2011 Kia Sportage Compact SUV Revealed in Official Patent Filings

The next generation of Kia's Sportage compact SUV has been given away through a series of designs that were made for the European Union's patent office. Note however that there's a small chance that the patent images could be depicting an almost production-ready study destined for either the Geneva Salon in March or the Seoul Motor Show in April.

The reason why we're saying this is the use of some specific styling features such as the chrome trim, the tail lamp arrangement, the alloy wheel designs and the styling of the lower part of the front bumper, all of which look suspiciously conceptual (see the spy shots here).

But even so, what you're looking at here is what you'll get more or less when the 2011 Sportage arrives at the Korean automakers dealers either towards the end of the year or early 2011.

Like all Kias penned under the guiding hand of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage is a much more attractive proposition than the outgoing model.

Under the bodywork, the Sorento's smaller sibling shares its hardware with the new Hyundai Tucson (called iX35 in Europe and other markets).

That said, don't expect any surprises under the hood with the North American Sportage being offered with the same 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines coupled to six-speed transmissions as the Tuscon.

Likewise, the European market Sportage will get three diesels including a 115HP 1.7-liter unit, and a 2.0-liter engine with 134HP and 184HP, and two gasoline units with a displacement of 1.6-liter and 2.0-liters producing 140HP and 166HP respectively.

Source: EU Patent Office , Via: RyanoKeefe

2010 Kia Sorento SUV Geared up by Cobra Technology & Lifestyle

The new generation Kia Sorento that made its debut earlier this year is the latest object of Cobra Technology & Lifestyle's tuning affections. Not that most Sorento buyers will actually ever need bull bars - that is, unless your parking skills are worse 16-year-old that just got his license, but Cobra offers a variety of front, rear and rocker panel guards including a lower front bar with integrated LED daytime running lights.

Once you're done with the body armor, you can also choose from numerous alloy wheel designs with diameters of 19 and 20 inches. The largest alloy wheels can be fitted with tires in size 265/45 R 20.

New Limited Edition Kia Soul Ignition Hits US Showrooms

The second special edition Kia Soul to be offered in the States this year after the "Denim" is the "Ignition". Based on the Soul+ model, the limited run version features a unique ignition orange exterior finish with contrasting black rally stripes, a rear spoiler, an alloy fuel door and black 18-inch alloy wheels with machined accents.

Like the previously launched Denim, on top of the Soul+ standard equipment, Kia has loaded the Ignition with more features including a higher-grade audio system with iPod connection, center speaker, subwoofer, external amplifier and speaker lights that pulse to the beat of the music (...), carpeted floor mats, moon roof, fender vents with side marker repeaters and fog lights.

The new Kia Soul Iginition is available for order with prices starting from $17,500 for the model with a five-speed manual gearbox.

Kia Records 53% Increase in Global Sales in November, 17.3% Plus YTD

Crisis, what crisis? The global recession doesn't seem strong enough to stop Kia's momentum as the South Korean automaker announced today that global sales figures for passenger cars and commercial vehicles for November 2009 have recorded a total of 152,826 units sold. This represents an increase of 53.2 per cent over the same month a year ago.

Hyoung-Keun Lee, President Kia Motors Corporation, said: "November has proven to be another tremendously successful month for Kia. This month we saw growth across all markets and we will seek to continue to satisfy customers with our ongoing rollout of new, stylish and fuel efficient products, including the recently launched Cadenza."

Hyundai's sister company said that during the first eleven months of the year (from January through November), the firm's global sales increased by 17.0 per cent year-on-year to 1,489,204 units.

Kia's highest gains during the first eleven months of the year were in China as the company recorded a 65.2 per cent increase with 221,722 units sold to date.

In other markets, Kia saw a YTD sales increase of 26.8 per cent (366,229 units sold) in Korea, 14.7 per cent (275,105 units sold) in general markets and 9.5 per cent (322,488 units sold) in North America.

In 2009, the firm's best selling model in international markets has been the C-segment Forte, also known as Spectra or Cerato in certain markets, with 269,864 units sold.

The Forte is followed by the B-segment Rio and Sportage 4x4 with 159,385 and 157,312 units sold respectively, while the European only Cee'd comes in Forth with 114,498 units sold.

The Korean firm's range (depending on the market) will be enhanced with new models in 2010 including the recently revealed Cadenza mid-size sedan and the Venga mini MPV.

Kia Developing High-End K9 Sports Saloon to sit Above the Cadneza / K7?

If we are to believe the reports coming in from Korea, Kia may be testing the grounds for a new flagship sedan positioned above the Amanti's replacement, the 2011 Cadenza saloon that is known as the K7 in the Korean firm's home market.

The news comes from a Korean site claiming that at a design conference in Seoul, Korea, Kia's design boss, Peter Schreyer showed the teaser sketch pictured above while he was talking about expanding the brand's portfolio into new territories.

Many sites claim that the photo depicts a sports saloon proposal, possibly named K9.

We have no way of confirming the reports or rumors -take your pick- nor if the photos shows a high-end saloon or some other vehicle (to be honest, it could be a sketch for the next Forte for all we know...), but it would come to no surprise if Kia does present a flagship model, maybe even based on the Hyundai Genesis' RWD platform, in the very near future.

Source: Aboutcar , Via: Worldcarfans

Kia to Drop the Ball on 2011 Sorento Billboard at Times Square on New Year's Eve

Hyundai's Times Square billboard in Manhattan will soon be joined by a new outdoor campaign from the Korean automaker's sister company, Kia. In preparation for the arrival of the all-new 2011 Sorento, Kia has announced that it has secured a 60 by 40 foot billboard showcasing its CUV / SUV at the intersection of Broadway and Seventh Avenue in Times Square. The new advertisement will become visible when the famed ball drops on New Year's Eve.

"From tourists and theatergoers to the New Year's Eve ball drop, millions of people from all over the world will get their first glimpse of the all-new Sorento, the latest chapter in Kia's design-led brand transformation," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, KMA.

"Kia Motors' U.S. marketshare is growing quickly, and establishing a presence in America's most iconic advertising venue is a natural fit for the first Kia vehicle to be built on U.S. soil."

The Korean automaker said that in addition to the Times Square campaign, the new Sorento is also the "Official Vehicle of the NBA" for the current basketball season.

VIDEOS: 2011 Kia Cadenza Looks Even Better on the Road

Who could have imagined a few years back that Kia would eventually build cars looking as decent / good (depending on your aesthetic criteria) as the 2011 Cadenza? Sure many will note that the Cadenza borrows many styling cues from the German competition, but that's something that should be expected from Kia since its new design boss is none other than former VW / Audi designer Peter Schreyer.

In any case, Kia has created a mid-size sedan that seems capable of capturing the attention of your average mainstream buyer with its styling - and not deterring them like the outgoing Amanti which it will replace in the States.

If it will do well or not in the market, however, is another story which depends on a variety of factors including how well the car is built, how it drives and of course, what it will cost.

But for now, take a look at the two new promotional videos plus an action-packed South Korean commercial of the Cadenza and share your thoughts in the comment section after the break.

2011 Kia Cadenza: New High-Res Photo Gallery and Details, International Sales Start in January 2010

The all-new Kia Cadenza sedan was officially launched in Korea today where it will go on sale under the name K7. The 4,965 mm (195.5'') long Cadenza will take over the role of Kia's flagship sedan from the 10-year old Opirus, also called Amanti in some markets. Designed under the guidance of former Audi design chief Peter Schreyer, the Cadenza is the production version of the KND-5 concept model shown in Seoul earlier this year. And yes, we couldn't help but compare the Korean sedan's styling to the new BMW 5-Series that was introduced on Monday.

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2011 Kia Sportage Compact SUV Spied Inside and Out

Kia is continuing the development of its next generation Sportage that is scheduled to enter the market in the first half of 2010. Our spies captured a camouflaged prototype of the compact SUV in Germany giving us a taste of the Sportage silhouette and interior styling. As you may have already guessed, the 2011 Sportage (or 2010, depending on which side of the Atlantic you're located) is based on the new Hyundai ix35 utilizing the same platform and hardware.

At least in what concerns the European market model, the next Sportage will most likely be offered with the same engine line up as the Hyundai Tucson's replacement.

That said, European buyers should expect three diesels including a new 1.7-liter unit rated at 115hp and 188 lb-ft of torque, and 136HP and 184HP versions of the Korean firm's 2.0-liter 'R' turbo diesel.

The gasoline engine range should consists of the Hyundai- Kia Group's forthcoming 1.6-liter GDI direct-injection four-pot that makes 140 hp and 123 lb-ft. of torque and a more powerful 2.0-liter unit with 166HP and 145 lb-ft.

Hyundai Presents its First Direct-Injection Petrol Engine, the New 201HP 2.4L Theta II

Hyundai has officially unveiled it first-ever direct-injection gasoline engine, the new 2.4 Theta II GDI that promises to deliver more power and a significant improvement in fuel consumption over the standard multi-point fuel injected engines. In its Korean domestic market specification, the 2.4-liter four-cylinder unit engine produces an output of 201HP at 6,300 rpm and 25.5 kg.m or 184 lb-ft of torque at 4,250 rpm.

Developed with a budget of 170 billion won (about US$170.5 million) over a 46 month-long research period, the new 2.4 Theta II GDI is said to deliver 7 percent more torque at low revolutions and 12 percent more torque at the high-end compared to a conventional engine of the same size.

Most importantly, Hyundai claims that the engine offers a 10 percent improvement in mileage over a vehicle equipped with a multi-point fuel injected engine

The 2.4 Theta II GDI will make its debut on the all-new 2011 Sonata sedan that is scheduled to go on sale in the U.S. during the first half of 2010.

In addition to the Sonata, the new petrol engine will also be used in other Hyundai and Kia models while he the automaker added that the GDI technology will subsequently be expanded across the gasoline engine family and applied to other models of the group.