New 2014 Kia Forte / K3 / Cerato Detailed Inside and Out in New Photo Gallery and Videos

While Kia surely got its act together in terms of designing, engineering and building vehicles over the past decade or so, the South Korean automaker seems a bit confused when it comes to naming its vehicles.

How else can you explain the fact that its new global compact sedan will have three different names, depending on the region?

In its home market of South Korea, where it was officially introduced this week, it will be called K3, while when it arrives in the U.S. and Canada, we will come to know it as the 2014 model year Forte, and in other markets such as Australia and Brazil, as the new Cerato.

Whatever it is called, the new compact model has adopted the brand's latest design DNA both inside and out, while offering a raft of new technologies such as a parking assistance system, LED headlamps and Kia's next generation “telematics” service UVO, which enables drivers to control their cars via a smartphone or other IT devices.

Read more »

Galleries , KIA , Kia Forte , Kia Videos , Korea , New Cars , Video

Hyundai Increases US Production by 19 Percent to Keep Up with Demand and Offset Import Losses

Having many cars on the parking lot and little or no customers is any dealer’s nightmare. On the other hand, not having enough cars to satisfy the clients that walk into your dealership is something of a problem, too.

Hyundai North America CEO John Krafcik said that the company, which currently has difficulties keeping up with demand due to a tight inventory, will increase U.S production by 19 percent from September until year’s end compared to the same period in 2011.

Read more »

Hyundai , Hyundai Elantra , Hyundai Santa Fe , KIA , Korea

U Spy: Looks Like the 2014 Kia Cadenza will Receive a Facelift for North America

We are approaching the three-year mark since Kia released the K7 sedan in its home market of South Korea and in other regions as the Cadenza, and even though the mid-size saloon was slated for a North American launch at the end of 2011, it has yet to reach U.S. and Canadian showrooms.

Last year, two eagle-eyed CarScoop readers each spotted a completely undisguised version of the Cadenza on U.S. highways. While Kia officially remains silent about the car's North American debut, Autonews recently reported that the Cadenza will go on sale next summer as a 2014 model.

This brings us to these photos of a disguised Cadenza prototype nabbed on camera by CarScoop reader Sach M. in Colorado.

Read more »

KIA , Kia Cadenza , Kia Scoops , Scoops , U Spy

New Kia Carens Compact Minivan Sketched Once Again

For the second time this summer, Kia is teasing the upcoming Carens compact MPV with a set of sketches that were released in advance of the car's world premiere at the Paris Motor Show in September.

These three drawings outline the shape of the actual minivan and include realistic depictions of the lights and the front grille, all of which remind us of the Cee'd compact, which forms the base for the new Carens and will also lend its engine lineup of 1.4-liter and 1.6-liter petrol and diesel engines.

Read more »

KIA , Kia Ronda - Carens , Paris Auto Show

Kia Soul Hamsters Bring Down the Opera House in Brand-New Commercial

The hip-hop Hamsters are back with a new TV spot for the 2013 model year edition of the Kia Soul small crossover.

The campaign is named "Bringing Down the House" and it will make its debut on some 18,000 movie screens on Friday, August 3 with television airings to begin with MTV's Video Music Awards on September 6.

For the impatient ones, Kia has just unleashed the full-length (1 minute and 31 seconds) version on the web, which you can watch for yourself right past the break.

Read more »

commercials , KIA , Kia Soul , Kia Videos , Reports , Video

Crazy Slovakians Building a Rear Engine, RWD Version of the Kia Cee'd [w/Video]

We guess you can call this one of the wildest Kia Cee'd hatchback tunes in the world. Built by Mito Motorsports, this insane version of the first generation of Kia's compact model packs a rear-mounted turbocharged diesel engine that drives the rear wheels.

It's still a work in progress, but the racing specialist from Slovakia, which also happens to be the home of Kia's European assembly plant that manufactures the Cee'd, has already transferred the compact model's 2.0-lter turbo diesel engine from the front end to the rear end of the car.

Read more »

Diesel , KIA , Kia Cee'd , Kia Videos , Racing , Tuning , Video

Woman's Kia Sorento Gas Pedal gets Stuck Sending her on a 120mph Horror Ride

Given the sticky situation she was in, Lauri Ulvestad of Ames, Iowa, should consider herself extremely lucky for making it out alive when the accelerator pedal of her 2011 Kia Sorento crossover got jammed as she was driving up Interstate 35 in Missouri last week.

The 47-year old woman told KCCI-TV in Des Moines that she tried everything from turning off the key, to shifting out of drive and slamming on the brakes, but nothing worked.

"I knew I was going to die," said Ulvestad. "I didn't have any doubt about. I really thought I was going to die ... and no matter what I did, I couldn't slow it down."

Read more »

Accidents , KIA , Kia Sorento , Kia Videos , Offbeat News , Police Cars , Video

Scoop: Kia Finishing Work on New 2014 Soul, Could be Joined by Two More Body Styles

The Soul has proved to be a major sales success for Kia, especially in the U.S. where it's the South Korean automaker's second bestselling model with 73,698 deliveries in the first seven months of the year (up 13.2 % from the same period in 2011), trailing only the Optima, which sold 86,475 cars.

One of the Soul's main selling points is its boxy looks, and that's a recipe Kia is not willing to change as proved by these fresh spy shots of the next generation of the compact model.

These images suggest that while the new Soul likely rides on a slightly longer wheelbase and has grown in length, the basic shape and styling characteristics of the urban crossover remain unchanged.

Some things that stand out on this prototype is the re-sculptured profile and the updated front and rear ends that appear to borrow certain design cues from the Track'ster Concept shown at the Chicago Auto Show earlier this year.

Read more »

KIA , Kia Scoops , Kia Soul , Scoops