Autoblog

Report: No 2010 Kia Borrego, model's future uncertain

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:01:00 EST

2009 Kia Borrego - Click above for high-res image gallery

There really isn't anything wrong with the Kia Borrego. When compared directly to its intended competition, the big, boxy, body-on-frame SUV is both attractive and fully class competitive, as we learned the first time we got any significant time in its driver seat. That said, there's no doubt that the Borrego's model launch was an object lesson in horrible timing.

The Borrego was Introduced in late 2008 as a 2009 model, right when the financial meltdown was starting to make some waves and the previous summer's record-high fuel prices were still emblazoned in our collective memory banks. This being the case, it's no surprise to learn from The Car Connection that Kia moved fewer than half (at 9,510 through November) of its hoped-for Borrego sales in 2009.

That said, we still didn't expect the Korean automaker to drop the Borrego entirely for the 2010 model year, which is exactly what's being reported by the boys over at The Car Connection. Apparently, no decision has yet been made as to whether the Borrego will make a return appearance after 2010 or if the square-jawed SUV will be a one-and-done proposition.

Either way, for the keen bargain hunter, there's a boatload of cash on the hood of the 2009 model year. Kia is presently offering $3,000 in cash back on all trim levels, plus the availability of numerous other incentives. The rundown: $1,500 for trading in a competitor's vehicle (everything from the Buick Enclave to the Pontiac Aztek and Jeep Wrangler Unlimited qualifies); $1,500 for owner loyalty, $400 for recent college grads, $500 for military service, and $300 for Great Dane rescue shelter workers. We made that last one up.

Gallery: 2009 Kia Borrego First Drive

[Sources: The Car Connection; Kia]

Report: No 2010 Kia Borrego, model's future uncertain originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 30 Dec 2009 14:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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VIDEO: Kia remains committed to fuel cells, shows more of Borrego FCEV

Sam Abuelsamid — Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST

Kia Borrego FCEV - click above for high-res image gallery

Kia and its partners at Hyundai continue to move ahead on fuel cell technology, and Kia has released new footage of their latest fuel cell prototype, the Borrego/Mohave FCEV (the Borrego is badged as Mohave in the Korean market).

While the base Borrego is a rear/all-wheel drive body-on-frame SUV, the FCEV drives the front wheels through a 110 kW AC electric motor. The fuel cell stack is located under the passenger compartment and puts out 115 kW. Interestingly, Kia claims its stack is designed to work with air at ambient pressure, eliminating the need for a compressor, a major component of other FCEVs. Kia also claims its fuel cell can utilize 98 percent of all the hydrogen to produce power.

Electrical energy from regenerative braking is stored in a super-capacitor module and then released for an extra power boost when needed. Kia does not say what the capacity of the 700 BAR hydrogen storage system is, but the range of the vehicle is claimed to be 425 miles. Kia still plans to produce the FCEV in low volume series production in 2012, with mass production three years after that. Watch the video after the jump and check out our First Drive report of the last-gen Borrego FCEV.

Gallery: Kia Borrego FCEV

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading VIDEO: Kia remains committed to fuel cells, shows more of Borrego FCEV

VIDEO: Kia remains committed to fuel cells, shows more of Borrego FCEV originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 28 Dec 2009 09:01:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Fido Approved: America's top ten pet-safe vehicles

Jonny Lieberman — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:41:00 EST

Filed under: Etc., Safety

America's Top 10 Pet Safe vehicles - Click above for high-res image gallery

Most people don't pay it any mind, but car accidents and pets don't mix. Just like with humans, wrapping your car around a telephone pole can kill Fido dead. Or really injure the cute little guy. To draw attention to this issue, a website called Bark Buckle Up has teamed up with Edmunds.com to bring us their Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles.

As Bark Buckle Up points out, "If you have an accident at 35 mph while toting your 60-pound unrestrained dog, your pet is capable of causing an impact of up to 2,700 pounds, slamming into the seat, the windshield, or even a passenger." Ouch. Now of course, if you have an eight pound pooch, that's only a 360 pound impact. We say "only" to illustrate how violent car crashes can be. And just imagine if you had a really big dog, like a Dogo Argentino. Assuming you got a big 160-pound satin-white boar hunter, the impact would be near the four ton range.

What do the following ten vehicles do to address pets flying through the windshield in a crash? Very little, and we don't want to get into the delusion that CUVs are somehow safer than cars. But they all offer nice amenities for pets -- stuff like room to stretch out, tri-zone climate control, fold flat rear seats, side impact airbags and rear back up cameras. As for an accident, you might want to invest in a doggy seat belt. Says Bark Buckle Up founder Christina Selter, "In the event of a sudden stop or accident, the animal can injure other passengers or be thrown through the windshield, then hinder the efforts of rescue workers or even cause another accident by escaping into the street." All ten vehicles are listed out in alphabetical order, so check 'em out in our gallery below.

Gallery: Top 10 Pet Safe Vehicles

[Source: Bark Buckle Up]

Fido Approved: America's top ten pet-safe vehicles originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:41:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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SEMA 2008: Kia Borrego Limited Concept does its best Escalade impression

Jonathon Ramsey — Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:17:00 EST

Filed under: Aftermarket, SEMA Show, Tuners, SUV, Kia

Click above for high-res gallery of the Kia Borrego Limited SEMA Concept

With the Escalade on the ropes, it looks like Kia might step in to rescue all those lovers of blacked-out blinged-up chromed-out big-wheeled SUVs. The metallic black Borrego Limited Concept that debuted at SEMA today gets chrome exterior mirrors, chrome upper and lower grilles, chrome door handles, a chrome rear bumper insert, and "flashy 22-inch Avarus chrome wheels." Inside it gets (faux) alligator skin. That's right. A Kia Borrego with (faux) alligator skin. And what good is a (faux) alligator without a TV and a DVD player to complete that "assertive and sophisticated stance fit for a motorcade as much as cruising down the Vegas strip." True, this would be generic medication compared to the Escalade's real deal, but it'll be much cheaper and probably still get the job done. Maybe. But watch out for the side effects. Have a look at the not-quite-reptilian Borrego in the gallery of high-res photos below. Oh, and for the record, the Soul will be officially revealed on the 19th, at the LA Auto Show.

Gallery: 2008 SEMA: Kia Borrego Limited Concept

Gallery: Kia Borrego Limited Concept

Continue reading SEMA 2008: Kia Borrego Limited Concept does its best Escalade impression

SEMA 2008: Kia Borrego Limited Concept does its best Escalade impression originally appeared on Autoblog on Tue, 04 Nov 2008 18:17:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego

Jeremy Korzeniewski — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:31:00 EST

Filed under: SUV, Kia, First Drives

Click above for high-res gallery of the 2009 Kia Borrego

Could there be an any worse time to debut a brand new body-on-frame SUV like Kia has done with the new 2009 Borrego? Gas prices have most every new car shopper running from SUVs into small cars with four-cylinder engines. In fact, many SUV early adopters are now driving much smaller sedans like those models that make up Kia's bread-and-butter line. Enough new Korean vehicles were sold in America so far this year that the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group managed to outpace mighty Honda in total sales as it roared into the number five worldwide automaker spot. Therefore, our immediate thought is that Kia must be crazy to go ahead and introduce the new Borrego in the American market... but Kia would have you believe otherwise.

As Kia's sales team sees it, since the Korean automaker currently offers no contenders in the true midsize SUV category, any slice of the dwindling market is a win. Is the Borrego good enough to win over any remaining SUV buyers? Read on.

Gallery: 2009 Kia Borrego First Drive

All photos copyright Jeremy Korzeniewski / Weblogs Inc.

Continue reading First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego

First Drive: 2009 Kia Borrego originally appeared on Autoblog on Mon, 21 Jul 2008 12:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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LEAKED! Every angle of the upcoming 2009 Kia Borrego SUV

John Neff — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:31:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Kia

click above image for big gallery of the 2009 Kia Borrego

Kia probably was hoping not to unveil every nook and cranny of its new Borrego SUV (called Mohave in Korea) this way, but the internet is a cruel mistress and it just goes to show that you shouldn't park your new SUV on a red carpet in public if you don't want people taking pictures of it. These snapshots of Kia's new SUV from every angle inside and out have surfaced on Kia-World.net, which you can view in the gallery below. It's a sharp looking vehicle, though still a body-on-frame SUV. As we've mentioned previously, a full-size SUV will be a tough sell for Kia in this CUV-crazed market. The Borrego will be armed with a V6 (a 3.0L unit according to badging on this particular vehicle) and the brand's first V8, however, and promises excellent NVH (noise, vibration, harshness) levels for an SUV. Shots of the undercarriage also reveal what appears to be an air suspension to help cushion the ride, and the interior includes such upscale options as Kia's first nav system. Like most recent products from Kia and its parent company Hyundai, the Borrego looks like a contender in every respect, and will no doubt carry a price tag that's too low for shoppers not to at least consider. The full reveal will happen at the Detroit Auto Show in January, and we'll be on hand to relay all of the official details on Kia's first full-size SUV.

[Source: Kia-World.net via Carscoop]

Gallery: 2009 Kia Borrego

LEAKED! Every angle of the upcoming 2009 Kia Borrego SUV originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 28 Nov 2007 11:31:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Detroit '08 Preview: Kia names new SUV the Borrego

Alex Nunez — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:33:00 EST

Filed under: Detroit Auto Show, SUV, Kia

Kia has slapped a name on the production body-on-frame SUV born from the 2005 Mesa concept. Dubbed "Borrego," the truck will be offered with V6 or V8 power and have a grille that looks uncannily similar to the one on the Subaru Tribeca. Its headlights are reminiscent of the pre-facelift Chrysler Pacifica, too. We know that designs are locked in long before new vehicles are at a point where they can be shown to the public, but it's still amusing to note the similarities.

Also amusing is the name, Borrego. We're sure that Kia was going for a desert theme, and that the name was inspired by the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park in California. (In Korea, it'll be called Mojave, in keeping with the desert vibe.) Unfortunately for Kia, in Spanish, "borrego" roughly translates to "lamb" or "sheep," neither of which conjures up a tough image for a new SUV. Last we checked, there are plenty of Spanish-speakers in the US, too, so it's not like this one's gonna sneak by unnoticed.

In all seriousness, the biggest question is whether the crossover-happy marketplace will be welcoming toward a new body-on-frame sport utility. We'll see what the reaction is in January when it's unveiled in Detroit.

[Source: Kia]

Continue reading Detroit '08 Preview: Kia names new SUV the Borrego

Detroit '08 Preview: Kia names new SUV the Borrego originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 07 Nov 2007 10:33:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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