The new Hyundai-Kia Motor Group Theta II GDI engine you saw earlier this week will be making its way into Kias as early as the first half of 2010 in South Korea. It will then make its way into UK models in 2011 and probably then the rest of the world.

We don’t get many normally aspirated gasoline direct injection engines here in Malaysia. So far only a handful of cars have featured non-turbo FSI engines here in Malaysia, such as the 2.2 liter JTS engines in the Alfa Romeo range here including the 159, and the Volkswagen Jetta 2.0 FSI.

BMW has stayed away from bringing in the new direct injection N53 engines and have stuck to the sweeter-sounding port injection N52 engines. Even for the 4-pots, it is the reason why our 320i still puts out only 156hp instead of the 170hp+ available overseas. Even the Lexus GS uses a conventional port injection engine instead of the D4 engine available overseas, however the LS has direct injection.

Most companies quote the issue of fuel quality when asked on why normally aspirated direct injection engines are not available here. The NAP Review says there will be a timeline formulated for the introduction of better petrol (and diesel) here in Malaysia so hopefully by that time it will be just right for GDI Hyundais and Kias to be introduced here in Malaysia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has already started dabbling in motorsports in Europe but the car above is part of its US motorsports program which it unveiled at the 2009 SEMA tuner car show. Two Kia Forte Koups built together with the Kinetic Group will be racing in the 2010 GRAND-AM KONI Sports Car Challenge Series in the Street Tuner (ST) class.

The ST class uses race cars based on production vehicles and uses weight and intake restrictions to maintain a level playing field for all entrants. The two Kia cars will be piloted by Nic Jonsson, Andy Lally, Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

This is the new Naza Picanto, just launched by Naza Kia Sdn Bhd a few days ago at The Curve. Yes, this is the CKD Picanto that was previously called the Naza Suria, but now the Suria name has been dropped and replaced by the Kia name, though the Naza badge remains. The Suria name was probably inspired by the Picanto’s Korean market name, which is the Kia Morning.

The most obvious change is of course the aesthetic update to the latest look that has been available from Kia internationally. With the latest facelift in Korea, there were actually two different front ends available but Naza has picked the version with the rounded foglamps to sell here. There is another one with leaf-shaped look foglamps and funkier alloy wheels, probably some kind of special edition.

On the inside, the interior has been updated with orange backlighting for the controls and meter cluster. The meter cluster is complete with an RPM meter but there is no water temp meter. The head unit provided is a 1-DIN design with USB support so you can read your MP3 files off a USB thumbdrive and do away with carrying CDs in your Picanto. The 1.1 liter engine revs up to 6k RPM and puts out a peak of 64 PS at 5,500rpm and 96Nm of torque at 2,800rpm. I like the fact that peak torque is made under 3,000rpm, which is usually the point an automatic car would shift gears if driven gently. But in any case acceleration from 0 to 100km/h will take a long 15.1 seconds.

In terms of safety, the front passenger and driver get two airbags – one each. The airbags are only available on the more expensive EX model. None of the models have ABS. There are four 3-point belts and a lap belt for the rear center. Wheels are 14 inch steels for the LS and 15 inch alloys for the EX, wrapped with 165/60R14 and 175/50R15 tyres respectively. The EX goes for RM46,800 while the LS goes for RM44,500. If you are in the market for one I’d recommend you just go for the EX since you get alloys and two airbags for a premium of RM2,300.

Also note that the Picanto is basically the original car that the Hyundai i10 was based on, and the i10 is sold at a higher price of RM48,888 in Malaysia. But the i10 comes with ABS brakes and a 5-year warranty while from the Naza Kia website it appears the Picanto gets 2 years, though it looks like a (optional?) 2 year extended warranty program is also available. Also, the i10’s CKD packs come from India, while the Picanto’s CKD packs probably come from Korea.

Look after the jump for an E-Brochure and a gallery of the Picanto.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

It’s official – no matter whether you’ve been calling it the Kia VG or the Kia KND-5 Concept, you’ll now have a new and official to refer to it by – the Kia Cadenza. But Kia noted that the name Cadenza would be one used outside of Korea. In Korea it might be called the K7.

The name Cadenza was derived from an Italian musical term used to describe an elaborate, ornamental flourish for a concerto or aria. In line with its upmarket sedan status, there will be a number of creature comforts introduced in the Cadenza that are not common in a Kia – heated steering wheel, powered extendable seat cushions (for thigh support), windshield automatic defogging, and ventilated front seats.

The Kia Cadenza production car will make public debuts at the Saudi Arabia, Kuwait and Dubai international motorshows towards the end of 2009. Look after the jump for an initial set of 4 hi-res images released officially by Kia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

A larger Forte with softer lines to match its more stately demeanor can’t be a bad thing. And Kia agrees – here’s the new Kia VG.

Click for larger image

That is just a codename. It’s official name is not known yet, but it’s large sedan that’s bigger than the Optima, with a wheelbase pegged at 2,845mm, which is shorter than the Hyundai Genesis’s 2,936mm but much longer than the Optima’s 2,700mm Euro D-segment wheelbase.

Click for larger image

For now all we have are these pre-announcement leaked production photos, but Kia previously unveiled a concept version of this new large sedan to us as the Kia KND-5 Concept so you can check out the previous post covering that for some extra details.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

It’s hard to tell what real world performance and experiences will be like for now but one thing’s for sure (though you can read my first impression story when I got to drive the car in Korea), the new Kia Forte Koup is a stunner when it comes to its looks.

If you just can’t get enough of the Koup, check out this fresh new CGI-heavy video from Kia promoting its new Kia Forte Koup after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia changed their mind pretty quick about how they wanted their Korean market facelifted Optima (called Lotze Innovation in Korea) to look like. Sometime in mid-2008 they updated the Korean market Optima’s front and rear end to a younger and more dynamic look featuring sharper headlamps, the new Schreyer grille, and new LED tail lamps. They also updated the interior with new red backlighting and a new three-gauge meter cluster.

Chrome grille abandoned for sportier mesh look

For this latest minor facelift the front grille has lost its horizontal chrome slats and this is replaced with a mesh grille from the export market model. A comparison is shown above. For more details on the facelift check out our story from when the facelifted Optima was first unveiled last year in the related posts below:

Related Posts:
Kia Lotze Innovation: facelifted Optima in Korea
2009 Kia Optima facelift unveiled at NYIAS 2008

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The Kia No3 Concept has been translated into a production car. Presenting: the Kia Venga, a new B-segment MPV (not exactly an MPV in the three-row 7 seater sense but more of a tall hatchback) designed and built in Europe. The name Venga is derived from the Spanish verb “to come”, which in the language sounds like invitation to move from one spot to another. For some reason I find this amusing as it is similiar to the Tamil word “vange” which also means “come”

It looks small but the Kia Venga is actually bigger than a Hyundai i20 – its got a wheelbase of 2,615mm thats a whole lot longer compared to the i20’s 2,525mm wheelbase. The previous generation Kia Carens/Rondo had a wheelbase of 2560mm but with the latest generation (called the Citra II Rondo in Malaysia) it used the Optima’s platform and grew to a massive 2,700mm.

This definitely makes some space for a smaller MPV to be slotted in under the new Rondo. The Kia Venga is 4,068mm long and 1,600mm tall. Like most new Kia designs it looks pretty alright, nothing to hate about it, though I think that Schreyer grille isn’t really working that great on that Fiat Bravo-like nose. But the rest of the car is quite cute.

Kia claims the Kia Venga offers C-segment space in a B-segment footprint, and hopefully price. It will feature a 1.4 liter gasoline engine or a 1.6 liter turbodiesel engine at launch, putting out 75 PS and 115 PS respectively.

Both engines will be fitted standard with ISG (Idle Stop & Go) technology which auto-stops your car engine when your car stops, and restarts it automatically when it is time to move again, useful during traffic jams or stop lights. Optional is a tilt-and-slide all-glass panoramic roof.

The production Kia Venga will be shown to the public at the Frankfurt show in September, and more photos will probably be released then. For now, check out 4 initial photos released by Kia after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has added the Peter Schreyer grille to the Kia cee’d facelift, and here we are shown some initial glimpses of both the normal hatchback model and the wagon model. The grille looks a little out of place on the cee’d in my opinion, as it is very angular and works well on angular cars like the Forte and the new Sorento, but not very suitable for a more curvy car like the cee’d. The new bumpers make the new facelifted cee’d about 25mm longer but no changes to wheelbase. Kia says there are also some changes on the interior such as all-red instrumentation lighting as well as new suspension settings. The facelift range will also debut a new variant with automatic start-stop for the 1.6 diesel under the new ECO-dynamics label. The new U2 family 1.6 liter turbodiesel will get a new 6-speed manual. Look after the jump for more photos of the new facelifted cee’d.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

These are the initial batch of 3 images of the new Kia large sedan codenamed “VG”, which will replace the Opirus/Amanti. I’ve actually seen the Amanti around KL before, probably driven by some Korean expatriates. It’s somewhat like Kia’s take on the now discontinued Jaguar S-Type, meant to look large and stately. Before you argue that these kind of cars don’t fit well in Kia’s image, they are all over the roads in South Korea. The people there tend to buy Korean cars exclusively from the low end to the higher ends of the model segments.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has updated both the sedan and hatchback versions of the Kia Rio in Korea, where it is called the Kia Pride. The front end is much more sportier now thanks to the Forte-like front bumper and it also gets the new Schreyer grille, a common feature on all new Kias all the way from the smallest Kia Morning (Picanto) up to the large Sorento. The interior has also been modernized and now features red backlighting.

The Rio/Pride is Kia’s B-segment compact car, which is basically their version of the Hyundai Accent. Under the hood is a choice of either a 1.4 liter DOHC engine, a 1.6 liter CVVT engine or a 1.5 liter diesel engine with a variable geometry turbocharger. In Malaysia, only the 1.4 liter hatchback is sold.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the facelift.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has revealed the first image of the new Kia cee’d, Kia’s European hatchback offering that has been so instrumental in changing the South Korean brand’s image in the eyes of the European customer. Kia Motors (UK) managing director Paul Philpott commented proudly that the cee’d is the one of the first Kias that customers have bought based on emotional reasons rather than practical. It’s not that it’s cheap, customers actually desired it! The cee’d platform also underpins the new Kia Forte sedan and coupe that will be making its way to Malaysian shores through Naza KIa. Full details on the cee’d will be revealed later this year at Frankfurt 2009, alongside two all-new Kia models.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Here’s another version of the Kia Forte Koup promotional clip that was published on this blog earlier this week. This time you get to see two Koups in action – one red and one blue. The previous 30 second promo clip actually used snippets of footage from this one. This one is actually longer, clocking in at over 1 and a half minutes.

Watch the video after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The Kia Morning receives another update after it was first updated in 2007 since its launch. The Morning is the car’s Korean market name, in Malaysia we used to know it as the Kia Picanto, and then later the Naza Suria. In fact the Suria name was penned based on the car’s original Morning name.

The 2007 facelift still retains the new headlamps that were introduced back then, but this time there are minor changes with the front grille, and a complely new front bumper with a blacked out lower section. But wait, this is just one of the two new looks that this 2010 facelift brings!

The other look is reserved for the “Special” trim level, which includes a Schreyer grille, and a different design for the front bumper. On the interior, both models get their dash and various other lighting changed from orange to red.

In its homeland of South Korea, the Morning is powered by 1.0 liter engines, either running on gasoline (72hp up from 64hp on the 2007 model), or a LPI natural gas version producing 67 horsepower. Both models have an ECO light on the dashboard to help you drive more economically by letting you know when you are driving in a fuel sipping manner.

Look after the jump for a full photo gallery of both exterior, interior and launch pix of the new 2010 Kia Morning.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has released a new TVC for its new Kia Forte Koup. The Koup still looks as good as ever, who would have ever imagined a Korean car could ever look so desirable? The Koup looked pretty darn good in silver when I test drove it in South Korea, but here in this ad it looks even better in red. Though catchy, I didn’t really understand what the ad was trying to say until the end, then it made sense to me. Two is enough, haha.

Watch the video after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Thanks to reader awak for alerting me about a new update for the Naza Citra, or should we call it the Naza Citra 1.5 now since there is a Citra 2 Rondo and this particular version is an update to the Citra 1. The old second generation Kia Carens has been given a new breath of life by Naza Kia and is priced lower than the Citra 2 Rondo.

The new design is very curiously Saga-like with a blackened area between the upper and lower center grille on the front end, and the rear design features a new rear bumper with an integrated diffuser-lookalike design.

A quick check on local classifieds sites already reveal many salesmen posting up entries and prices range between RM59,888 to RM65,888, making this one of the cheapest 2.0 liter MPVs around, though what you’ll be getting is a model that first debuted in 2002.

Look after the jump for more images of the new Citra facelift.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

I have heard time and time again from enthusiastic Naza Kia management that a car company is all about the Brand, Product and Network. Sometime back Naza Kia embarked on a whole overhaul of their dealer network.

As per most of your reactions to the new products from the Korean marque such as the Kia Forte and Forte Koup, I believe that Kia has got the whole Product thing right, but it is hard for the marque to handle things such as Network directly as this is the responsibility of the country’s distributor. All 3 aspects have to move forward to bring Kia on par with the Japanese.

Kia cannot sell based on a cheap price tag forever as the Chinese manufacturers are quickly moving to fill in area part of the product landscape. Kia developed a 200 question 1000 point system for dealer development, and each country’s distributors have to follow this system in the evaluation and overhauling the Network part of Brand, Product and Network.

The results from the 1000 point system determines if a network outlet is graded from A to E. A, B and C outlets are recognised and rewarded, whereas strict efforts are put in place to either develop D and E outlets into at least B and C outlets or revoke their dealership. 24 Malaysian dealers scored sufficient points to be accorded ‘A’ which Kia Motors recognises as being Platinum-grade dealers. 18 are in the B grade, 2 in C, 2 in D and none in E (these E dealers have presumably been terminated).

In recognition of these efforts, Naza Kia was selected as the best in the Asia-Pacific region to win the Kia Asia-Pacific Network Development Award, based on the number of dealers developed and improved.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Reader acesDSI spotted this Kia Forte with JPJ plates roaming the streets of Batu 3 Shah Alam heading towards Section 20 Shah Alam. It looks like the good-looking Kia Forte is going to be launched soon, and sources in Naza say it’s most likely to be offered in CKD locally assembled form.

Although we cannot really see the badge on the car because of the resolution of the photos, the photographer said the car had Naza badges on, so maybe what we’re going to get is a Naza Forte instead of a Kia Forte.

Click for enlarged image

There are positive and negative points about that, firstly having a Naza badge on is likely to give the company more bargaining power with duties resulting in a lower price, which is ultimately beneficial for consumers if a simple badge swap (that could even be supplier by showrooms) will “fix” it. Secondly it will stop potential customers from waiting for Naza Kia to Naza-ize a Kia Forte in anticipation of further price drops.

If the Naza Forte is to become a proper bread and butter sedan for Naza Kia it has to replace the Spectra in the product range so expect it to come with a 1.6 liter engine, with larger engines reserved for the Kia Koup 2-door coupe which I tested in South Korea recently.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

A few members of the Malaysian media got to drive the Kia Koup today. Yes, the production model that was just unveiled less than a month ago – I believe our congregation is the first in the world to get to try Kia’s latest 2-door coupe out.

I believe the Kia Forte marks a significant milestone in the history of Kia models. For the first time (at least for me) in a long time a Kia model looks bloody good enough for a thought to spark in my head that it would be nice to see one parked in my garage, something appealing for me to look at when I step out of the house every morning, and not just something that I tell myself I bought because it was merely cheaper.

The Koup in particular is also Kia’s first two-door coupe, while its Korean sibling Hyundai has gone down that road many times even a long time ago with the Scoupe.

The Forte and Forte Koup’s design and details are pleasant to look at, without anything garish or shocking, with the only thing that stands out being the rather aggressive front bumpers. In fact at first glance the Forte Koup looks pretty much like just a 2-door Forte but the Koup actually only shares the engine bay hood with the Forte, with every other panel unique, for example the front fenders may look the same but the Koup’s are actually more aggressive and seem to bulge out more to cover the front wheels.

In the US, it goes head to head against the Honda Civic Coupe (which it looks kinda similiar to), the Scion tC, the Chevy Cobalt Coupe and the aging Ford Focus Coupe. The chassis uses MacPherson struts at the front and a torsion beam at the back.

We had two units of the Kia Forte Koup to try out, both automatic models, one with a 2.0 liter engine and the other with a 2.4 liter engine. The 2.0 liter engine produces 156 horsepower and 195Nm of torque mated to a 4-speed auto transmission while the 2.4 liter model puts out 173 horses and 227Nm of torque, mated to a 5-speed auto. Both models had pre-production interior panels without any texture but the dash looked finished.

The Kia Forte Koup has a decent seating position with the driver’s chair able to go far back enough for a comfortable driving position for me, however with my seat pushed far back rear legroom was compromised, but that was better when a shorter Korean engineer took the driver’s helm with me sitting at the back. The steering has both rake and reach adjustability which means I was able to adjust the steering wheel to be close enough to me for an optimum driving position, which means the base of my hand was able to rest on the top of the steering wheel.

And off we go. Our test drive was not on public road but in Kia’s Namyang R&D center, where there was a very long and wide multi-lane straight where we could drive down, do some low and high speed lane change maneuvers, and U turn at the end in whatever fashion you’d like, whether a regular smooth turn or a crazy one if you can make yourself do so in front of the Kia Motors engineer in the car.

First up was the 2.0 liter. It is from the Theta II engine family but with CVVT only on the intake, unlike the new Optima facelift’s dual CVVT on the intake and exhaust. 156 horses felt quite spritely, which was expected really as it felt decent in the Optima so it should do better in the lighter Forte, and do better it did. Gearshifts are smooth and response to kickdown was quick and satisfactory, and so was the manual shifting with the gear lever. There is no Sport or S mode on the gearbox, you can either go into D or into manual mode. Push forward for upshift and pull back for downshift – I would have preferred it the other way around really as it feels more natural.

The 2.4 liter was pretty powerful though like the 2.0 it didn’t sound particularly exciting, which is something every inline-4 engine faces. In stock form it just buzzes all the way to the redline without any rumble or grunt like a V6 or V8, and not even silky smooth like an inline-6. 173 horses and 227Nm of torque is nearly as much as the MINI Cooper S actually, so flooring it from gear 1 on the automatic did cause some protest from the tyres, though the engine is either 1) not powerful enough to cause any kind of torque steer or 2) Kia managed to sort out the driveshaft length and front suspension right.

Our cars were equipped with Kia’s MDPS or Motor-Driven Power Steering. This is an EPS system much like in the Civic, which uses an electric motor to drive the steering instead of it being directly hydraulically driven. This allows variable steering assistance – heavy at high speeds but lighter at low speeds to assist with parking. But I found that Kia hasn’t really got the speed, angle and assistance levels mapped out perfectly yet – it does not feel very smooth and natural and sometimes it switches from heavy to light when you don’t feel like it should.

At low speeds, some maneuvers that did not require much of steering angle still resulted in a heavy steering – it’s only when you turn more that assistance increases. But other than that it felt like a proper hydraulic system with nicely weighted self-centering and etc, which is okay for a first time attempt at EPS but a second generation improved version should be worked on immediately! We may not get the EPS at all of course, because Kia engineers say a traditional hydraulic power steering is also an option with the car so it depends what the Malaysian distributor orders.

The Forte Koup has a slightly firmer suspension than the Forte sedan, with reduced ride height too. A sharp turn produced in no awkward reaction from the chassis, there was some body roll in protest to the sudden maneuver but there was no awkward bouncyness or etc so that’s decent.

So yeah, it’s quite a nice 2-door coupe actually and from what I hear our local Kia distributors are looking into bringing both the Forte sedan and Forte Koup in, with 1.6 from the sedan and 2.0 for the coupe. I reckon the 2-door coupe as a CBU unit could be priced at around the Honda Civic or Hyundai Coupe’s level, matching the two cars as a 2.0 liter automatic C-segment vehicle but I think Naza Kia would have to load up the car with nice specs such as a sunroof to get around the badge snobbery.

Rear legroom especially the seat behind the driver’s seat varies depending on how far the driver’s seat is pushed back, but headroom is sufficient for someone 183cm tall like me, as there was still a 2 to 3 finger gap or so between my head and the ceiling, so its perfectly capable of being a 4 or 5 seater, though 5 may be abit of a squeeze especially since the rear floor is not flat.

Other things nice to have but absent on the Koup are a slightly thicker steering wheel rim for a nicer grip and paddle shifts for the automatic.

I can’t wait to get the Koup down on some real roads to see how it really drives like because it looks good (looks are subjective of course, how many of you agree with me?) but as a coupe that looks like it has some pretty sporty intentions, how fun the drive is will be very important to maybe half the customer base out there, with the other half likely to buy it purely based on its looks. From initial findings it definitely drives better than the rather softly setup Hyundai Elantra which it shares a chassis and alot of parts with, except the engine where the Kia uses a newer, better and more modern family.

Look after the jump for a full gallery of the Koup from our test drive session at the Namyang R&D center.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Here’s the launch presentation of the new Kia Forte Koup at the 2009 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) earlier this month, just one year after the Koup Concept was unveiled at the 2007 edition of the same show. The Koup is the 2-door coupe version of the Kia Forte (also known as the Cerato and Spectra in different markets).

In the presentation video (which Kia injected a little humour into… did you know the Kia Soul was based on a boar?) we are also introduced to Kurt Kahl, a senior designer at Kia and the man responsible for the design of the new Kia Forte (under the guidance of Peter Schreyer of course), so if you like how the Forte and/or the Forte Koup looks you should check the video out after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Kia has unveiled the 2-door coupe version of the good looking Kia Forte at the NYIAS 2009 ongoing in the US this week. The 2-door Forte called the Forte Koup (Cerato Koup in some countries) will be Kia’s first 2-door coupe, and measures 176.4 inches long, 69.5 inches wide and 55.1 inches tall with a wheelbase of 104.3 inches.

It uses the same platform as the Forte sedan, using MacPherson struts and stabilizer bar at the front and a torsion beam at the rear. Two trims are available, the EX and SX, with the SX also featuring a sports suspension among other various equipment level differences like leather steering wheel and shifter, metal pedals, Supervision self-illuminating meter panel, and sports cloth seats. Interestingly in the US, tilt and telescopic steering is only available on the SX – if the car ever makes it here it better have that option, even on the Forte sedan!

Under the Forte Koup’s hood is a choice of either a 2.0 liter CVVT engine with 156 horsepower and 195Nm of torque mated to a 5-speed manual or 4-speed auto for the EX or a 173 horsepower 2.4 liter engine with 228Nm of torque for the sports SX version with a 6-speed manual or a 5-speed Sportmatic automatic transmission (with 2 overdrives, meaning more like Civic’s 5-speed rather than Mazda’s 5-speed).

Kia says the Forte Koup trumps its competitors like the Civic Coupe, the Scion tC and the Chevy Cobalt Coupe with a larger 90.7 cubic feet interior volume. It has 38.7 inches of headroom and 43.6 inches of legroom in the front seats, and 35.3 inches of headroom and 33.9 inches of legroom in the rear seats. The provision of such data clearly shows interior spaciousness is one of the factors that Kia is pushing for this car, since some people may think C-segment coupes are cramped.

Look after the jump for a full hi-res image gallery of the Koup, including multiple exterior angles and interior shots.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The all-new monocoque Kia Sorento XM is here, unveiled at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show and soon to hit Malaysian shoes when Naza Kia brings it in.

The new Sorento is longer, with the A-pillar and dash moved forwards and tailgate moved rearwards (70mm) to increase cabin room in the interior. It seats 7 in 3 rows. It is 10mm lower and thanks to the new unibody chassis its center of gravity is 54mm lower. Headroom is up by 64mm, legroom by 102mm. It measures 4,685mm long, 1,885mm wide, 1,710mm tall with a wheelbsae of 2,700mm (equal to the Santa Fe).

The MacPherson strut and multi-link design has been carried over from the outgoing model (I’m really surprised they admit this, could have easily said new) but with improvements including a more direct steering requiring less turns lock-to-lock.

A choice of 3 engines are available – a 2.7 liter V6 petrol from the Mu family (165 PS and 244Nm of torque, also supports LPI liquid natural gas), a 2.4 liter petrol (from the Mitsubishi-Hyundai-Daimler GEMA engine family) and a 2.2 liter inline-4 turbodiesel from the new R family. which makes a peak of 197 PS and 435Nm of torque. Of course the power hungry American market will get one more engine option likely to be the most popular there, a 3.5 liter V6 petrol with 277 PS and 335Nm of torque.

There is an all-new 6-speed automatic available, and Kia says the unit is more compact and lighter because it uses a new “flat” torque converter which allows it to be 54mm shorter with 62 fewer parts, 12kg lighter and boost economy by 12%.

The new XM Sorento is available in either 2WD or 4WD configurations. Naturally the 2WD version will be lighter and offer better fuel consumption, but 4WD will be avaliable for those who need it. The Sorento also has Down-hill Brake Control which can limit vehicle speed to 5 mph on steep decline. Front approach angle is 25.1 degrees and departure angle is 23.1 degrees.

Look after the jump for a whole gallery of images.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

This is the Kia KND-5, also called the Kia VG which is its codename, like how the new Sorento is the Kia XM. The VG will be slotted between the Kia Optima and the Kia Amanti, and Kia defines this as a “near-luxury” sedan, while the Optima is considered “mid-size” and the Amanti a luxury sedan.

Its dimensions are 4,945mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,475mm tall, with a wheelbase of 2,845mm. That’s actually longer, wider and taller than the E60 BMW 5-Series, even in terms of wheelbase. It’s powered by Kia’s 3.5 liter V6 from the Lambda family.

This is a concept car for now, but probably close to reality with just some design elements toned down for production use, especially on the interior. The exterior looks quite ready to build. Look after the jump for interior shots.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Above is a set of new photos of the new Kia Sorento posted over at Kia’s official Kia Buzz blog. There have been alot of photos including both the exterior and interior that have been leaked already, but these shots show the entire interior from new angles.

Kia has put some effort into setting a nice ambiance for the interior (I can see some Optima cues there), including mood lighting on the door garnish which shines from below the door handle area onto the armrest where the power window control switches are, quite similiar to the Jaguar XF, except Kia used the colour red. Red is also used on the meter panel together with white.

Look after the jump for the previously posted interior and exterior shots that we’ve been able to find.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

This is the new Kia Aero-Soul concept car, which promises to improve fuel consumption and exhaust emissions as part of its Eco Dynamics promises. The Aero-Soul concept car showcases a new innovative yet simple and cost effective features called the Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line (APRIL).

The system uses small sensors built into the front and rear bumpers to monitor external wind speed and deploy panels when the wind is sufficient enough to help push the car forward. This is a concept taken from airplanes which already benefit from this “tailwind”. Of course, when there is “headwind”, the APRIL panels are retracted to prevent drag that slows the car down, except of course during hard braking, where APRIL panels will also deploy to use the headwind to help slow the car down.

“The big problem with most emission reduction systems is that they are expensive. We wanted to come up with an answer that didn’t cost the earth and could be retrospectively applied to cars already on the road,” said Kia systems manager Avril Babo.

Click for enlarged image

Miss Babo added that tests of this system at Kia’s Nong Dam facility have shown that during windy weather fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 25% and emissions by anything up 40%. She says that in calm weather, using the system simply under braking can result in reductions of 10% and 15% respectively.

Kia says that in perfect conditions – downhill with a following wind fuel use and exhaust gasses can be reduced to almost zero. APRIL also improves brakepad life, which can be extended by anything up to 50% depending on driver behaviour.

APRIL will also be available as a bolt-on aftermarket accessory officially available from Kia to retrofit to existing Kias. I will suggest to the Naza Group which distributes Kia cars in Malaysia to order these to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of its Zalnas premium taxi fleet. It will surely change people’s perception of public taxis in Malaysia.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The Koreans just keep getting better and better. Kia has simultaneously unveiled two things today, its Eco Dynamics green brand and the new Kia Forte LPI Hybrid for the Korean domestic market.

Eco Dynamics is Kia’s equivalent to BMW efficient dynamics, Volkswagen bluemotion, Toyota Optimal Drive, and etc. Hyundai has its own called Blue Drive. Vehicles that incorporate hybrid technologies as well as other fuel saving features will wear the Eco Dynamics badge. Kia has already demonstrated its own Idle-Stop-Go system in a Kia c’eed in Europe.

The Kia Forte LPI Hybrid runs on Liquefied Petroleum Gas (used in Korea, we use CNG here in our NGVs) and its 1.6 liter Gamma LPI HEV engine is assisted by an electric motor sandwiched between the engine and the CVT gearbox. Power output is 114 PS and a peak torque of 148Nm. The electric motor draws power from a lithium-polymer battery, which is the first use in a production hybrid car. Li-Po is lighter and more compact compared to NiMH batteries.

Kia claims a fuel efficiency of 17.2 km per liter for the Forte LPI Hybrid, or an estimated 21.5km per liter if the engine used gasoline for combustion instead. As LPG is roughly two thirds the price of petrol in Korea, Kia says the Forte LPI Hybrid would save its owner 980,000 Korean won a year, or RM2,600+ if driven 20,000km a year.

No shots of the interior have been released by Kia PR but the interior uses a Super Vision cluster to display hybrid system data and a navigation display. The Super Vision cluster is essentially Kia’s word for an EL self-illuminating meter panel.

Look after the jump for more photos of the Kia Forte LPI Hybrid!


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© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The Kia Soul is aimed squarely at this new segment which seems to be gaining alot of popularity now, I won’t say in terms of sales as I’m not quite sure myself, but the carmakers definitely seem to be interested in it. This segment is the new SUV of sorts, some kind of large C-segment hatchback that offers the practicality and driving position of an SUV but without most of the bad points. Kia’s new ad campaign for the Kia Soul involves hamsters. Lots of hamsters. You can see the glowing speakers that the Soul has in the video too. Watch the first in a series of hamsters with Soul after the jump.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Thanks to Kia-World.net, we now have some interior images of upcoming 2010 Kia Sorento for your viewing pleasure. Via these images, we now know that the completely new interior layout features an instrument panel with 3 pods outlined with chrome accents and a more attractive looking steering wheel with audio controls. This is probably a model fitted with the new R engine turbodiesel, looking at the RPM redline.

There is also a coloured LCD display screen on the centre dash which is surrounded by audio controls and automatic climate controls at the bottom. There are also auxiliary and USB input jacks at the very bottom. Kia has also added a two-piece sun roof, for the front and rear passengers. Please click here to learn more about the 2010 Kia Sorento.

Continue reading to view more images of the interior.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

Official photos of the upcoming 2010 Kia Sorento have been leaked onto the Internet. The new Sorento or also code named as the XM will make its official debut at the Seoul Auto Show next month which is where more details of the engine options will also be revealed. Thus far, apart from these official photos, we can just speculate.

The new Sorento would be the first Hyundai-Kia vehicle to feature the new efficient diesel from the R-diesel engine family. With a 2.2 liter displacement, this EURO5-compliant engine is expected to put out 200HP while returning 14.1 kilometers per liter of fuel. Other petrol powered options may include a 2.4 liter 4-cylinder and a 3.8 liter V6. There would also be a 2.7 liter LPI engine for the Korean market. Transmission wise, for now we know that there would be a 6-speed automatic. Another big change is the fact that it will be based on a unibody design instead of the current Sorento’s body-on-frame truck-like construction.

Just like any other new vehicle which was released by Kia recently, the 2010 Kia Sorento is rather good looking, with its front grille carried over from the Kia Cerato Forte, another handsome car. According to Kia-world.net, the new Sorento has also grown in size with its overall measurement figured at 4.685 mm in length, 1.885 mm in width and 1.710 mm in height. This means it is slightly longer by 95 mm and wider by 35 mm. However its height and 2,700 mm wheelbase is lower and shorter, by 15 mm and 5 mm respectively.

This new XM Sorento is one of the cars expected to hit Malaysian roads when introduced by the Naza Group through Naza Kia Sdn Bhd this year or next. Continue reading to view higher-res images of the 2010 Kia Sorento.

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.

The Naza Group’s SM Nasarudin SM Nasimuddin has revealed that Naza Kia, Naza Corporation and Nasim Peugeot will be unveiling a few new models this year, in addition to the CKD Peugeot 308 VTi and 308 Turbo and the CKD facelifted Peugeot 407 already launched this year.

There will be 2 new Naza-badged models, one new Kia-badged model and 3 new Peugeot models launched. The Kia-badged car is very likely to be the new Kia Forte (shown above, gallery after jump), which is said to be launched in Q2 this year. The two Naza-badged models will also be based on Kia models, they could be a new facelifted Naza Suria and an all-new monocoque Naza Sorento, based on the new facelifted Suria and the upcoming Kia XM Sorento.

A report by StarBiz claims 2 of the 3 new Peugeot models to be the Peugeot 3008 and the Peugeot 207. The 207 could be the real 207 or it could also be the 207 Compact (206+), a facelifted 206 with 207 looks, which would be a repalcement for the Naza 206 Bestari. The third model could be the Peugeot 308 CC 4-seater coupe-convertible unveiled recently, which would complete the current 308 VTi, 308 Turbo and 308 GT offerings.

Read the related links below to read our past coverage on all of these cars that are expected to hit our shores by the end of the year.

Related Posts:
Peugeot 3008 Crossover: details and photos
New Peugeot 206+ entry-level car for Europe (207 Compact)
Kia unveils Kia Picanto facelift
New Kia Sorento snapped without disguise
First photos of new Kia Forte sedan

© 2009 Paul Tan's Automotive News. All Rights Reserved.

This story originally appeared on Paul Tan's Automotive News on Sun, 22 Nov 09 13:51:10 +0800.