Kia Racing’s Pirelli World Challenge Optimas Head to Belle Isle For Sixth Round Slugfest

Kia Racing heads for Detroit June 1-3 for round six of its debut season in the Pirelli World Challenge Championships (PWC), pitting two turbocharged Optimas against some serious hometown muscle. With his top-ten finish in Monterey (Calif.), Michael Galati, driver of the No. 36 Infinity Audio Optima, is currently fifth in the Grand Touring Sport (GTS) points battle while Kia Racing sits fourth in the manufacturers championship. Mark Wilkins, piloting the No.38 Infinity Audio Optima, has his eye on the first two rows of the starting grid at the Belle Isle (Mich.) street circuit located along the shores of the Detroit River.

The Kia Racing Optimas will need every ounce of the 22-pound diet they have undergone since Monterey – "Reward Weight" earned for podium finishes earlier in the season, which the team is now able to shed after finishing sixth and eighth in the last race – to compete with the Mustangs and Camaros on the tight temporary street circuit at Belle Isle. Located almost in the shadow of General Motors' global headquarters, and only minutes from Ford's world headquarters, the race is sure to draw a large (and potentially partisan) crowd. With that in mind, Kia Racing is approaching the weekend with cautious optimism.

"There is no doubt the fans will be behind their hometown heroes," said Galati, who lives in nearby Cleveland. "But we've surprised more than a few people in our debut season, and I feel the Optimas are up to the challenge this weekend." Galati will be working hard to score points in his bid for the 2012 driver's championship and attempting to fend off the challenge from Acura driver Nick Esayian, who is only eight points behind in the standing.

Mark Wilkins, following his Kia Racing debut in Monterey where he was quickly up to speed and turned in a solid performance, is anticipating a far different driving experience at Belle Isle. "Laguna Seca is about blind crests and wild elevation changes while Belle Isle is a street course and is by-nature quite flat," said Wilkins. "The Optimas should do quite well in this environment, but passing is always tough because the course is so tight."

Situated on a 982-acre island perched in the middle of the Detroit River, Belle Isle's street circuit was originally created for Championship Auto Racing Teams (CART) competition and has also hosted IndyCar and the American Le Mans Series (ALMS) off and on since 1992. Its straights nestle against the shoreline and help to create one of the faster tracks in the PWC series.

Courtesy: Kia Media

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Kia Rio, 2013: Versatile subcompact offers great fuel economy, value

The sub-compact segment in the United States is competitive, with every carmaker offering an entry as gas prices rise. But how does a manufacturer break from the pack and impress target buyers? Several dimensions standout — performance, ride quality, fuel economy, driving dynamics, options, styling, price. With the 2013 Kia Rio, the carmaker is concentrating on style, fuel economy, price and value.

Driving Impressions
Squeezing 138 HP and 123 lb-ft torque out of a 1.6L four cylinder engine with direct fuel injection, the Rio is competitive against the Ford Fiesta, Honda Fit and Chevy Sonic.

Sink your foot to the floor and the Rio does what's expected: a slow ramp-up of power. It won't win drag races, unless it’s against other subcompacts. The acceleration is decent, but not impressive.

Ride quality is decent, but not unexpected among current subcompacts. I renjoyed the steering feel of the Rio, which offers decent feedback and felt substantial but surprisingly not too light at highway speeds.

Styling
This is where Kia tries hard to stand out from the crowd, and I think it's the most “styled” offering in market segment. The Rio's lines are not as graceful as the Ford Fiesta, but it looks better than the Honda Fit, Toyota Yaris or Chevy Sonic. The details in the headlight units look expensive and “designed,” especially with the included LED daytime running lights.

Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
Interior space on the Rio is surprisingly accommodating. There's plenty of cabin room for a dirver and three passengers, plus gear,  A fifth passenger can squeeze in, but it's best if it's a close friend.

Kia does a decent job with steering wheel-mounted controls useful and not overwhelming. The test vehicle was  equipped with  backup camera and touch screen entertainment center  — luxury features for a subcompact. The seats are supportive.

Pros
• Spacious cabin
• Modern styling
• Great 40+ Highway MPG for a non-hybrid
• Good steering feel for a class in this class

Courtesy: TheWeeklyDriver.com

Incredible Memorial Day deals this weekend at Valley Hi Kia

You don't want to miss our HUGE Memorial Day Weekend sale featuring the first ever "Name Your Own Price" sale! We hope to see you this weekend!

Take a look as two teams race across LA in the all-new 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door for a chance to meet Christina Milian!

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Total Car Score Names the 2012 Kia Forte to "Top Cars for College Grads" List

Total Car Score, one of the most comprehensive automotive ranking and comparison websites, has named the 2012 Forte sedan and hatchback to its "Top Cars for College Grads" list. This roster of over-achieving compact cars was released on the cusp of graduation season, as new college grads – along with their parents – look to purchase vehicles that are reliable and cost-conscious, while also considering factors including safety, fuel-efficiency, comfort and performance. Beyond praise for its styling, spaciousness, technology and interior materials, the 2012 Forte was found to be the most affordable vehicle among the cars selected.

"Forte's achievement of being named to Total Car Score's 'Top Cars for College Grads' list is validation that its low cost and abundance of smart, youthful characteristics make it a natural fit for young adults who are about to enter the professional world," said Orth Hedrick, director of product planning, Kia Motors America. "Furthermore, as the automotive marketplace becomes increasingly competitive with higher-quality cars, the Kia Forte is poised to succeed as one of the most well-built, well-equipped cars in its class."

Total Car Score provides a comprehensive auto rating system that lets car buyers and enthusiasts compare models from all automotive segments. The "Total Car Score" assigned to a vehicle is an overall industry assessment that combines quantitative car reviews from various major automotive authorities, including the Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Kia Forte is one of the best compact car values on the market today," said Karl Brauer, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Total Car Score. "With standard features like Bluetooth^® hands-free phone operation, a USB port for iPod connectivity and a 10-year/100,000-mile warranty, the Forte offers the technology and long-term quality today's college graduates seek in a new-car purchase."

Courtesy: Kia Media

 

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The end of National Bike to Work Week draws near

With National Bike to Work Week coming to an end, how many days were you able to make it to work on two wheels rather than four? Would you be able to use your bicycle as your main source of transportation, or are you dependent upon your vehicle to get you from place to place?

Check out this review of the updated and renovated 2013 Kia Sorento!

The Kia Sorento's transformation back in 2011 accomplished a few notable things. It turned a trucky SUV into a carlike crossover, one without so much off-road talent but far more on-road fluency. It's put a lot of Georgians to work, overtime, building Sorentos just to keep up with its hot sales pace. And it's split its segment down the middle, overlapping so many best-sellers--Escape, CR-V, Edge, Equinox--that the Sorento's now an appealing alternative to at least half of the family-friendliest vehicles on the market.

The Sorento returns for the 2013 model year with no major mechanical changes, and just a few updated features. It remains a value-rich vehicle, even in base form, with all kinds of configurations and options--engines, transmissions, traction systems, seating--to appeal to almost any wagon buyer. It's all wrapped in good-looking, nicely detailed sheetmetal that doesn't play to outdated SUV cues, and doesn't go overboard on mimicking carlike shapes or worse, borrow from boats. Handsome in a middle-of-the-road manner, the Sorento's charm only dulls a bit when the plastics in the cabin undergo a tougher scrutiny. They're not shiny, and they're matched well--they're just not as lush as you think they'll be, with all the tight fits and spare lines.

Most Sorento drivers will want to leap instinctively for the top V-6 drivetrain, but there's a four-cylinder in the middle worth examining. The mid-range four, with direct injection, is up to snuff: it's a 191-hp four that spins sweetly enough, and delivers as much as 32 mpg highway according to the EPA's ratings, with a well-sorted automatic transmission and good handling that gives more weight to comfortable ride than to even moderately brisk cornering.

The base Sorento comes out of West Point, Georgia, as a five-seater, and even for adults, those seats have ample leg room and good head room. The seats themselves are supportive--even better when they wear leather.

Strong safety scores from both the Feds and the IIHS put the Sorento in good stead with the competition, as does the array of standard equipment--air conditioning, power features, Bluetooth, satellite radio and a USB port are present and accounted for on every version.

Courtesy: The Car Connection

 

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The Monumental Axis: A Potential Solution to Traffic Jams

The median separating Monumental Axis in Brazil is responsible for the claim that as the world’s widest road, it can fit 160 cars driving side-by-side. A few of those roads over here in the U.S. and we wouldn’t have to worry about rush hour any longer!

Rumors swirl around Kia's big move bringing the Optima Diesel across the pond to the U.S.

Rumors about global-market diesel engines hopping over one pond or another to the United States are a dime a dozen, but a recent question posed by Kia Motor America’s public relations department on Facebook has us wondering if an oil-burning Optima is in the cards for this market.

On its Facebook page, Kia’s PR department cited a relatively obscure and vague story by EfficientAutomobiles.com that speculated in broad terms that Kia might be considering selling its diesel Optima in the United States.

“Would you drive a diesel?” Kia’s post asked.

Kia’s PR page is aimed primarily at members of the media in North America, although the automaker does not restrict its Facebook fans. With around 1,600 “likes,” the PR page reaches a far smaller audience than Kia’s main global consumer page, which boasts just shy of 2 million “likes.”

Kia, like all of its rivals, is likely paying close attention to the diesel market in the United States. Though demand for diesel-powered cars has typically been limited, various emissions advancements and increasingly strict fuel economy standards are likely to grow the segment.

Only time will tell, but it looks like Kia might be another brand for diesel fans to watch closely.

Courtesy: Andrew Ganz

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May is officially Clean Air Month. If you could have your choice of any Eco-friendly vehicle, which would you choose?

Consumer Reports lauded the Kia Rio EX as the highest-rated subcompact sedan in America

Well, the experts at one of the country’s most trusted sources for information on the auto industry weren’t quite so glib, but their sentiment was the same: In a recent comparison test, Consumer Reports lauded the Kia Rio EX as the highest-rated subcompact sedan in America—even when taking into account such top rivals as the Hyundai Accent and Chevrolet Sonic.

According to CR: “The Kia Rio is a solid and well-equipped car. It benefits from nimble handling and very simple controls and provides plenty of features for the price.” Among the specific attributes of the Rio that were called out for praise were its smooth-shifting six-speed automatic transmission, “Very Good” braking, roomy trunk and, notably, impressive fuel economy; the Rio achieved 30 mpg in the publication’s real-world testing and can reach up to 30 mpg city/40 mpg highway/34 mpg combined with the EPA.

In fact, thanks to the Rio sedan—which joins the Kia Optima Hybrid and Rio 5-door in the EPA’s 40-mpg club—the automaker “had the biggest improvement in adjusted CO2 and fuel economy performance” in the EPA’s recently released Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions, and Fuel Economy Trends: 1975 Through 2011 report.

 

 

Courtesty: Kia In The News

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