Autoblog

Kia transforms five Justice League inspired models for Heroes charity

Seyth Miersma — Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, Concept Cars, SEMA Show, Kia, Design/Style

Following up on the dark and sinister Batman Optima that we saw revealed in New York City a while back, Kia has come to SEMA with a selection of super hero-inspired cars for your viewing pleasure.

DC Entertainment has offered up its well known Justice League cast of characters for Kia-fication. Flash has lent his livery to a Kia Forte Koup, Green Lantern gets a Soul, Cyborg a Forte Five-Door and the much-lampooned Aquaman (he talks to fish) has inspired a Rio Five-Door.

The cars are sure to get the comic community at least a little fired up, which is great, because all will be auctioned off for charity at the conclusion of this year's show. The charity in question, We Can Be Heroes, dedicated to fighting hunger in the Horn of Africa.

Have a look at all of the cars in our live gallery, or scroll down to read the full press release from Kia.

Continue reading Kia transforms five Justice League inspired models for Heroes charity

Kia transforms five Justice League inspired models for Heroes charity originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 30 Oct 2012 18:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia planning onslaught of new product

Zach Bowman — Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Sedan, Hatchback, Kia, South Korea

Kia is hard at work cranking out a rash of new models, according to Automotive News. The South Korean automaker has plans to launch a new 40-mile-per-gallon version of the Forte Koup in January 2013, and the two-door will likely be trailed by a new five-door hatchback and yet another larger coupe. The latter two will likely see dealers by next summer, though Kia says those of us waiting to get our hands on the new Quoris flagship will have to twiddle our thumbs until 2015 at the earliest. As you may recall, the Quoris is a rear-wheel-drive sedan otherwise known as the K9.

In addition, Kia is expected to unveil the Cadenza front-wheel-drive sedan next summer as a 2014 model. Powered by a 3.5-liter V6 engine, the four-door will be positioned above the smaller Optima and will likely carry an MSRP in the high $30,000 range. Meanwhile, forces inside Kia are still pushing to see the GT Concept translated into a legitimate production vehicle. The company is having trouble building a proper business case for the 395-horsepower sedan, however.

Kia planning onslaught of new product originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 17 Aug 2012 08:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia captures first-ever motorsports victory

Jeff Glucker — Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:02:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, Coupe, Kia, Racing

Kia earns its first motorsports victory - Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia first entered the motorsports game in 2010. Using its Forte Koup, Kia entered into the Grand-Am racing series in the street tuner class, with 2010 being considered a development year for the newborn racing team. It would appear that things have developed quite well because Kia, along with Kinetic Motorsports, has earned its first-ever first-place finish.

Barber Motorsports Park played host to the Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge and Kia brought its pair of racing Forte Koups to the event. Car number 10, driven by Michael Galati and Nic Jönsson, took the lead with just 30 minutes of racing time left. Jönsson kept the 10 car ahead of the pack and brought home the victory. Kia's number 12 car managed to grab a top 10 finish as well, making for an all-around successful day at the track. Kia's full press blast is available after the jump.

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge race car

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading Kia captures first-ever motorsports victory

Kia captures first-ever motorsports victory originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 13 Apr 2011 09:02:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia says NBA partnership helping awareness more than expected

Jeff Glucker — Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:40:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Etc., Marketing/Advertising, Videos, Kia

Blake Griffin posterizes the 2011 Kia Optima - Click above to watch video after the jump

Kia has become an active presence in both the National Basketball Association and Grand-Am Challenge racing series. Participation in both requires a fair amount of investment for the automaker, but so far, Kia says this marketing gamble is paying off handsomely.

In 2010, Kia sold 356,268 vehicles to U.S. consumers. That's a record for the automaker, and it tops efforts by more established brands Mazda, Volkswagen and Subaru. Kia is optimistic that 2011 could be even better thanks to the increased brand exposure coming as a result of its NBA tie-ins.

Viewership of this NBA season is up, which means Kia's messaging is reaching a greater number of fans. That messaging got a massive surge during All-Star Weekend when Los Angeles Clippers forward used a 2011 Optima as a prop in the slam-dunk contest. Millions of people watched Blake Griffin soar over the hood of the strategically placed sedan, and many continue to view clips of the dunk on YouTube. (You can do the same, by clicking past the jump).

Beyond the NBA and the Optima, Kia has outfitted its Forte Koup for racing duty. Running in the Grand-Am Challenge Series, the Forte has been hitting the track for two solid years now. This year, the team was able to make it on to the podium.

It's two very different markets, but the Kia lineup is getting exposure to a very large audience. Traffic to both its website and dealerships is up, and Kia has been so buoyed by its Grand-Am involvement that it is also understood to be considering going racing with the Optima.

[Source: WardsAuto | Image: Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images]

Continue reading Kia says NBA partnership helping awareness more than expected

Kia says NBA partnership helping awareness more than expected originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 15 Mar 2011 09:40:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2010: Kia Forte Hybrid Concept is green, Koup R Concept is smoky gray goodness

Jonathon Ramsey — Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:19:00 EST

Filed under: SEMA Show, Coupe, Budget, Hybrid, Kia

Kia Forte Hybrid Concept - Click above for high-res image gallery

The Kia Forte Hybrid is neat enough - green on the outside, green and leafy on the inside. Riding cast alloy wheels wrapped in low-rolling resistance tires, the hybrid system mixes it up with a 1.6-liter LPG engine tied to lithium polymer batteries. Saving the world is counteracted with killing your ears, though - this eco-friendly concept has a 1,200-watt Infinity 2 audio system on board.

The Kia Forte Koup Type R Concept, on the other hand, is unbridled awesome. Built to commemorate Kia's first year in the Grand Am racing series, it's a hotness-added version of the Forte Koup put together by Kinetic Motorsports. Blistered and vented panels are adorned with 18-inch BBS wheels and some diffuser action in back, plus a green-mesh and carbon accented interior kicked up a notch by a short throw shift kit. Best yet, Kia says that this has "an eye on future production vehicle applications." Yes, please! It's something like what the second-generation Scion tC should have been, and you'll find more on it in the presser after the jump and the gallery of high-res photos below.

Gallery: SEMA 2010: Kia Forte Hybrid Concept

Gallery: SEMA 2010: Kia Forte Koup R

Continue reading SEMA 2010: Kia Forte Hybrid Concept is green, Koup R Concept is smoky gray goodness

SEMA 2010: Kia Forte Hybrid Concept is green, Koup R Concept is smoky gray goodness originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 03 Nov 2010 19:19:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Report: Kia Motors first-quarter profit quadruples

Zach Bowman — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:28:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Kia, Earnings/Financials

This whole recession thing has been good to Kia. Buyers have skidded away from high-riding luxury barges faster than cockroaches from a kitchen light and right into the loving arms of the Korean automaker's well-equipped, smartly priced, and newly competent products. As a result, the company has reportedly seen its net profits quadruple in the first three months of this year. Kia managed to rake in a total of $358 million dollars from January to March, compared to $88.2 million during the same period in 2009.

Much of the boost came from the fact that the company's global sales have exploded this year thanks in part to the new Sorento, Forte and Forte Koup. Kia moved 474,635 vehicles during the first-quarter of 2010 - more than 65 percent more than during the first-quarter of 2009.

[Source: Associated Press | Image: Jung Yeon-Je/Getty]

Report: Kia Motors first-quarter profit quadruples originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:28:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Canadian Kia customers get new dealer-installed Forte Koup "R" performance package

Steven J. Ewing — Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Kia, Canada, Design/Style

Kia Forte Koup with "R" package - Click above for high-res image gallery

In our initial review of the Kia Forte Koup, we were very impressed with the car's overall style and levels of standard equipment, but we wished that the car were a bit more potent on the street. One remedy for that is the "R" package of dealer-installed accessories that Canadian customers can now spec on either the SX or EX model.

Sadly, the R treatment doesn't aim to churn out any more power from the Forte Koup's four-cylinder mill, but it does add things like a performance exhaust, AIM drop-in performance air filter, stiffer springs and a strut tower brace. This healthy bit of tuning should help to make the Forte a bit more involving on twisty roads and the added appearance kit (front skirts, side sills and rear spoiler) and the obligatory badge package gives it a much more aggressive look. Those 18-inch Europa wheels wrapped in Yokohama S-Drive rubber are pretty spiffy, too.

Canadian Forte Koup buyers should be able to add the R package to their cars starting in mid-May, and the optional bits will be available a la carte from any Kia dealership in the country, so ~~kurrent~~ current Kia Koup owners who want to upgrade will be covered, too. Will all or part of the package make it to the States? We hope so. However, no confirmation could be given from Kia's American or Canadian public relations department at this time. A tip of the hat to Chuck!

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup R Package

[Source: Kia]

Canadian Kia customers get new dealer-installed Forte Koup "R" performance package originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 17 Mar 2010 20:00:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Review: 2010 Kia Forte Koup SX a beauty queen that can't hide its roots

John Neff — Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:57:00 EST

Filed under: Coupe, Budget, Kia, New Car Reviews

2010 Kia Forte Koup - Click above for high-res image gallery

It's time to stop being surprised that Koreans can make good cars. Kia and its sister-brand Hyundai have been doing it for years now, with each successive model being better than the last. Hyundai has been selling vehicles in the U.S. for 24 years, Kia for 16, and they don't deserve bonus points anymore for exceeding expectations. Want proof? Along with Subaru, they were the only three brands to increase sales last year during the Great Recession. The bar has been raised and it's time we take off the kid gloves.

With that in mind, we turn our attention to the 2010 Kia Forte Koup. A brand new model, the Koup joins the Forte sedan in displacing the Spectra, Kia's former best-selling model in the U.S. So the stakes are high for this four-door and accompanying Koup (blech, we mean coupe). We've already sampled the Forte sedan and called it "a stylish, comfortable, frisky automotive companion for surprisingly short dollars." Along with losing two doors, the Koup also gains more aggressive bodywork that suggests the potential for higher performance than the sedan. Does it fulfill that promise or come across as a parts-bin twin with two fewer doors? Let's follow the jump to find out.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Kia Forte Koup

Continue reading Review: 2010 Kia Forte Koup SX a beauty queen that can't hide its roots

Review: 2010 Kia Forte Koup SX a beauty queen that can't hide its roots originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 16 Feb 2010 11:57:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Chicago 2010: Kia shows off new Forte Koup racecar

Drew Phillips — Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST

Filed under: Chicago Auto Show, Motorsports, Coupe, Kia, Racing

Kia Forte Koup Racecar - Click above for high-res image gallery

Kia has been making waves this past year or so with introductions like the Soul and the Forte Koup, and for 2010, they hope to be make an impact on the racetrack as well. Here at the Chicago Auto Show, Kia is displaying their new Forte Koup racecar that is competing in Grand-Am's Continental Sports Car Challenge series for 2010. The Korean manufacturer's first foray into motorsports will be managed by Georgia-based Kinetic Motorsports who will field a pair of cars in the Street Tuner (ST) class against cars like the Mazda3, BMW 330, and Volkswagen GTI.

The #10 car at the show was fresh off the truck from its debut at the Fresh From Florida 200 at Daytona Speedway last month, where it finished an underwhelming 31st in class. The #12 sister car fared a little better, ending the race in a respectable 19th place. You can watch both cars in action on SPEED Channel's tape-delayed broadcast of the race on February 13th at 7:00 pm EST. Until then, you can browse through our photos in the gallery below.

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup Racecar

Chicago 2010: Kia shows off new Forte Koup racecar originally appeared on Autoblog on Thu, 11 Feb 2010 11:58:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LA 2009: 2010 Kia Forte and Forte Koup crowned NADAguides.com COTY

Frank Filipponio — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:59:00 EST

Filed under: LA Auto Show, Coupe, Budget, Sedan, Etc., Kia

2010 Kia Forte - Click above for high-res image gallery

With a brief press release and a trophy handoff at the LA Auto Show, car pricing authority NADAguides.com has heaped the first of what we could be many accolades upon the stylish and affordable 2010 Kia Forte and Kia Forte Koup by naming the duo their Car of the Year for 2009. Citing the pair's "best in class" features and stylish interior and exterior design, the group said these Kia compacts were standout vehicles in a pretty impressive field. Other contenders for the crown included such significant and praiseworthy vehicles as the Ford Fusion Hybrid, Mercedes-Benz E350 and Nissan 370Z Roadster.

In our own review of the Kia Forte, we praised its styling, build, layout and performance, and especially its budget-minded pricing, so we see where NADA is coming from. Sometimes, we have to scratch our heads a bit when one of these sorts of awards are announced, but in this case, we certainly think the cars are deserving.

Gallery: Review: 2010 Kia Forte SX

[Source: NADAguides.com]

Continue reading LA 2009: 2010 Kia Forte and Forte Koup crowned NADAguides.com COTY

LA 2009: 2010 Kia Forte and Forte Koup crowned NADAguides.com COTY originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:59:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series

Sam Abuelsamid — Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST

Filed under: Motorsports, SEMA Show, Kia

Kia Forte Koup Grand-Am racer - Click above for high-res image gallery

For the first time in its history in the U.S. market, Kia is going racing in 2010. Kia announced today at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas that it has partnered with the Kinetic Group to build and compete with a pair of new Forte Koups in the 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series. The Koups will be driven by Andy Lally and Nic Jönsson in the Street Tuner class of the Koni Challenge. Kia says it chose the Kinetic Group for its experience working in NASCAR, ALMS, IndyCar and, of course, the Koni Challenge.

The front-wheel-drive Kias are based on the production Forte Koup and will be running against the likes of the Mazda MX-5, Honda Civic Si and MINI Cooper. The Kias will make their debut January 8-10 at the Grand-Am test days at Daytona and then really hit the track in anger at the end of the month for the season opener as part of the Daytona 24 Hours weekend. Will the little two-door from South Korea have the racing chops to hang with other, more experienced production-based racers? Time will tell, but it's great to see Kia hop into motorsports with both feet and choose a series where its actual cars have the potential to shine.

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup Grand-Am Koni Challenge

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series

Kia Forte Koup going racing in 2010 Grand-Am Koni Challenge series originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 03 Nov 2009 14:10:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Kia prices 2010 Forte Koup at $16,595*

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:31:00 EST

Filed under: Car Buying, Coupe, Budget, Kia

2010 Kia Forte Koup - Click above for high-res image gallery

Back in July, Kia announced that its two-door Forte would begin hitting dealerships across the United States later this summer. Well, that time is now, and the Korean automaker has just announced pricing on its fashionable ~~coupe~~ Koup. Pricing for the 2010 Forte Koupe will begin at $16,595, to which you can immediately add $695 for destination.

For those paying attention, that's puts the Koup a not-insignificant $2,900 over the base cost of the Forte sedan, which we found to be a credible entry into the popular compact car segment currently dominated by the Honda Civic and Toyota Corolla. Add another grand if you'd like an automatic transmission (with just four forward ratios on the EX, sadly).

Stepping up to the SX model will cost you $17,695 to start with a manual transmission or $18,695 with a five-speed auto (plus destination) and will put a 173-hp 2.4 liter four cylinder underhood. A leather interior will add $1,000 to any trim level and a sunroof goes for $600. Click here to build your own - we added every option to our Koup and came up with an asking price of $21,505, which runs right in line with the car's intended competition.

Gallery: Kia Forte Koup

Kia prices 2010 Forte Koup at $16,595* originally appeared on Autoblog on Fri, 04 Sep 2009 15:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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