’d showcar this ‘floating’ effect was one of elegant sophistication, in the pro-cee’d the feeling inside the cabin is very different, bolder, tougher and more racy. The four seats feature bucket-style backrests with aluminium alloy mountings for the head restraints.

Facing the driver, the three recessed dials of the instrument panel have separate metal cowlings set beneath a top cowling that also appears to ‘float’ above the dashboard. The short, leather-shrouded gear lever is set in a bright metal surround topping a black centre console that rises between the front seats to position a battery of minor switchgear within easy reach of the driver.

The dense matt black trim of the upper dashboard is continued around the upper sides of the cab. The lower panels are trimmed in special ‘distressed’ leather that has a black/brown patina, the quality of an old flying jacket – “leather with a history and a story to tell…” as Guillaume enthuses.

Despite all that hype I still can’t help thinking that the dials look as though they came out of an EK Holden

Kia has announced the first details of its new global flagship, the 2007 Opirus although it seems that global is a relative term because it’s only being released in a left-hand drive version.

Kia suggest that significant improvements have been made to the ride, handling, safety and refinement, while Opirus now weighs less and delivers higher performance.

On the outside the design certainly shows Kia’s linkage to its parent company Hyunda.

Inside, the 2007 Opirus has an all-new dashboard, instrument panel, dial cluster, center stack, floor console, integrated audio system and heating and ventilation controls.

New features include heated and cooled front seats, power-adjustable pedals, four-way lumbar support for the driver’s seat and a clearer trip computer display.

For the 2007 model, Opirus buyers will be offered a choice of three interior colors — two-tone Beige or Gray and one-tone Black, with contrasting accents in wood grain or aluminum.

The new car will come in what Kia describes as five new, more sophisticated colors.

The Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries announced today new car sales continue to lag behind sales for the same time last year. 1079 fewer new vehicles were sold during July than for July 2005. That monthly drop now means that 3.1% fewer new cars have been sold so far this year compared to the same period last year.

Toyota sold the most number of new vehicles with 16,977; Holden came second with 11,129 new vehicles sold and Ford could only manage third with 9,627.

The top selling car was the Toyota Corolla with 4711 units sold during July. Holden sold 4022 Commodores and Ford sold 3951 Falcons.

Kia

On a worldwide basis Kia reported a 2.3% decrease in overseas sales despite recording 1.8% increase in US sales. In Europe, where Kia is in the midst of bringing a new plant online, sales were down 1.4% although that drop in sales may turn around when they release their new European built small car code named the ED in December.

The new European built Kia will only be sold in Europe

The 2006 Kia Rio/Rio5 ranked highest for initial quality in the sub-compact category according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Initial Quality StudySM (IQS). The annual report, released yesterday, measures 217 vehicle attributes across eight categories, including driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.

“Rio is a class-leading subcompact vehicle and an excellent example of Kia’s continued dedication to offering consumers an affordable vehicle without sacrificing quality,” said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America. “We’re extremely pleased that the automotive industry and consumers alike recognize Rio’s high level of excellence.”

In the study, the Kia Rio was honored as the highest-ranking model in a tie in the sub-compact segment at 137 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). The all-new 2006 Kia Sedona minivan also performed well in its first year of release, while the Kia Sportage compact SUV scored better than the industry average.

The all-new 2006 Rio sedan and Rio5 five-door are raising the bar in the entry level segment by offering class-leading horsepower and interior volume, and six standard airbags, including full-length side-curtain airbags. The Rio and Rio5’s longer wheelbase and increased width and height contribute to a best-in-class 92.2 cubic feet of passenger room and both body styles feature a long list of standard equipment.