Kia Motors America Announces Philanthropic Partnership With Hire Heroes USA To Help Military Veterans Find Civilian Jobs

Kia Motors America's (KMA) roster of philanthropic partners expanded today with the announcement of a partnership with Hire Heroes USA, a national non-profit organization dedicated to providing consistently effective and individualized career coaching services to help veterans transform their military service into civilian success. Kia will actively support Hire Heroes USA through an initial $25,000 donation and will work with the non-profit on future initiatives and opportunities with Kia.

As an extension of the partnership, Hire Heroes USA has also been designated as the official charity partner of the 2016 LPGA Kia Classic, and a portion of ticket proceeds will be donated to the non-profit. The seventh annual LPGA Kia Classic takes place at the Park Hyatt Aviara Resort in Carlsbad, California, from March 24-27. For more information, visit www.kiaclassic.com.

"Kia is grateful to the brave men and women who have served our country, and we are proud to partner with Hire Heroes USA in an effort to empower military veterans and their families," said Tim Chaney, vice president, marketing communications KMA. "Naming Hire Heroes USA the official charity partner of the 2016 LPGA Kia Classic will help raise awareness for the important career services they provide to veterans and their spouses, and we hope through this partnership to count some of those heroes as part of the Kia team in the near future."

With a team of Veteran Transition Specialists – many of whom are also military veterans – in seven locations across the country, Hire Heroes USA assists over 300 transitioning military members, veterans and spouses each week. The majority of work is completed virtually through online and telephone career coaching that helps clients understand their transferable skills, learn effective job search techniques and create professionally revised business resumes. The personalized career coaching approach used by Hire Heroes USA is nationally recognized as a best-in-class model.

"Our research indicates there is more than a $12,000 net economic impact for every veteran we help find a job," said Nathan Smith, Hire Heroes USA chief operations officer and a combat Marine veteran. "Kia's support of our veteran employment programs will be part of a collective effort to put more than $60 million in the pockets of veterans and back in the pockets of taxpayers. We're grateful for the demonstrated commitment by Kia and the LPGA."

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2016 Kia Soul wins Best Family Compact Vehicle 2016

Shopping for a new family car that will keep the kids safe, connected, entertained and happy? The results of a new report suggest looking at the Honda Odyssey if you're in the market for a minivan or the 2016 Kia Soul for a compact car, which emerged the big winners.

After evaluating 256 cars on everything from safety and reliability, press reviews, space, and features, US News & World released the winners of their 2016 Best Cars for Families report, naming the best cars across 21 categories.

The family car sure isn’t what it used to be. But then the family sure isn’t what it used to be either. Families come in all shapes, sizes and compositions these days, and we hear the word diversity a lot. Well, we are here to tell you that there is unprecedented diversity in family cars these days, and while that is nothing but a good thing, it does make picking the proper conveyance for your family unit a bit more daunting. Which is why we at Kelley Blue Book have put together this incisive look at the Best Family Cars of 2016.

How did we arrive at this list? How did we choose these from among the 250 models that can make some claim to good-familycardom? The truth is it is an exhaustive and exhausting process, but also a very satisfying one. We know there are few more important choices that you will make as a consumer than the choice of a car, truck or van for your family. Safety, comfort, convenience and financial well-being are all wrapped up in that choice, since a family car, in many ways, is a rolling version of your house – and these days some family vehicles can cost as much as a house.

Choosing the contenders

The process of picking the best of the best began with our Kelley Blue Book editorial staff identifying two dozen vehicles that in our vast experience we believed worthy of a look for the coveted accolade of “Best Family Car.” We then sought out a representative example of each of those models and brought them all together in a family-car conglomeration.

Real-world test for real-world families
For two weeks’ time we drove, lived-with, folded-down-seats-of, paired-phones-to and installed-baby-seats-in each and every one of the contenders. We loaded cargo, contorted ourselves into third rows, watched movies on rear-seat screens, toted rowing teams to marinas – in short we did everything that you and your family might do with a vehicle day-to-day. And we did all this with a certain sense of what a family needs and wants since many of our testers are simultaneously parents of kids ranging from mid-twenties to newborn. From pre-schoolers to middle schoolers to high schoolers to post-schoolers our staff has the kid thing covered. So this wasn’t just a cursory exercise but instead it drew heavily upon our family-car experiences, needs and wants.

Selecting the cream of the cream

After we did all we could think to do to these vehicles and a little bit more than we hadn’t thought of originally, we came down to a list of 16 vehicles that we feel are befitting the title Best Family Cars of 2016. Now we admit that 16 might seem like a lot to you, since we don’t expect anyone to consider and research 16 different vehicles. But what you will find is that these 16 vehicles can be divided into logical subsets that will make your shopping much easier. To be explicit, we identified three minivans, six sedans, three 2-row crossover/SUVs and four 3-row SUVs on our list. Last year a couple of pickup trucks were included among 2015’s Best Family Cars, but this time the high quality of the field in the center-cut section of minivans, midsize sedans and crossovers/SUVs put the pickups we considered into also-ran status.
Judging criteria you’d use yourself

By what criteria did we make these choices? We expect they are the criteria you would employ in choosing a family vehicle for your brood. Tops on the list is safety, because your most precious ones’ lives are dependent upon that. Comfort and convenience play a big role, because these vehicles typically become your home away from home as you fulfill your family pursuits. Certainly there must be comfy spaces for all passengers and enough cargo space to serve their family-vacation needs.

Though not every family has young kids – or kids at all – we know from experience that families with children do have very special needs, so our tests and evaluations kept that top of mind. Again, as in years past, we fitted every one of the vehicles in this test with child safety seats of various configurations to see how they fared. Once you have kids in back you are well-advised to keep them occupied, so we paid attention to rear-seat entertainment systems and we gave bonus points for wi-fi hotspot capabilities.

Special features for today’s families

Finally we were on the lookout for special features. The availability of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, special safety/convenience features like adaptive cruise control and features as simple as a cubby to keep spare change or stash sunglasses can each add a bit to the overall family-car ownership experience.

If none of the 16 vehicles on our Best Family Cars list strikes your fancy – not likely but we suppose it could happen – our next suggestion is for you to take a look at the eight other vehicles we considered that ended up not making our list. We don’t think they are the equal of the vehicles that did land on it, but they are also worth significant consideration as your potential family stagecoach.

If you're indeed in the child car seat stage -- or prepping for it -- don't miss the accompanying car-seat guide with useful tips and specific details regarding the car-seat strengths and weaknesses of each of the winners below.

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7 reasons to buy a Kia Sportage

1. Better than its groundbreaking predecessor. The last Kia Sportage was a real revelation: a great-looking car, it really helped establish Kia as a serious player in the UK car market.

The new car therefore has a lot to live up to – which it does in numerous ways.

2. Even more efficient. The new Sportage uses the same four engines as the previous generation, along with a new turbocharged petrol unit, but they’ve been tweaked to be even more efficient (and cheaper to run) than ever.

For example, the 1.7-litre diesel has lowered its fuel consumption by 7mpg, with CO2 down by 16g/km, while the 2.0-litre diesel lowers CO2 by 29g/km.

3. Even more practical interior. The cabin of the new Sportage is made from better materials and the fit and finished has also improved, to make the interior even more welcoming.

The seats are more comfortable and feel a lot more supportive, plus there are numerous other minor improvements that all add up to increase the perceived interior quality.

The ergonomics specialists have also been at work in the new Sportage, with the switchgear now all grouped according to function (which also improves safety).

Visibility is also better, thanks to a repositioning of the mirrors and trimming some of the width of the A-pillars (the ones on either side of the windscreen).

4. Even more spacious. The new Sportage is longer than before (by 40mm), with an extra 30mm in the wheelbase, so there’s more legroom in the back.

And while the height remains the same, the floor has been lowered by 40mm, so there’s more headroom. All of which makes the rear plenty big enough for most adults.

Plus there’s more space in the boot – up 14 litres to 491 litres (or 1,480 litres with the back seats folded).

5. Even safer. In line with the continuous improvements being made across the car industry, Kia has upgraded the Sportage’s safety systems, so they now include twin-radar Autonomous Emergency Braking, Advanced Smart Cruise Control, Speed Limit Information Function, Lane Keep Assist, Hill-Start Assist, Downhill Brake Control and High Beam Assist, while all-wheel-drive versions get a new Advanced Traction Cornering Control system.


6. Even more equipment and technology. Kia has, for years, offered a high level of kit, which continues in this new Sportage.

So air con, Bluetooth, DAB radio and USB ports are among the standard features on all models, while a 7-inch touchscreen with integrated camera and connectivity services is available from the second (of four) trim levels up, while other features include a JBL premium sound system with sub-woofer, wireless phone charger and heated steering wheel.


7. But still the same seven-year warranty. In line with all the models in the company’s line-up, the new Sportage has a seven-year, 100,000-mile warranty – which is great peace of mind for buyers.

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How the Back-Up Camera Improves Your Driving

As technology improves within the automotive industry, a growing number of features once reserved for the high-end luxury vehicles market have become available for commercial fleet vehicles. Chief among those is the backup camera, which gives drivers improved safety and helps prevent costly accidents.

You may feel that your interior and exterior review mirrors are adequate enough, but your vision is limited while using your mirrors due to the blind spots your vehicle creates. A backup camera system not only provides you with added convenience, but it also provides you with full coverage while reversing out of driveways, alley ways or tight parking spots preventing serious accidents.

In addition to improved safety, backup camera systems offer these additional benefits:

• Prevention of backing up over someone
• Hooking up a trailer
• Parallel parking
• Reduced blind spots

Whether you drive a small delivery sedan or a large delivery truck, a backup camera system is a safety tool you need. Below are some backup camera capabilities to consider when making your purchase:

Image Sensor Technology: There are two image sensors available on the market today. They are Charge-Coupled Device (CCD) and Complementary Metal Oxide Semiconductor (CMOS). CCD provides the best picture, while CMOS provides the best functionality.

View Angle: The wider the camera view angle, the more coverage you will receive while backing up.

Weather-Proof: How will the product stand up against Mother Nature? Is the backup camera placed in a housing that will withstand the elements of time? You do not want to replace your backup camera system every year – That can get costly.

Electric Voltage Rating: Will the backup camera system work with your vehicle? Most backup camera systems should be able to support a fluctuation in voltage, but, it’s always a good idea to consult your vehicles manual in addition to the product instructions.

Audio Capability: Some backup camera systems have audio capabilities and some do not. If you are looking for one that has audio capability, be sure to examine the cameras casing to see how the microphone is protected and whether or not it is water-proofed.

Wired / Wireless: When deciding between a wired or wireless based backup camera system, you need to take into consideration the size of your vehicle and any other electronics on board. Larger commercial vehicles typically have more electronics on board that could potentially cause signal interference with wireless based backup camera system models. Whether you prefer a wired or wireless based backup camera system, you need to choose the option that is best suited to your driving needs.

If you would like to have a back-up camera as an option, there are plenty of cars that Gary Rome Kia has to offer. Check out the 2017 Kia Sportage, 2016 Kia Optima and/or the 2016 Kia Sedona.

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The 2016 Absolute Mohave Is Kia's Tough New Luxury SUV

Kia's Hwasung Plant has been cranking out the Mohave since 2008. It's big, it's tough, it's a Korean version of the Toyota Land Cruiser. We also hear that it's quite popular in Russia, where it's manufactured locally. That has nothing to do with the fact that a new Mohave was launched in its home market under the name "New Absolute Mohave."

Kia may say that it's an entirely different car, but we see it as a major facelift. Regardless, real off-road vehicles don't need fancy body designs, as they are made to cope with the Himalayan hills, not Beverly Hills. The Absolute seems to be Kia's version of the Genesis program, as it features a unique badge and upmarket interior.

At the core of the project is a new 3.0-liter V6 turbo diesel engine that will deliver more grunt and better fuel economy. It's rated at 260 horsepower and 256 lb-ft of torque (347 Nm). Furthermore, the Mohave has an 8-speed automatic transmission that makes the most of the low-end torque arriving at 1,500rpm. Thanks to a cleverer AWD system, the Mohave achieves an impressive 10.7 kilometers to one liter of fuel or 9.3 l/100km. For now, we haven't been able to find any data on the V8 engines, since they are not available in Korea.

Design-wise, the cosmetic procedure involves new HID headlight projectors, LED daytime running lights placed next to the fog lights and new LED taillights. We also see revisions to the bumpers and side steps.

Of course, convenience and safety features have been added too. Despite the retro interior covered in wood, we see ventilation for the seats and blind spot monitoring. The 2016 Mohave also has four cameras to give you a bird's-eye view when parking, lane keep assist, hills start assist, forward collision warning, ESC and curtain airbags.

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KIA Roadshow 2016 is back

KIA Motors Corp. through its sole distributor in the UAE, Al Majid Motors Co. will be taking its current portfolio of passenger vehicles around the UAE during the latest installment of its popular Roadshow, which starts on February 19th to March 25th. Kia will be showcasing its range at several locations in the country for 6 weeks.

Kia’s annual Roadshow gives car fans and potential customers the chance to check out the company’s most recent additions, the all-new Optima and Sportage, alongside its established favorite models at popular locations across the UAE. Kia specialists will be on hand to answer questions and arrange test drives at the venue.

“We have received a great deal of interest in last year’s KIA Roadshow from walk-in customers at our showrooms across the UAE, which inspired us to have the roadshow over the period of 6 weeks so as to allow all our valued customers to take advantage of our premium automotive offerings,” said Mohammed Khader, President of Al Majid Motors Co, KIA. “We will have a team of experts on hand at each venue to assist with customer queries. This includes assisting with test drives and ensuring best-practice in helping customers choose the right vehicle to suit their needs. As always, we are anticipating a strong response, as Kia automobiles have an established reputation for offering outstanding performance and utilizing the most advanced technology for their respective market segments.” he added.

Dubai is the first port of call for the Kia Roadshow 2016, with the company’s range of cars on display at Dubai Festival City Mall on February 19th. Next on the itinerary is Manar Mall in Ras Al-Khaimah on February 26th. On March 4th the Roadshow takes up a space at Bawadi Mall in Al Ain before returning to Dubai again for its stop at Arabian Center, where it will be demonstrating its automotive offerings on March 11th. Next will be Fujairah at Lulu Mall on March 18th and the final stop will be at Al Qasba in Sharjah on March 25th.

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2017 Kia Sportage Review - 2.0L AWD Turbo

How do cars work? It's a simple question, without a simple answer. That's what this channel is for! You could search the web endlessly for consumable information, or you can watch my simple to understand videos. I'm a graduated mechanical engineer with a passion for cars, and my goal is to help other people passionate about cars learn how they work. Hope you find my videos enjoyable; feel free to ask questions!

2017 Kia Sportage Review - 2.0L AWD Turbo. America loves Crossovers. The 2017 Kia Sportage is the latest version of Kia's compact crossover, packing either a 2.0L turbocharged engine or a 2.4L naturally aspirated engine. The vehicle features a 6 speed automatic transmission, and can be purchased as FWD or AWD, using Magna's Dynamax AWD system, capable of sending 100% of the torque to either axle. The base trim has 181 HP, while the SX Turbo has 240 HP.

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