SuperTunes

Archive for the ‘Kia’ Category

After unveiling the Niro EV at the International Electric Vehicle Expo in South Korea, Kia has also revealed the European version, dubbed e-Niro, at this year’s Paris Motor Show. It comes with two battery pack options, a range of up to 301 miles (or 485 km) on one charge, and it even comes with a system called Coasting Guide Control which informs the driver of the best times to coast calculated based on a planned route.

You may also have noticed that its name sounds like the surname of Robert DeNiro and Kia has gone ahead and embraced this and featured the movie star in its TV, digital and print adverts.

Crossovers are vehicles designed to look like they can go off-road, but really be at their best on the road. Sure, some can do light off-roading, but realistically you won’t want to stray too far from the blacktop or the occasional bumpy gravel backroad.

To this end it’s not trivial to know which of these 4×4-aping high riders are best out on the open (and sometimes twisty) road, since it’s where they will spend most of their time. But don’t go thinking that they are on par with more conventional car shapes, because their higher center of gravity and usually higher mass will affect handling.

Safety is at the top of buyers’ lists these days, but what many don’t think about when browsing lists of cars rated with safety stars is that good, predictable road manners and sharp handling are one of the biggest safety features a car can have, since they allow the driver to avoid crashing in the first place.

And while crossovers may give occupants a feeling of extra safety when they’re on board, their poor road manners bring this into question.

Here’s a list of the 10 best handling high-riding vehicles ever made.

Kia has been pretty active lately with new launches and facelifts. While the world gets its cars and SUVs, the company produces all sorts of vehicles in its home country. Take a look at the third-generation of its military truck known as the
Kia Light Tactical Vehicle, or in short, KLTV. It looks very similar to the AM General Humvee, don’t you think?

This is the new Kia Ceed GT – something called a warm hatch and is destined to reach Europe in an effort to upscale the entire Ceed family there. It will do so along with the new Proceed Shooting Brake. None of these cars will ever be available in the U.S., but they do show rather impressive effort focused on Kia’s reimagination of its brand. Kia isn’t a super-cheap car producer anymore. It has a coupe-like sedan with 373 horsepower, a grille called Tiger Nose, and now the Ceed GT that is powered by a 1.6-liter, turbocharged engine that develops 201 horsepower and 195 pound-feet of torque. Yup, the very same engine you can get here in the Veloster. Actually, imagine that I am whispering to you now – the Ceed GT is really, really similar to the Veloster Turbo R-Spec. Only, it has a normal number of doors.

Kia has chosen to reimagine its next-gen ProCeed as a five-door fastback-like wagon, ditching the three-door layout of the previous model. Called a shooting brake by the company, and set to be revealed to the public next month at the Paris motor show, it is essentially a more rakish looking version of the load-lugging Ceed Sportwagon for those looking to blend practicality with making a more dramatic entrance.

This new ProCeed is slightly longer than the Sportwagon (by 5 mm) and a fair chunk shorter too (by 43 mm) and it even has a lower ground clearance too (also by 5 mm). Kia promises it’s still almost as practical as the actual wagon, though, offering only 30 liters less load volume.

Proceed will sit at the top of the Ceed lineup and Kia actually calls it “the most emotionally engaging car in the range.” It will, however, carry over all the engines found in the regular Ceed and also be offered as a sporty-looking GT Line model or warmed up GT.

Along with the new Ceed GT, Kia is also bringing a new ProCeed to this year’s Paris Motor Show. The 2019 Kia ProCeed is a compact estate, or shooting brake if you like, with fabulous looks, versatile space and plenty of value. This time it’s going Korean that shows you have good taste in cars. 

Coming in high-end ‘GT-Line’ and high-performance GT guises, the 2019 Kia ProCeed offers a package that appeals to anyone and everyone. Whether you want a practical car, or a handsome runabout, or a performance-oriented family car, this thing has it all. The GT model shares its 2-4 PS 1.6 turbo engine the Ceed GT, and there is a choice of engines for the GT Line model. You can have it with a 120 ps and 172 Nm torque 1.0 liter unit, a 140 liter 1.4 liter, or the all-new ‘Smartstream’ 1.6-litre CRDi diesel with 136 PS and 280-320 Nm of torque (depending on the transmission.

So if you want the Mercedes CLS Shooting Brake a bit much for your needs, 2019 Kia ProCeed could be a good alternative. The swooping roof line is complemented with taut lines around the body and 18 inch wheels, not to mention the sport bumpers and trims. Inside, high quality material and contrast stitching accommodate a host of advanced features. Smartphone integration, available JBP sound system, infotainment, and heated windshield are just some of the available features for this car.

Emilio Herrera, Chief Operating Officer for Kia Motors Europe, comments: “The ProCeed is a car that represents everything Kia stands for. This beautiful shooting brake body offers drivers an unmatched combination of design, space and versatility, representing a unique proposition in the mid-size family car segment. Engineered on European roads, for European drivers, the ProCeed will be engaging to drive. Built in Europe, to the highest standards of production, it also offers owners the reassurance of Kia’s unique 7-Year, 100,000-mile warranty.”

The post 2019 Kia ProCeed Shooting Brake Looks Rather Excellent appeared first on Motorward.

We’ve been waiting to see the new Kia Ceed GT ever since we saw its first teaser. And we’re glad to report that the real thing does not disappoint. The performance hatchback has great specs for a car in this class and it boasts some sexy looks to boot. 

Kia’s Ceed family have always been a head and shoulders above the rest of the firm’s compact models in terms of looks and quality. The 2019 Kia Ceed GT is no exception. The body of the new Ceed, which by the way has no apostrophe in its name, features sharp and “taut” lines. That gives the car a performance-oriented appearance, like that of a world-class athlete. Larger air intakes and gloss black trim, ice-cube LEDs and 18 inch wheels are among other cool highlights of the exterior.

Inside the new Kia Ceed GT the high-quality soft-touch materials that are characteristic of modern Kias are found aplenty. These are complemented with Kia’s ‘floating’ touchscreen infotainment system, sport seats, D-shaped steering wheel, black headliner, black leather and suede, and red stitching. Depending on the trim level, you can get 7 or 8 inch display with Kia Connected Services, TomTom navigation, Apple CarPlay and Andoird Auto. Standard safety technologies will include High Beam Assist, Driver Attention Warning, Lane Keeping Assist with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist.

Powering the new Ceed GT is 1.6-litre T-GDi with 204 PS and 265 Nm of torque. This peppy engine comes with either a six-speed manual transmission, or an optional seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission. The hatchback benefits from Drive Mode select with Sport and Normal modes,  as well as Torque Vectoring by Braking, fully independent suspension, and Kia’s Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) system.

The post 2019 Kia Ceed GT Unveiled Ahead of Paris Debut appeared first on Motorward.

The soon to be released 2020 Kia Telluride, the production of this concept model, revealed itself to the American public during the New York Fashion Week show. It wasn’t the showroom model, but a heavily customized version by designer Brandon Maxwell. The car was sent there to raise awareness for its market launch in early 2019, and also to raise money for charity. 

Brandon Maxwell’s custmoized Kia Telluride has a Texas theme about it and features natural wood interior trim and saddle-inspired double-stitched leather adornments on the dash, door panels and grab handles. It also has a similar deep green paint to the Detroit concept, custom front and rear bumpers, skidplates and sidestep sills, 265/50R-20 off-road tires wrap around flat-black alloy wheels and leather trimmed cargo area. This vehicle is supposed to be a super deluxe ranch vehicle, and it’s equipped accordingly. Just like the production version, this Telluride has a V6 engine and carries up to 8 people.

“My Mom drove me to school in East Texas in a Kia Sedona, and my adoration for the brand runs deep,” said Maxwell. “When I left Marfa, Texas, where I designed my SS’19 collection, I started talking with Kia. I wanted a partner who could help fill a need in Marfa’s public school system and Kia was looking to create a unique integration for their new Telluride. It was a natural fit as Kia has a long history of philanthropic initiatives that support education. Kia is not just funding necessary technological purchases and educational programming to give the children of Marfa the quality education they deserve, but also providing a vehicle for local teachers’ use. I am honored to collaborate with Kia Motors.”

The post Custom Kia Telluride Makes Runway Debut in New York appeared first on Motorward.

A lot has happened since Kia showcased the Telluride Concept at the 2016 Detroit Auto Show, and at the time, we were told that it was a “theoretical exercise.” For the longest time, the trail went cold but the SUV market continued to grow and, to little surprise, we eventually got our hands on some spy shots of a large KIA SUV being put through the paces. With that in mind, you’re looking at a three-row, eight-seater SUV with will serve as a flagship of Kia’s SUV lineup. It has changed dramatically so far, so let’s dive on in and see what we can make out!

Update 9/10/2018: Kia has chosen to debut the new Telluride, full-size SUV as a concept-like one-off during New York Fashion Week. Check out our special section below to see the first shots of it and learn about what we know about the production model thus far.

Kia finally pulled the covers off of the Telluride, giving us our first look at the automaker’s full-sized SUV. The debut took place at fashion designer Brandon Maxwell’s event during New York Fashion Week. In keeping with Maxwell’s Texas-themed Spring Summer 2019 collection, the Telluride was dressed up in rough, off-road specification, complete with custom bumpers, skid plates, and an aluminum and wood roof rack.

An uncovered prototype of the Kia Telluride was spotted chilling in the wild, giving us our first look at the full-sized SUV without any swirly camo covering it. There’s only one picture of the SUV, so it’s hard to make out other sections of the ride. But, the front section is unmistakable. That’s the Kia Telluride, and it looks nothing like its concept counterpart.

Kia showcased the ProCeed Concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year. The wagon-like car was an attention-seeker at the show, and made us wonder if the production version would be anywhere close to this. Fast-forward one year, and Kia has finally revealed the production-spec Proceed. Well, by ‘reveal’ we mean a teaser image. Yes, a single image is all we get for now.

Kia cars get refreshed so often, sometimes it is hard to keep track. But if yo are a fan of the Optima, there are a couple of new ones available now to order in the UK. The 2019 Kia Optima Saloon and Optima Sportswagon comes with refreshed styling, upgraded trim levels, and new equipment. 

The new line of Optimas are powered in the UK with the new U3 1.6 liter diesel engine. It generates 134bhp and 320Nm of torque, and offers a nice compromise between performance and fuel efficiency. The 2019 Kia Optima has a 0-60mph acceleration time of 10.8 seconds and a top speed of 121mph. That is with the manual gearbox. There is also a 7-speed DCT which is a tad slower and does worse in terms of fuel economy, but they both do 60+ mpg and emit no more than 122 g/km of CO2.

The automatic version of the 2019 Kia Optima and Optima Sportswagon benefit from Drive Mode Selector lets Optima drivers switch between Eco, Comfort, Sport and Smart. The Saloon comes in 2 & 3 trim grades, while the Sportswagon also has a GT-Line model. The list of standard features is pretty long: 7.0-inch touchscreen satellite navigation system with European mapping and a reversing camera, steering wheel-mounted controls, front and rear USB ports, dual automatic air conditioning, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and gearshift, cruise control with a speed limiter, electrically heated folding mirrors, a six-speaker DAB radio with MP3 compatibility and Bluetooth with music streaming. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, body-coloured door handles and mirrors, projection headlights with LED daytime running lights, powered two-way driver’s seat lumbar adjustment, black cloth seats and remote central locking with a fold-away key, while the comprehensive safety provisions include Electronic Stability Control and Vehicle Stability Management, Hill-start Assist Control, Tyre Pressure Monitoring and an electronic parking brake, plus parking sensors and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto.

2019 Optima and Optima Sportswagon UK pricing

The post 2019 Kia Optima and Optima Sportswagon Launch in the UK appeared first on Motorward.

Once Top Gear’s reasonably priced car, the Kia Ceed is a family hatchbacks the Brits are fond of the same way they’re fond of a Labrador. It’s cute, cuddly, benign, and just a good companion. The same goes for the latest 2019 Kia Ceed which has dropped its apostrophe. It’s just Ceed now, not cee’d. 

Boasting a sharper look than all of its predecessors, and pretty much all of its main rivals, the 2019 Kia Ceed benefits from the company’s latest design trends such as an aggressive tiger nose grille and wide and low-hanging bumpers, while maintaining the car’s own signature cues like the ‘ice cube’ LED daytime running. The car is also physically bigger and has more room inside, and rides on bigger 16-inch aluminium alloy wheels, or 17-inch two-tone diamond cut aluminium alloy wheels.

One of the coolest parts of the 2019 Kia Ceed is the interior which is inspired by the Stinger gran turismo. The main highlight is the ‘floating’ touchscreen infotainment system with the controls for audio and heating and ventilation located in lower half of the dashboard. You get decent quality too, what with soft touch material, metallic or satin chrome trim, and cloth, faux leather or genuine leather upholstery. Depending on the trim, you get stuff like navigation, smartphone interface, JBL audio system, Drive Mode Select, High Beam Assist (HBA), Driver Attention Warning (DAW), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) and Forward Collision Warning with Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist – City (FCA).

Engine-wise, the 2019 Ceed launches with engineered-for-UK powertrains, including the 1.0-litre T-GDi and ‘Kappa’ 1.4-litre T-GDi whcih replaces the old 1.6 unit, plus a ‘U3’ 1.6-litre CRDi diesel unit. Every engine is paired with a six-speed manual transmission, while the 1.4-litre T-GDi and 1.6-litre CRDi engines are also available with Kia’s seven-speed Dual-Clutch Transmission (DCT).

2019 Kia Ceed UK Pricing

The post 2019 Kia Ceed Starts from £18,295 in the UK appeared first on Motorward.

The significantly upgraded 2019 Kia Sportage hits the UK market with high hopes of continuing the success of its predecessors. With a sophisticated look, enhanced in the latest version with small, exquisite details, and a new mild-hybrid engine, the Sportage has really upped its game. And, we’re glad to report, it still maintains its biggest strength: value for money. 

Starting at around 20 grand, the 2019 Kia Sportage all-new EcoDynamics+ 48V diesel mild-hybrid powertrain, the first of 16 such units to be launched by 2025. It complements a range that also includes a 1.6 T-GDi, 1.6 CRDi, 1.6 U3, and 2.0 CRDi 48V options. They come, depending on the model, either a six-speed manual or 7-speed DCT, and on select models AWD as well. So as before, you can’t expect the capabilities of a full offroader from the Sportage, but it can get the job done getting you across a field or a country road.

In terms of design that highlights of the new 2019 Kia Sportage include gloss black or bright chrome inserts, a revised tiger nose grille, new full-LED headlamps with four-point LED daytime running lights and redesigned fog lamps, new C-shaped LED light signature at the back and new 16-, 17- and 19-inch alloy wheel designs. The GT Line model gets its own gloss black radiator grille, gloss black and silver skid plates, and dark chrome inserts on the front bumper, the side sills and rear tailgate.

Below is the full price list for every UK-spec 2019 Kia Sportage. Consult your dealer about the standard and available features for each model:

The post 2019 Kia Sportage – UK Pricing and Specs appeared first on Motorward.

Kia’s electric cars are coming full force, as evidenced with the release of the Kia Niro EV in the Korean market. This is the prelude to the electric crossover’s launch in the European market before the end of 2018, after it gets its official welcome at the Paris Motor Show, of course. 

Just like their normal cars, you can expect plenty of value from Kia and Hyundai electric models. They may have been a bit late to the game, but that’s because they have been perfecting their game before coming out to play. So wit the Kia Niro EV you get an excellent range of 280 miles (450 kilometres) on a single charge, a figure that blows most of the competition in this segment out of the water. The same goes for the equipment and the yet-to-be-confirmed pricing.

In terms of performance Kia Niro EV has a 150 kW (204 ps) motor, producing 395 Nm torque the moment you engage it, resulting in a 0 to 100 km/h time of 7.8 seconds. Another encouraging figure about this car is the fast-charging time, which takes only 54 minutes. Kia is going to offer different battery packs, meaning there will be smaller packs with less range that charge up even quicker, so you can pick and choose based on your needs. And don’t worry about practicality and space, because the batteries are fitted neatly under the floor.

The design of the Kia Niro differs in key details from the regular and hybrid models, but not to the extent of making the car look alien. It comes with its own crisp colors including white, grey, bronze, red, green, and blue,and gets an EV-specific 7″ infotainment featuring relevant info such as nearby charging points and the level of charge and range remaining from the battery pack. Needless to say, you get the latest tech features as well, including a wireless smartphone charger.

The post Kia Niro EV Goes on Sale in Korea, Gears Up for European Launch appeared first on Motorward.

It looks like the automakers and law enforcers are equally serious about each other now. We recently saw Ford with the first ever pursuit-rated hybrid SUV, and now, the Australian Police Department has acquired a fleet of Kia Stingers for highway patrolling. The Fleet is set to replace the Ford Falcons and the Holden Commodores in the PD’s. One-fourth of the 200 cars have already started patrolling the streets of Queensland, and the rest will be added in the near future.

There’s a lot of excitement surrounding the arrival of the Kia Proceed, and new spy shots of the sporty GT model has given rise to more speculation that the five-door fastback model is getting closer to its launch date. Kia hasn’t confirmed when that’s going to be, but all signs point to the 2018 Paris Motor Show in October. If that ends up being the case, these spy photos of the five-door Proceed are arriving at just the right time.

Kia is on a roll these days, running high on the success of its recent launches. From the Stinger sedan, to the luxurious K900, to the Niro EV, Kia is delivering powerful performances in all the segments. The latest scoop suggests that the Kia Telluride is about ready for production and will debut by the end of this year.

It’s wasn’t long ago that we told you that Kia was working on a Mild Hybrid drivetrain. And, just as promised, that drivetrain has made its debut in 2018, right along with what Kia considers a facelift for the 2019 Sportage SUV.