The Kia Rondo is an all-new vehicle. Kia calls it a five-door crossover utility vehicle.

The Rondo is capable of carrying seven adults. Yet it's small, just 179 inches long. That's 2.5 inches shorter than the six-passenger Mazda5. Sure, the Toyota RAV4 can seat seven, but it costs $3,000 more and offers less legroom in the third row. The Rondo gives you the size of the RAV4 at the price of the smaller Toyota Matrix; and we're not big fans of the aging Matrix.

We found the ride, handling and brakes of the Kia Rondo excellent. It's a good vehicle for long trips and zooming around town. The seats, cloth or leather, are comfortable. The driver sits relatively high and the Rondo feels like neither a car nor a sport utility, which is what a crossover is about. Besides people, it can haul lots of stuff; just flip down the back two rows of seats.

A new 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine comes standard, and it's strong. It comes with a four-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode and gets an EPA-estimated 21/29 City/Highway miles per gallon.

A smooth 2.7-liter V6 with a five-speed automatic is optional. It's rated 20/27 mpg, delivers more thrust more smoothly and adds just $1,000 to the retail price, making it a bargain.

Kia is the best imitator in the business. Kia designers and engineers look closely at other vehicles, and produce a virtual composite of the best ideas. But there's no lack of originality here, because the Rondo is unique. It's the only game in town for seven-passenger transportation in a small, safe, low-cost, high-mileage package.

Kia's marketing motto is "the power to surprise," and the Korean carmaker has done so again, with the Rondo.

Model Lineup

The 2007 Kia Rondo comes in LX and EX models with a choice of four-cylinder and V6 engines.

The Rondo LX ($17,895) comes with air conditioning, remote keyless entry, cruise control, alloy wheels, a 60/40 fold-flat rear seat, and power windows, locks and mirrors. Also available, at least on paper, is a stripper model called the LX 93202 ($16,395) that comes without air conditioning, remote entry and cruise control.

The Rondo EX ($19,195) adds a higher-grade cloth interior with leather trim, 17-inch alloy wheels, chrome grille, door handles and molding, foglamps, heated mirrors, windshield de-icer, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, lights for the vanity mirrors, and a CD/MP3 six-speaker sound system. Optional is a package with a 10-speaker Infinity sound system and a sunroof ($1200).

The 2.4-liter inline four-cylinder that comes standard makes 162 horsepower and is paired with a four-speed automatic transmission with a manual mode called Sportmatic. The optional 2.7-liter dohc V6 produces 182-horsepower and comes with a five-speed Sportmatic.

The LX V6 ($18,895) and EX V6 ($20,195) are EPA-rated 20/27 mpg City/Highway, compared to 21/29 mpg with the four-cylinder, making the V6 a good value.

Safety equipment on every Rondo includes front airbags, side airbags in front, full-length airbag curtains, anti-lock disc brakes, electronic stability control, and a tire pressure monitor.

Options include the third-row seat ($500); leather interior with heated front seats for the EX ($1000); and a body kit ($995) consisting of a front spoiler, rear valance, side sill skirts, wheel arch moldings and a rear lower spoiler. Roof rails come standard, but the crossbars to make them functional are optional ($200). A cargo cover is available as a dealer accessory.

More review visit : http://nctd.com/review-intro.cfm?Vehicle=2007_Kia_Rondo&ReviewID=2067 Read More

Kia has Soul and is trying to sell it to the American car buyers. But this probably comes as no surprise to the American public The Soul we are talking about was announced earlier this year in 2007 at the International Auto Show. It is believed that this car was named “Soul” to represent the cars Korean origin and the combined efforts of both Korea and their North American counter parts in California. The 2008 Kia Soul combines tastes and design in an effort to bring new life to a concept car that truly does have a soul of its own.

Kia’s new Soul concept car has a design that hopes to attract a younger, more active group of buyers. The modern stylish package offered standard along with new exterior features puts it all together for those looking for taste and style all in one.

The interior of the Soul is cram packed with one awesome and fully customizable multimedia communications system. In addition, mood lighting, a wide cargo area and a remote powered lift gate rounds out an interior that meets everyone’s expectations and then some.

When we look closer at the exterior of this wonderful pint sized new vehicle, we find a roof that houses not just one but two sun roofs, one in the front that is moveable and a rear window that is hinged. This design creates a panoramic sun/moon roof that adorns the Kia Soul’s sloped roofline. This allows Kia Soul occupants to enjoy open-air driving while also taking advantage of panoramic views. In addition, the Soul’s roof features adjustable roof racks integrated into the design. This design is intended to create an open, uninterrupted passenger cabin.

To add additional style to the interior, the audio systems speakers were made part of the overall design by making them a different color than the dash board which allows them to stand out. The small thin framed seats are a slight shade off the color of the speakers, and provide seating for four with a long center console that divides the first and second rows.

With its efforts to appeal to a younger more active generation, and realizing that today’s vehicles are becoming more of a mobile office, the Soul comes equipped with a video game monitor and a laptop computer that swings out of the glove box. The design allows it to be operated from either the driver or passenger side seats.

The hip, urban feel of the Kia Soul is enhanced by unique interior lighting. Rather than utilizing a standard dome light, lighting shines from around the moon roof, as well as from the trim of the door panels.

Kia wants to inspire passion in young car buyers, and to accomplish this, the Kia Soul will provide a unique and dynamic vehicle in the increasingly crowded compact SUV market allowing the Soul Concept crossover SUV to be its roadmap to success.

Kia Motors is stepping outside of the shadow of its competitors and making a significant place for itself in the key SUV sector. Read More

This summer Kia will introduce its first true, unadulterated truck, called the Borrego.

The 2009 Kia Borrego was unveiled at Detroit's North American International Auto Show in January 2008, and it surprised many who attended. Some in the automotive media were expecting a slight variation on the Santa Fe from Hyundai, Kia's parent company. The Kia Borrego is in fact a conventional, mid-sized sport-utility vehicle with Kia's first-ever V8 engine.

The Hyundai Santa Fe has a welded unibody, like the typical sedan, and emphasizes cabin comfort and luxury.

The Borrego is somewhat larger, but more significantly, it applies body-on-frame construction, with a separately assembled body bolted to a ladder-type frame. The emphasis with Borrego is real, truck-style work such as towing.

On a wheelbase of 114 inches, Borrego's weight and dimensions closely match those of truck-based sport-utility vehicles like the Ford Explorer and Nissan Pathfinder.

Borrego features something that's unusual with truck-based SUVs, however. Its coil-spring rear suspension is fully independent (like the Explorer and Pathfinder and most cars), rather than equipped with a solid axle (like the Toyota 4Runner and most other body-on-frame SUVs).

From a distance, the Borrego might be mistaken for a Pathfinder or an Explorer or some other SUV. There is only so much differentiation possible with the conventional two-box SUV design. On closer inspection, however, the Borrego exhibits some unique details. It looks almost graceful, and perhaps lighter, less thick or massive, than a Pathfinder. In some respects the Borrego looks smaller than it actually is. It will be offered with wheels up to 18 inches in diameter.

The base Borrego will be powered by a 3.8-liter V6, though Kia hasn't released horsepower or torque ratings. We'd guess something in the range of 275 horsepower. The upgrade is a 4.6-liter V8, and Kia promises at least 300 horsepower from this engine, which will make Borrego the company's most powerful vehicle to date. Both engines are matched to Kia's first six-speed automatic transmission, which should deliver competitive fuel-economy ratings. Kia reports an impressive 7500-pound towing capacity for the V8, and 5000 pounds for the V6.

The 2009 Borrego will be offered with either rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive, as well as a couple of electronic packages that should make off-road operation easier. Kia's first downhill assist control (DAC) system is designed to keep Borrego moving straight and steady down steep grades without locking its wheels. The hill assist control (HAC) will help control fishtails and backwards slides on steep upgrades.

Kia hasn't offered a good look inside the Borrego, which suggests that the final interior design is still being sorted. But we can tell you that this SUV seats seven, with a sliding second-row seat that adjusts for relative legroom and easier access to the two-passenger third row. Both rear seats fold flat to optimize cargo space.

Safety equipment includes two-stage front airbags, curtain-style head protection airbags for all three rows of seating, electronic stability control and a sophisticated antilock brake system (ABS) with electronic brake distribution (EBD) and brake assist. There is no indication that Borrego is equipped with anti-rollover electronics, which are increasingly common on sport-utilities and other taller vehicles.

And while Borrego is definitely a truck, it won't be short on big-ticket features. It will offer several Kia firsts, including a DVD-based navigation system, power-adjustable pedals and a back-up warning system with rear camera. And it will come standard with lots of stuff, as Kia vehicles typically do, including a 600-watt Infinity stereo with USB audio input jacks, a six-CD changer and Sirius satellite radio hardware.

Expect the first Borregos to reach Kia showrooms by July, 2008. If Kia follows its typical pricing scheme, the Borrego should retail for at least $1,000 less than similarly equipped competitors
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Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced its best June ever with record sales of 28,292 units, an increase of 7.6 percent over the same period last year, and year-to-date sales of 157,619 units, an increase of 2.1 percent over the same period last year. For the just completed quarter, the company reported sales of 89,405 units.

Kia’s June record sales were led by Spectra and Optima, with 7,131 and 6,865 units sold respectively. Small car Rio and family vacation favorite Sedona also had strong sales with 3,337 units and 3,719 units respectively, both increases over the same period last year.

“As the economy continues to fluctuate, consumers are turning to vehicles that are known for value and quality,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). “Thanks to a strong marketing plan and the hard work of the Kia dealer network, Kia continues to have success during this difficult economic time.”

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 640 dealers throughout the United States. For 2007, KMA recorded its 14th consecutive year of record U.S. sales. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline “The Power to Surprise.” full story : http://www.autonews24h.com/Auto-Industry/Kia/2816.html Read More

Union workers at Kia Motors Corp. voted Friday to approve a new wage agreement, the carmaker said, putting an end to a series of strikes that took place amid negotiations. Workers approved a 5.2 per cent increase in basic pay for this year, a special bonus equivalent to two months' salary and a lump sum payment of one million won (US$1,052), said company spokesman Michael Choo. Fifty-eight per cent of the 27,163 union members that voted cast ballots in favour of the deal, Choo said.
Kia workers had staged partial strikes between June 28 and July 20 seeking an 8.9 per cent annual increase in basic pay. Monday, the union held a four-hour strike after rejecting the company's offer of a 5.2 per cent pay hike, a special bonus equivalent to 1.5 months' pay and the one-million-won lump sum payment.
The two sides reached a tentative agreement Tuesday, which was subject to vote.
Kia is an affiliate of Hyundai Motor Co., the world's sixth-largest automaker.
Labour unions at the two companies are known for their militancy. Hyundai's union has gone on strike every year but one since it was founded in 1987. Read More

Kia Borrego is good, but is there room for another SUV?
Who knew? The V-6-powered Borrego is rated to two up to 5,000 pounds, while V-8 models can handle a 7,500 pound trailer. The V-6 scampered to 60 miles per hour in just 8.1 seconds (without a boat) for this review. There's a lot of room and the optional leather interior was rated divine. It's the modern New Age family SUV.

Kia and its South Korean corporate cousin, Hyundai, continue to expand their lineups far beyond their original economy-car origins. This year we get a genuine luxury car from Hyundai, the Genesis. And from Kia, we get the largest SUV from a Korean manufacturer yet -- the all-new 2009 Borrego.

Sizewise, the Borrego is about a foot longer than the current Kia Sorento. It's about an inch shorter, and more than an inch wider, than the segment-leading Ford Explorer. The Borrego is a little bigger than the Hyundai Veracruz, and there's one other big difference: The Borrego is offered with Kia's first-ever V-8 engine, while the Veracruz comes with only a V-6.

The test Borrego came with the standard V-6, too -- a 276-horsepower, 3.8-liter engine that has so much power I'm not sure why I'd want to opt for the thirstier, more expensive V-8 unless I towed a lot. The V-6 Borrego can handle a 5,000-pound trailer, while the 337-horsepower V-8 can tow 7,500 pounds.

EPA-rated fuel mileage for the four-wheel-drive V-6 is 16 mpg city, 21 mg highway. The four-wheel-drive V-8 Borrego is rated at 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway. Regular gas is fine for either engine.

The Borrego is a traditional body-on-frame SUV, as opposed to the more carlike "crossover" SUVs, such as the Ford Flex, that are built on unibody car platforms that don't have a separate frame. Traditional SUVs are typically more rugged but ride more roughly, and that applies to the Borrego, though the ride isn't bad at all except on really rough pavement.

Inside, the front bucket seats are fine; the middle seat is roomy for two adults, passable for three. The rearmost seat will hold two adults -- thankfully, the middle seats are adjustable to a near-upright position to give a little more legroom for the back-seat passengers -- but getting in that rear seat requires some minor gymnastics. For kids, though, it's fine. And even with all three rows of seats in place, there's quite a bit of storage room in the back for groceries and such. The second and third rows fold forward for an almost flat load floor.

The Borrego comes standard with rear-wheel-drive, but the test vehicle had four-wheel-drive, including a "low range" setting for off-road use. The Borrego might not be as adept in the woods as a Jeep Wrangler, but it holds its own on tough terrain.

The base Borrego is the LX model, which starts at just less than $27,000 and comes with plenty of standard features, including air conditioning, traction control, stability control, side and side-curtain airbags, cruise control, and a good sound system. Upgrade to the EX, the test vehicle, and you get some extra features, such as dual-zone climate control, fog lights, power front seats and steering wheel-mounted stereo controls. Both models have a full-sized spare tire. Even so, interior trim was relatively Spartan and plastic-heavy, given the price.

Options on the test Borrego included bigger 18-inch tires on chromed wheels ($750), an $1,800 premium package that added a sunroof, an upgraded 10-speaker Infinity sound system, running boards and rear air conditioning, a navigation system ($1,500), and a $1,500 luxury package that added leather upholstery for the first and second rows of seats. With shipping, the total was $36,295, roughly on par with the competition.

This is a very, very tough part of the market, not only because there are lots of excellent midsized SUVs, but because of slow sales, so there are some rather astounding discounts being offered. Have you priced a Dodge Durango lately?

The Kia Borrego compares very well with more established models on the market, but it doesn't really offer much that's new. Price tends to drive this segment of the market, and Kia might have to discount the Borrego more than the company wants to for it to get some initial traction.

2009 Kia Borrego EX

Kia Borrego is good, but is there room for another SUV?
Who knew? The V-6-powered Borrego is rated to two up to 5,000 pounds, while V-8 models can handle a 7,500 pound trailer. The V-6 scampered to 60 miles per hour in just 8.1 seconds (without a boat) for this review. There's a lot of room and the optional leather interior was rated divine. It's the modern New Age family SUV.

Kia and its South Korean corporate cousin, Hyundai, continue to expand their lineups far beyond their original economy-car origins. This year we get a genuine luxury car from Hyundai, the Genesis. And from Kia, we get the largest SUV from a Korean manufacturer yet -- the all-new 2009 Borrego.

Sizewise, the Borrego is about a foot longer than the current Kia Sorento. It's about an inch shorter, and more than an inch wider, than the segment-leading Ford Explorer. The Borrego is a little bigger than the Hyundai Veracruz, and there's one other big difference: The Borrego is offered with Kia's first-ever V-8 engine, while the Veracruz comes with only a V-6.

The test Borrego came with the standard V-6, too -- a 276-horsepower, 3.8-liter engine that has so much power I'm not sure why I'd want to opt for the thirstier, more expensive V-8 unless I towed a lot. The V-6 Borrego can handle a 5,000-pound trailer, while the 337-horsepower V-8 can tow 7,500 pounds.

EPA-rated fuel mileage for the four-wheel-drive V-6 is 16 mpg city, 21 mg highway. The four-wheel-drive V-8 Borrego is rated at 15 mpg city, 20 mpg highway. Regular gas is fine for either engine.

The Borrego is a traditional body-on-frame SUV, as opposed to the more carlike "crossover" SUVs, such as the Ford Flex, that are built on unibody car platforms that don't have a separate frame. Traditional SUVs are typically more rugged but ride more roughly, and that applies to the Borrego, though the ride isn't bad at all except on really rough pavement.

Inside, the front bucket seats are fine; the middle seat is roomy for two adults, passable for three. The rearmost seat will hold two adults -- thankfully, the middle seats are adjustable to a near-upright position to give a little more legroom for the back-seat passengers -- but getting in that rear seat requires some minor gymnastics. For kids, though, it's fine. And even with all three rows of seats in place, there's quite a bit of storage room in the back for groceries and such. The second and third rows fold forward for an almost flat load floor.

The Borrego comes standard with rear-wheel-drive, but the test vehicle had four-wheel-drive, including a "low range" setting for off-road use. The Borrego might not be as adept in the woods as a Jeep Wrangler, but it holds its own on tough terrain.

The base Borrego is the LX model, which starts at just less than $27,000 and comes with plenty of standard features, including air conditioning, traction control, stability control, side and side-curtain airbags, cruise control, and a good sound system. Upgrade to the EX, the test vehicle, and you get some extra features, such as dual-zone climate control, fog lights, power front seats and steering wheel-mounted stereo controls. Both models have a full-sized spare tire. Even so, interior trim was relatively Spartan and plastic-heavy, given the price.

Options on the test Borrego included bigger 18-inch tires on chromed wheels ($750), an $1,800 premium package that added a sunroof, an upgraded 10-speaker Infinity sound system, running boards and rear air conditioning, a navigation system ($1,500), and a $1,500 luxury package that added leather upholstery for the first and second rows of seats. With shipping, the total was $36,295, roughly on par with the competition.

This is a very, very tough part of the market, not only because there are lots of excellent midsized SUVs, but because of slow sales, so there are some rather astounding discounts being offered. Have you priced a Dodge Durango lately?

The Kia Borrego compares very well with more established models on the market, but it doesn't really offer much that's new. Price tends to drive this segment of the market, and Kia might have to discount the Borrego more than the company wants to for it to get some initial traction. Read More