Sales Increase thanks to Soul and Optima

IRVINE, Calif., March 1, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced best-ever February sales of 49,737 vehicles, a 13 percent increase over the same period last year. The brand's tenth consecutive monthly sales record was led by the Soul and Optima, with 11,842 and 9,630 units sold, respectively.

"With our Super Bowl ad, Presidents' Day Sales Event and prominent role in the NBA All-Star Game, February was a huge month for Kia as we extended our monthly record streak to double digits," said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA. "Positive economic indicators, low gas prices and mild weather nationwide also drove consumers into Kia showrooms at a record pace, where they discovered the 'New Kia's' line-up of world-class products."

About Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA proudly serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA and set an all-time annual sales record in 2015, surpassing the 600,000 unit mark for the first time in company history. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles, including the rear-drive K9001 flagship sedan, Cadenza premium sedan, Sorento CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Soul Electric Vehicle2, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Optima Hybrid, the Forte compact sedan, Forte5 and Forte Koup, Rio and Rio 5-door subcompacts and the Sedona midsize multi-purpose vehicle, through a network of more than 765 dealers across the United States. Kia's U.S. manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, builds the Optima* and Sorento* and is responsible for the creation of more than 15,000 plant and supplier jobs.

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Kia proves that it’s still hip to be square

The 2016 Kia Soul still looks fresh despite the demise of its other “cube” rivals. With its short front and rear overhangs and “four-square” stance, this vehicle also looks firmly planted on the road.

"Hey, it’s the hamster car!"

So said my 10-year-old daughter when I rolled in with the 2016 Kia Soul – dipped in bright red with a gleaming black roof and black accents.

Her reference was to a series of quirky Kia ads, featuring the anthropomorphic, hipster rodents along with music by the Black Sheep, Lady Gaga and others.

Check these out on YouTube if you want a chuckle.

Indeed, the Soul may be cheeky, but it’s also the sole survivor of the cube-car craze, with the Nissan Cube, Scion xB and Honda Element all victims of poor sales.

My view is that while the others were polarizing – generally more hated than loved – Kia had somehow found the right alchemy of style, proportion and boxiness to make theirs a bit of a head-turner, or at least endearing.

It’s also pretty light on the wallet, at least for a vehicle this spacious, spanning the gap between wagon, hatchback and CUV.

For $17,195, the base LX comes with a light content list that includes heated side mirrors, rear wiper, six-speaker audio, Bluetooth, and tilt/telescopic steering with audio controls.

Although it is equipped with power windows and locks, keyless entry is optional. So is air conditioning, which is a must in southern Ontario, and it rolls on 16-inch steel wheels with wheelcovers… ugh!

The Soul’s standard 60/40 rear bench folds to expand the 532-litre cargo hold to a generous 1,402 litres.

It’s highly usable due to the car’s square shape, with no curves or rear sloping rooflines to compromise its ability to carry boxes and tall items.

Lift the cargo deck and you’ll find a few cubbies for hiding valuables as well.

And with both seats in place, even with the available sunroof, there’s plenty of headroom, not to mention loads of legroom, making it ideal for two full-size adults or three in a pinch.

Lower trim Souls get a 1.6-litre four-cylinder with gasoline direct injection, making 130 hp and 118 lb/ft of torque. It is mated to a six-speed manual transmission in the base vehicle.

I wouldn’t consider this a deal breaker, but today’s drivers are becoming less willing – and able – to choose their own gears, so for another $2,700 the LX can be ordered with six-speed automatic along with air conditioning and keyless entry.

The more potent 2.0-litre GDI four-cylinder (164 hp, 151 lb/ft of torque) is found on the higher EX, SE and SX trim levels, and comes only with six-speed Sportmatic automatic.

It’s not my intent here to catalogue the content and features for all 10 models. Apparently Kia hasn’t yet discovered the “kiss” principle, but that does result in a Soul for many budgets.

Which would put my SE Sport tester on the high end of this modestly priced range. At $25,995, it isn’t the most expensive, with SX Luxury in the top spot at $27,495.

For this kind of money, you’re not getting an econohatch. This is apparent from the leather seating, piano black faceplates and accents, and the red speaker surrounds that pop against the black background.

Other amenities in my tester include automatic climate control, smart key with pushbutton start, heated front seats, auto headlights, heated steering wheel, rearview camera, and a UVO audio system that really kicks out the sound.

SE models don’t get the eight-inch infotainment screen found on SX Luxury models, which also include a pile of premium features I wouldn’t expect for $27K.

Front seat cooling (with power adjust for the driver), rear seat heating, cooled glovebox, and Premium Infinity audio (with external amp and subwoofer) are all part of this fully loaded package.

The exterior of the SE Sport, however, invests some of its added dollars in the big 18-inch alloy wheels, side skirts, rear spoiler and two-tone paint – not to mention power folding side mirrors.

Suspension is independent up front and torsion beam in rear, which may not impress the performance enthusiast, but is just fine for this vehicle. Body roll in the corners isn’t bad for a tall-box design, and with its short wheelbase, the Soul is agile and easy to park.

Take it out on the highway, and wind noise is minimal. And despite its upright stance, it doesn’t feel buffeted at speed.

Even with the 2.0-litre engine, though, the Soul is no neck-snapper. Zero to 100 km/h takes just over eight seconds, and it’s noisy under hard acceleration. That being said, it isn’t pretending to be a hot hatch.

Instead, this car offers family practicality in a fun and funky package. It lacks the benefit of all-wheel-drive, but like a small crossover or SUV, it does provide a relatively high seating position, and good view of the road ahead.

The Soul may not fit neatly into any particular segment, but embraces its eccentricity. Which in my mind is a large part of its appeal.

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Kia to Adopt Android Auto in Q3; All EU Models by 2018

Android Auto was first introduced during Google I/O 2014, and made its debut on a commercially available vehicle in May 2015 with the launch of the Hyundai Sonata. Since then, numerous car manufacturers have teamed up with Google to bring Android Auto to drivers around the world, and the platform is expected to gain a lot more grip in 2016 – 2017. Earlier this year, Kia was among the car manufacturers to announce their use of Android Auto in future models, specifically the 2017 Kia Forte5 unveiled in Detroit. More recently during the Geneva International Motor Show, Kia revealed that by the end of 2017, Android Auto will be offered for its entire range of cars destined for the European market.

According to Kia, Android Auto will be introduced along with the Kia Niro hybrid crossover which was announced in January 2016. The Kia Niro has been developed in isolation from existing models and has been built as a hybrid car from the ground up. Expected to debut in the third quarter of the year, the Kia Niro will become the company’s first Android Auto-enabled car, and will be followed by models such as the Kia Optima Sportwagon and the Kia Plug-In Hybrid. Kia’s entire range of cars for Europe will apparently offer Android Auto before the end of 2017. Kia Europe COO, Michael Cole, adds that “In-car connectivity is increasingly important to our buyers, who are young-at-heart and often seek the latest technologies on offer.”

As for the Android Auto platform itself, it’s likely that Google will discuss its future during their I/O 2016 keynote (May 18th), especially since last year there was no mention of Android Auto during the event, and given the fact that the platform is becoming increasingly popular. Although there’s not much official information to go by, some of the additions that might help the platform could include compatibility with a broader range of Android applications, as well as the ability to connect a smartphone to the vehicle’s infotainment system wirelessly, as opposed to having to maintain a connection through the USB port.

It’s worth noting that Android Auto will be accompanied by Kia Connected Services on the aforementioned vehicles, so if you’re not a fan of Google Maps then there will always be an alternative method to gain live traffic updates, weather forecasts and so on.

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Kia's new Sportwagon looks like an optimal Optima

Popularity Meets Affordability: Reasons to Buy a Kia

As a vehicle brand, Kia has been gaining popularity for the past several years. And the company’s recent Super Bowl ad will likely help them sell even more of their budget-friendly cars. According to Kelly Blue Book (KBB.com), consumer searches for the brand on their site increased by 110% right after the Big Game. And Edmunds acknowledged a 203% spike in Kia searches.

While it is true that Kia had a rocky start in the U.S., consumers now understand that buying a Korean car doesn’t indicate that they are settling for something cheap and subpar. Instead, they are most likely getting more for their money. And isn’t that the goal of every savvy shopper?

Getting More for Less with Your Next Car Purchase

The Super Bowl 50 Kia commercial featuring Christopher Walken and his “Walken Closet” served to promote the Kia Optima, a midsize sedan that could count as a luxury car at the right trim level. When you choose the Optima, you can get such amenities as a genuine Napa interior, heated rear seats, automatic high-beam assistance and ventilated front seats. Granted, you may pay $30,000+ on the high end, but a similar Audi would probably cost twice as much.

And who says that you have to buy a brand new Kia? You can skip the giant depreciation hit and pick up a used Kia Optima for a very affordable price. Typically, it is easy to find a 2014-2015 Optima for under $20,000 or a 2013 version for less than $15,000. If you want to save even more money, check out the previously owned Kia Forte and Kia Rio options available. You may be able to purchase an excellent example for less than $12,000.

The Formidable Kia Warranty

When you buy a new Kia, you get all of the benefits attached to “America’s Best Warranty.” When it was rolled out in 1998, the now legendary Kia warranty was an industry first because it is good for 10 years or 100,000 miles. It covers the powertrain, includes 5-year/60,000 mile bumper-to-bumper coverage, and comes with 5 years (60,000 miles) of roadside assistance, as well as 5 years of rust perforation protection. If you opt for a hybrid model, the battery is covered by a lifetime warranty.

If you are looking to purchase a used Kia, it might be wise to consider a factory certified pre-owned one. Depending on the model year you buy, there is a very good chance that a significant amount of the original warranty will still be valid and usable. Not convinced? Kia was recently awarded top honors by IntelliChoice for their CPO Program in the Best Popular Program category.

Kias are Looking Pretty Good These Days

Eventually, everyone will have to get used to the fact that the vehicles produced by Kia look as good as anything else on the road. In fact, they may even look better. Yes, Kia has won awards for value and safety, but they have also taken home accolades for design and ingenuity. There is still the chance that your neighbor will notice the LED illumination, sharp lines and high-quality interior of your new car and say, “There’s no way that’s a Kia!” And you can proudly respond with, “Why, yes. It most certainly is a Kia.”

Just don’t be surprised if they also ask you about your “Walken Closet.”

Great Financing to Match Your Great Car Deal

If you are interested in getting a great deal on a Kia, Hyundai or another affordable car brand, Auto Credit Express can help you get approved for the best available financing. Even if you have bad credit, we can match you with a local dealer who is qualified to handle your situation.

We understand that you can’t put your life on hold while you are repairing your credit. Sometimes you need a car right now. That’s why our process is fast and easy, and our goal is to get you into a vehicle as quickly as possible. So, don’t wait another minute.

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A minivan with style the 2016 Kia Sedona

It seems that there continues to be a plethora of choices in the minivan category with every creator of this urban family hauler claiming to have made the next big difference for the American mom. There are so many different choices from seats that hide to a screen that is so wide two kids can play different games at the same time, which would be the best family choice? This is a hard decision indeed.

At its core the minivan is basically a family/people hauler that is designed to get as many people from one of those categories and all their stuff from one place to another, be it a busy soccer mom or corporate executives on their way to the airport, the minivan becomes the perfect choice. Therein lies that difficulty any designer has, adding swooping roof lines or an angled rear look takes away from the space made to put the people and their stuff, as it turns out this vehicle is just a box on wheels as that is really all that there is left to work within the end.

So how to make a minivan more exciting and enjoyable to drive is the question that all designers are faced with when trying to come up with something new. Last year Kia came up with the answer to that question with the newly redesigned minivan that should allow it to make the move from a minivan that many rental companies are using, to minivan that shoppers can’t ignore because of a new design and included comfort elements that could not be ignored with the new 2015 version of the Sedona.

Over the past couple of years Kia has redesigned pretty much their complete line-up giving all their vehicles a fresh new look that has catapulted the manufacture into the mainstream of the American automobile world with great new looks, designs and features that will keep their vehicles very completive in the market. Last year it was time for the Sedona to come of age and receive a badly needed facelift from the inside out!

On the exterior the Sedona carries the classic Kia family grill that works very well on the large front end, with athletic lines that sweep rearward from the front, they define the new look of the Sedona. The designers have tried to give the minivan as sporty of a look as possible, with a sweeping roofline that fades slightly to the rear, couple that with some robust molded body panels giving the minivan a somewhat manly look, Craig of course was quick to point this out and it made him feel better about driving around alone in the Sedona!

This all lead to the rear of the Sedona where one of Deanne’s favorite extras was located on the SXL model an automatic Smart Powered Liftgate comes standard, getting the gate up can be accomplished in a few different ways, one by the push of a button on the roof from the driver’s seat, two a push of the key fob or three our personal favorite was by just approaching the rear gate and standing for 3 seconds it would lift automatically, take that Ford no extra foot kicking movements necessary!

On the inside Kia puts it best on their website telling the story that the Sedona is ‘aggressive and refined, your getaway vehicle and lounge on the go’. This is the first time we have heard the word ‘lounge’ used to refer to a vehicle that we have driven, but after a week inside of the Sedona we were more than ready to use words like this to describe the Kia Sedona.

Loaded with ‘lounge’ extras is one way we really could describe the new Sedona, it had been over a year since we have had the opportunity to have a minivan for a week, with all of the features that came with the Kia we had to make comparisons with other vehicle that we have driven with much higher price tags. The Sedona actually has more options to enjoy and make the ride safer than much of the competition and is priced lower. In fact there were times Craig found himself wanting to take the minivan because of the heated steering wheel, and how cold it was here in Utah!

The lounge continued to shine even in the second row seating with what Kia calls First-Class Lounge seating. Quite the name for a second row of seats and we found out why when we Craig’s mom Pat and our friend Laura to Salt Lake on a Trader Joes expedition right before Valentines Day. Our passengers discovered how the seats would slide back and actually recline somewhat like a small Lazy-Boy, this turned out to be a great addition for those in the back for the kids when on a very long trip, they did point out the seats would have to be all the way back for this to work for adults and would limit the rear seating leg room.

Up front for mom and dad the lounge of course had not been forgotten, with two-tone leather seats that were both heated and cooled, a center console that could store most anything and a lower glove box that was actually cooled, what more could a mom ask for but a place to keep the drinks cool on a family vacation.

Standard was also a dual sunroof, or one for the front and one for the rear passengers, the designers once again have thought of everything by adding sunshades to not only the sunroofs but also all the rear side windows once again adding to that lounge appeal of the Sedona.

Tech-centric was how the Sedona is described by Kia and we had to agree, the center cluster was beautiful and easy to understand with a large LED screen in the center that could be changed to display different functions, everything from navigation, SirriusXM, HD Radio and applications like Pandora and Yelp.

The Tech-centric center cluster also included a surround view monitor when backing the vehicle, in other words there was a camera located on every side of the Sedona giving a birds eye view making it much easier to back into or out of a very tight grocery store parking lot. There was also an included function that would allow the owner to Geo-Fence the minivan within a certain driving area, an alert would be sent to the owner if it went out of that area. So much for the kids taking the minivan and going somewhere they were not supposed to, this type of application would have gotten Craig into trouble every time he borrowed his parent’s car!

The Sedona comes with a powerful 3.3 liter gasoline direct injected V6 engine that produces more than enough horsepower at 276 with 248 pd.-ft. of torque. It is also the only minivan on the market that can be had with a trailer hitch and will pull up to 3500 pounds, enough to get a small camping trailer or a pair of water craft, along on the family weekend adventure. We averaged right around 20 mpg for the week with the Sedona, not fantastic but not bad for such a large family hauler.

Our week with the Sedona was very enjoyable, even Craig choose to take the more manly minivan out when he had the chance, there was also an included rear seat entertainment system that would help with keeping the kids entertained on those long family vacations.

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Kia Sportage wild on the outside, mild on the inside

It would be fair to say that Kia knocked it fair out of the park when it came to the styling of the third-generation Sportage SUV.

The Korean company's medium segment challenger boasted brave and stylish concept-car looks that (particularly in a wild colour and on big alloy wheels) gave a strong Hot Wheels vibe, won multiple international design awards and, most importantly, was embraced by the buying public.

So what do you do when it comes time to replace a great-looking, award-winning, popular vehicle? Most manufacturers play it safe and carry on with a similar vibe, much as Kia itself did when it came time to replace the Optima sedan. Which looks almost exactly the same as the old car.

But, oddly, bravely and admirably, Kia didn't do that with the Sportage. For the fourth-gen model it's gone even more wild.

With the bold Porsche Cayenne-style move of dropping the grille beneath the headlights, Kia has created one of the most distinctive and recognisable medium SUVs on the market. Arguably one of the more distinctive vehicles on the road as well.

While the rest of the exterior could largely be seen as an evolution of the previous Sportage, that front end will be the strongest factor in most people's initial assessment of the new car. Personally, I think it looks great in the metal, not so great in photos.

On the inside, Kia carries on with its tradition of coming over all conservative after a bold exterior and giving us a dark and unadventurous interior. However, it does represent another leap in quality for the Korean brand, with excellent materials and fantastic build.

The new Sportage comes to New Zealand as either a 114kW/192Nm 2.0-litre petrol 2WD, a 135kW/237Nm 2.4-litre petrol AWD or a 136kW/400Nm 2.0-litre diesel 4WD. All engine/drivetrain variants come with a six-speed automatic transmission.

In petrol 2WD form it's available in LX, EX and LTD models, in 4WD petrol form it is available as an EX, LTD or the new GT-Line, while the 4WD diesel is only available as an EX or GT-Line.

The LX comes standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, rear parking sensors and a backing camera, a touch screen infotainment system, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, power adjustable, heated and folding door mirrors, locally (well, Australian) tuned suspension, halogen projector headlights, foglights and an electrochromic rear mirror.

The EX adds 18-inch alloy wheels, chromed door handles, front parking sensors, LED tail lights, dual-zone climate control, rain sensing wipers, leather upholstery, privacy glass, gloss black exterior trim, rear cross-traffic alert, tyre pressure monitoring, LED running lights, and blind spot detection.

The LTD gains 19-inch alloy wheels, electrically adjustable and heated front seats, a cooled glove box, keyless entry and start, a power tailgate, autonomous emergency braking, an electric park brake, lane change assist, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, and high beam assist.

The newly added GT-Line brings HID projector headlights, a different design of 19-inch alloy wheel, satin chrome mouldings, front and rear skidplates and other exterior GT Line additions, ventilated front seats, wireless phone charging, steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters, satellite navigation, quad LED foglights, a panoramic sunroof, dual rear exhausts, LED interior lighting, two-tone leather trim and a GT Line leather steering wheel.

On the road the new Sportage is much like its platform-mate, the Hyundai Tucson, which is a very good thing indeed and a huge improvement over the previous car. Not that there was anything particularly wrong with it, but the new car has a noticeably better ride.

Handling is still very much in the 'friendly, predictable medium SUV' vein. The Sportage is an extremely comfortable, assured vehicle to travel in.

While the Sportage packs a remarkable amount of standard skit into every trim level for the money asked, there are a few glaring omissions. Namely the thoroughly excellent new 1.7-litre turbo petrol engine the Hyundai Tucson gets (Hyundai won't let subsidiary Kia have that yet) and, strangely, Android Auto and Apple CarPlay.

While access to the 1.7-litre engine is out of Kia's hands, the omission of that connectivity is a surprising one, particularly given that Kia is targeting younger private buyers with the new Sportage.

Still, despite these omissions, the Sportage still offers a remarkably good value for money proposition. While the petrol engines (the diesel engine wasn't available at the launch, although we know it is excellent from the Tucson) can sound a bit old and thrashy at times, they still do a more-than-acceptable job of hauling the Sportage. Both also offer good economy.

The new Sportage is a bravely stylish and high quality replacement for a car that was already pretty good to begin with. The interior, while dull, is appealing, while that exterior - well, we love it, and we reckon buyers will appreciate that bravery too.

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