2017 Kia GT prototype spotted testing

Prototypes of the new four-door coupé have been spotted testing around Europe, including at the Nürburgring. They have also been testing with a trailer in tow – a practice that is popular with some Kia owners.

Although much of the model’s styling is under camouflage, the familiar ‘tiger nose’ Kia grille, upright air intakes in the bumper and similar headlights to those on the Sportage SUV are clear to see.

The shape of the car also resembles that of the Audi A7, and the shots suggest that the GT will be one of the largest in the Kia range.

Insiders say the production car’s final design will stay true to the look of the GT concept, which was first revealed at the Frankfurt motor show in 2011.

The model is expected to feature a rear-wheel drive layout, with a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, shared with the Sportage.

Our sources believe Kia could also offer its larger V6 and V8 petrol engines in certain markets. Currently, these engines are in biggest demand in the US in models like the K900.

The GT’s launch date has not yet been confirmed, but it is expected to be revealed next year, with first deliveries arriving by early 2018.

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Does Lebron James drive a Kia?

RECORD JUNE POWERS KIA MOTORS AMERICA TO BEST-EVER FIRST HALF SALES

IRVINE, Calif., July 1, 2016 – After J.D. Power recognized the brand as the highest scoring nameplate in its 2016 Initial Quality Study (IQS) out of all 33 makes in the U.S., Kia Motors America’s (KMA) June sales jumped 15.6 percent over the same period last year to 62,572 vehicles, capping the greatest quarter and half-year performances in company history. The brand’s fifth monthly sales record in six months included best-ever June totals for the Forte family of compact cars as well as the Sportage and Sorento CUVs.

Kia’s year-to-date sales of 328,327 units was driven by a number of standout performances, including:

• A 76.3 percent year-over-year increase for the Sportage compact CUV, highlighted by the best-ever single month total in May for Kia’s longest-running nameplate
• Best-ever first half sales of the Forte compacts, including an all-time high of 10,406 units in March
• Continued popularity for the Soul, with the iconic urban passenger vehicle on pace for increased sales for the seventh straight year

“No auto brand has experienced greater growth over the last 20 years than Kia, and J.D. Power’s IQS announcement boosted our momentum with huge increases in online and showroom traffic,” said Michael Sprague, chief operating officer and EVP, KMA. “By every measure, the ‘New Kia’ is an elite automaker and one of the industry’s greatest success stories.”

	MONTH OF JUNE		YEAR-TO-DATE
Model	2016	2015	2016	2015
Rio	5,238	2,420	15,368	14,835
Forte	9,170	7,907	52,742	43,182
Optima	9,180	13,488	61,067	79,966
Cadenza	203	359	2,756	3,289
K900	62	168	439	710
Sportage	8,549	3,550	42,229	23,955
Sorento	12,118	8,967	59,078	56,421
Sedona	5,823	5,434	24,120	20,608
Soul	12,229	11,844	70,528	67,986
Total	62,572	54,137	328,327	310,952

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2017 Kia Forte Earns Five-Star Safety Rating From NHTSA

WASHINGTON — The refreshed 2017 Kia Forte compact sedan earned the highest five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.

The 2017 Forte received four stars in the front crash test, five stars in the side crash test and four stars in the rollover crash test.

It is scheduled to arrive at Kia dealerships by late summer.

Standard safety equipment includes six airbags, anti-lock brakes, electronic stability control, brake assist and traction control. Optional safety equipment includes autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a blind-spot detection system, rear cross-traffic alert and lane keeping assist.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has not rated the 2017 Forte.

Key Forte competitors include the Ford Focus, Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla.

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Kia Motors Mexico celebrates first anniversary with arrival of Niro Hybrid

MEXICO: Kia Motors Mexico has celebrated its first anniversary in the country with the announcement of the arrival of Niro Hybrid Utility Vehicle (HUV) to the market at the end of the current year. With the introduction of Niro, Kia Motors will offer its first hybrid vehicle in Mexico and will strengthen its product lineup in the country.

With 34,517 units sold during the first 12 months of operation in Mexico, Kia has become the ninth best-selling brand in the country.

"This has been a year of great challenges and also of extraordinary accomplishments for Kia Motors as we exceeded our own expectations," said Seong Bae Kim, President and CEO of Kia Motors Mexico. "We are very happy and proud to have not only surpassed our first year sales target but have successfully established a comprehensive retail dealer network throughout the country that is providing world-class service to Mexican consumers," he said. Kia Motors Mexico expects to sell 45,000 units in 2016, which means that the automaker could reach local market share of over 3 percent, establishing itself as a truly competitive brand in Mexico with a lineup that will reach 7 models (Sportage, Sorento, Forte (Cerato), Rio, Optima, Soul, and Niro) by the end of this year.

One of Kia Motors Mexico's strategic pillars is the consolidation of its dealer network, which is comprised of 73 dealers covering 94 percent of the national territory. As part of the celebration of its first anniversary, the automaker opened 25 new dealers in 21 new cities this week in record time.

"We have had a very successful year. Surely this is an unprecedented achievement in an industry where more than 40 brands compete", said Horacio Chavez, Managing Director of Kia Motors Mexico. "However, our challenge goes on and we work every day to strengthen the brand with the best products and the best customer service, with the aim of achieving 5 percent market share in the next four years," he said.

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2017 Kia Forte Sedan Detailed

The updated sedan made its debut earlier this year at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show and will be the first vehicle to be built at Kia’s second North American plant. The model arrives just as the Forte family enjoyed its best-ever sales in 2015 and receives several refinements in addition to its updated styling. But starting with the visual enhancements, the Forte receives a new front bumper and “tiger nose” grille that has been extended to connect the newly-designed headlights that are available with Xenon HID lights. In the rear are newly-designed tail lights with optional LEDs.

The 2017 Kia Forte sedan will be available in three trim levels, with the new sporty S trim slotting between the entry-level LX model and the range-topping EX model. The S variant adds sport-tunedsuspension, 16-inch alloy wheels, LED positioning lights, rear spoiler and a chrome exhaust tip. The top-of-the-line EX model will come standard with LED tail lights, Smart Key with perimeter approach lighting and front door pocket lighting as well as new 17-inch alloy wheels.

The LX and S models also get upgraded cloth material for the seats inside the cabin, while the S trim features exclusive black cloth seats with white contrast stitching, a leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob. The EX model now comes standard with leather seats with heated front seats, dual-zone full automatic temperature control, rear vents and push-button start with Smart Key.

The updated Kia Forte also receives a new base 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine with 147 horsepower and 132 pound-feet of torque, replacing the old 1.8-liter four-cylinder mill. The new base engine is mated to asix-speed manual transmission, though a second-generation six-speed automatic is also available. Higher trims are equipped with a 2.0-liter GDI four-cylinder engine with 164 hp and 151 lb-ft of torque, paired to the six-speed automatic.

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First Drive: Kia Sportage Turbo Makes A Convincing Premium Play

The 2017 Kia Sportage wins my award for most surprising attention-grabber - and that’s high praise for something aimed at the heart of today’s American car market.

It manages to do it in a rather conservative class of car, the compact SUV market that’s become the new staple for Americans over the last few years. The best new compact SUVs act like midsize sedans most of the time, providing space for some combination of adults and kids and their belongings with little compromise.

And like many of its recent offerings, Kia brings a healthy dose of style to its entry in the segment, which is one of the easiest things it can do to separate itself in a crowded field. Fortunately for the Sportage, the style is backed up with a lot of substance, too.

Nose noise

Stare first at its front and the Sportage splits opinion right away. That’s a good thing in my book, whether you like the stubby "tiger nose" or not.

Move to the side and the rear, however, and things are far less controversial if you skip the Burnished Copper paint. Nice 19-inch wheels come on this top SX model, but all Sportages get nice wheels now. The lack of a quarter window out back doesn’t impede vision as much as it could, although a backup camera and parking sensors help out. The overall shape is similar to other compact SUVs, but Kia at least sweated some details to make it look different and detailed and the Sportage is better for it, even if it’s a little controversial.

In fact, I thought the Sportage was the most distinctive-looking SUV on the market at the moment until someone suggested a resemblance to the Porsche Macan at the back. Then I couldn’t unsee it.

I guess there are worse things to copy.

Plenty to touch softly

Perhaps the Porsche comparison is timely now because Kia recently bested the German luxury brand in this year’s J.D. Power Initial Quality Survey.

Mainstream-branded cars getting sexy exterior makeovers has been common in recent years, but things have tended to go awry inside, where the low prices mean low-grade interiors. Things like heated and cooled front seats and a powered shade for the enormous glass roof impress in this class – and all standard on this SX.

Kia has finally mastered the art of balancing the soft-touch materials where they matter and cutting corners where we’re less likely to notice. The dash top has a convincing stitching to it, the upper door panels and armrests are sufficiently padded for bony elbows. The A-pillars aren’t swathed in a nicely woven textile, but the plastic is designed in such a way that it looks like they are. But how often were you going to grope those? The Sportage is nice where it counts.

It’s also so simple to use the corporate Hyundai-Kia touchscreen radio and the secondary buttons below. Pretty much every command is straightforward and the screen has one of the most immediate responses out there, to minimize the amount of time you’re screaming at it.

The only significant gripe I had inside the Sportage concerned the cargo area. It’s a decent size and shape, with rear seats that split 60/40 and go down flat. But the floor is so flat and shapeless that your two grocery bags spill over before you leave the parking lot. A cargo organizer or at least some nets or hooks to hold stuff in place would be better than having to climb into the back to get a loose apple. 
Or stop buying fruit. Your call.

Ready to pounce

Most Sportages will get the 2.4-liter four with 181 horsepower that will be as adventurous as oatmeal with raisins. The engine that better matches the Sportage’s looks, however, is the 2.0-liter turbo four, with 245 horsepower.

The turbo is interesting in its old-school nature. There’s a throbbing you can feel through the pedals and wheel at idle, and then a good amount of lag from a full stop. But pulls pretty hard once the turbo gets in the game. You won’t mistake it for a V6, but the power is comparable.

Better still, there’s just enough engine noise in the otherwise quiet cabin. It feels solid unlike its most of its rivals. Kia seems to have channeled an Audi Q5 or Range Rover Evoque rather than a Mazda CX-5, and the planted feel inspires you to play with it in corners. Too bad the steering and tires aren’t up to that, but at least the suspension is willing to give it a try.

Unlike its mechanical relative, the Hyundai Tucson, the Sportage sticks with a typical 6-speed automatic rather than the Hyundai’s 7-speed dual-clutch auto, and it’s mostly better for it. The transmission wants to be in the higher gears a lot, but it’s pretty prompt to shift down when your right foot asks for it.

The obvious downside, however, is a dismal fuel economy figures of 20 city, 23 highway. Ditch the optional all-wheel drive and the 23 mpg combined rating isn’t much better than the 21 with the system. I managed to average around that, but V6-equipped three-row crossovers I’ve driven recently have matched or bettered that.

Combine the interior quality and driving experience, and the Sportage SX feels like a premium product more than a mainstream-branded one.

Going farther

As far as compact crossovers go, the Sportage SX is a good way to spend $35,000 on one. Aside from the pathetic fuel economy, it doesn’t do anything badly. I wish the fuel economy were better and the steering ever so slightly sharper, but it’s better than most here.

Importantly, it does more than is expected of it when compared to its mainstream rivals. No similarly priced Honda CR-V or Toyota RAV4 feels this substantial. The Tucson and Mazda CX-5 aren’t as powerful and a Ford Escape is more expensive still.

More than a decent drive, a useful box and a polished interior, the Sportage SX makes you question for a minute or two why someone would make the $10-15,000 jump to a premium-branded compact SUV. Sure, it says "KIA" on the front and back, but you’d have to be a real badge snob to let that bother you these days – especially coming out of a Toyota or Ford, for example.

And even if it doesn’t drive like a Porsche Macan, your friends will at least have a positive inflection when they look at the front and ask, “What is that?” 

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