Kia Celebrates Grand Opening of Plant in Georgia, US

WEST POINT, Ga. Feb. 26, 2010 – Officials with Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG), Inc. were joined by dignitaries from the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, the State of Georgia, local city and county officials to celebrate the official grand opening of Kia’s first-ever U.S. automobile manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, capable of producing 300,000 cars annually for the North American and global markets.

The ceremony was attended by approximately 500 VIPs from Korea and the U.S., including Chairman of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group Mong-Koo Chung; Group President and CEO of KMMG and Kia Motors America (KMA) Byung-Mo Ahn; Georgia Governor Sonny Perdue; and a number of other high-ranking Korean government and State of Georgia officials.

“Kia is proud to call West Point, Georgia home and we look forward to many years of growing together,” said Ahn. “Continued diligent work has helped elevate Kia to one of the fastest growing automobile brands around the globe. With the successful launch of the 2011 Kia Sorento CUV and establishment of our first manufacturing plant in the United States, the Kia brand is well positioned for further growth and to become a worldwide leader in quality and innovation.”

[Source: Kia Motors America]

Continue reading for the complete press release.

Representing a $1 billion investment by Kia Motors Corporation, the sprawling, new 2.2 million-square-foot automobile manufacturing plant is situated on more than 2,200 acres of land between Exit 2 and Exit 6 along Interstate 85 in West Point. KMMG consists of four main shops: stamping, welding, paint and assembly. The site also includes a transmission shop, module shop and a two-mile test track where every vehicle produced by KMMG will be thoroughly tested. KMMG’s general assembly area is outfitted with more than a half mile of height-adjustable conveyors to achieve the most favorable installation position for each team member and reduce physical fatigue. It is outfitted with wood flooring, which provides a more comfortable and forgiving work environment for team members.

Governor Perdue noted today’s event meant the continuation of a mutually beneficial partnership between the State of Georgia and Kia that will mean many great things for the State in years to come.

“This is a momentous day for Georgia as Kia Motors has brought thousands of new jobs to this area, and is truly delivering as a tremendous corporate citizen,” said Governor Perdue. “We value our relationship with Kia and pledge to continue providing specialized training through the Kia Georgia Training Center that will guarantee a quality workforce and the future success of this plant in Georgia.”

The massive Kia automobile manufacturing plant and its supplier companies have already provided thousands of jobs. KMMG currently employs more than 1,200 team members and is expected to nearly double that number by the end of the year, while onsite and nearby suppliers will create up to 7,500 additional jobs in the region.

Randy Jackson, director of human resources and administration, said he was glad that KMMG could help give back to the local community through job creation, community development and tourism.

“The Grand Opening marks a new milestone for Kia,” Jackson said. “Beginning this spring, we are pleased to open our doors to the community and have them see firsthand the quality and craftsmanship that is built into every Kia vehicle. We hope every Kia owner, and anyone thinking about purchasing a Kia, will visit us."

Mass production of the all-new 2011 Kia Sorento CUV began on Nov. 16, 2009 with the product officially going on sale in the U.S. in January of this year. Selling 7,398 units in its first month, the 2011 Sorento was Kia’s best-selling vehicle in January.

“The outstanding early performance of the first vehicle produced from our West Point, Georgia plant is a significant achievement for KMMG, KMA and the Kia brand as a whole,” said Ahn. “As we grow we will continue to expand our line of vehicles here and abroad while staying true to the Kia brand tenets of value, quality, safety and technology; and KMMG will play a prominent role in achieving our goals.”

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More Images of New Kia Optima (TF) Leaked

More images have trickled out into the web of the upcoming all-new Kia Optima. Code-named "TF" during testing stages, the latest addition to the Kia line-up will officially be called "K5" when it first goes on sale in Korea this May. The K5 is a significant departure in terms of design and mechanics from its predecessor, as Kia plans to rock the highly competitive mid-size car segment with its all-new entry.The K5 is the latest embodiment of Kia's family-look pioneered by the brand's design guru Peter Schreyer. The sleek front fascia that incorporates Kia's corporate look is a testament to the brand's particular emphasis on design as of late, as well as a distinctive side profile complete with a unique C-pillar design that arguably sets out the K5 from its competition.

In addition to an attractive design, the K5 will also be available in a choice of two impressive powertrains: a 2.0L CVVT and a 2.4L GDI 4-cylinder (gasoline direct-injection) that produces 198 horsepower. The K5 shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai YF Sonata and the Kia K7 (Cadenza).

The K5, which will most likely retain the Optima name in the United States, will make its global premiere at the 2010 New York International Auto Show on April 2nd.

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Hyundai Issues Recall and Sales Halt of 2011 Sonata

Hyundai Motor America has informed regulators that the front door-lock modules on 2011 Sonatas can stick, and will notify customers of a recall. Consequently, the brand has followed suit with a temporary sales halt on its most popular offering. The recall affects 1,300 sold units of the 2011 Sonata in the United States, as well as 46,000 units manufactured and sold in South Korea. The new Sonata has been available in South Korea since September 2009, and was launched in the U.S. this month.

Hyundai said it has received complaints from customers but there haven’t been any reported accidents or injuries related to this problem. Hyundai hopes to rectify this issue quickly and not have a repeat of Toyota’s misfortune.

With the 2011 model going on sale two weeks ago in the U.S. 5,000 cars have been made in total and of that 1,300 have been sold. It is not known how many of the 1,300 will have faulty locks.

The problem occurs when the front seat passenger tries to open the door from the inside while holding down the lock button. When this happens the interior door handle doesn’t return to its normal position and the door will not shut completely. Pressing the lock button again will reset the handle allowing the door to work correctly.

With replacement parts reaching dealerships tomorrow the stop-sale will be lifted as soon as the repairs are made. The repairs consist of the replacement of the front door-lock mechanism.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Official: Kia Releases "K5" Sketches, Debut in NY

Kia Motors has released the first official sketches (side and front renderings after the jump) of the upcoming successor of its mid-size Optima (Lotze/Magentis in other markets) sedan today. Code-named "TF" during testing stages, the latest addition to the Kia line-up will officially be called "K5" when it first goes on sale in Korea this May. The K5 is a significant departure in terms of design and mechanics from its predecessor, as Kia plans to rock the highly competitive mid-size car segment with its all-new entry.

The K5 is the latest embodiment of Kia's family-look pioneered by the brand's design guru Peter Schreyer. The sleek front fascia that incorporates Kia's corporate look is a testament to the brand's particular emphasis on design as of late, as well as a distinctive side profile complete with a unique C-pillar design that arguably sets out the K5 from its competition.

In addition to an attractive design, the K5 will also be available in a choice of two impressive powertrains: a 2.0L CVVT and a 2.4L GDI 4-cylinder (gasoline direct-injection) that produces 198 horsepower. The K5 shares its underpinnings with the Hyundai YF Sonata and the Kia K7 (Cadenza).

The K5, which will most likely retain the Optima name in the United States, will make its global premiere at the 2010 New York International Auto Show on April 2nd.

[Source: Kia]

CONTINUE READING FOR ADDITIONAL OFFICIAL SKETCHES.

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IIHS Names New Hyundai Sonata As Top Safety Pick

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) has selected the 2011 Hyundai Sonata model as the Top Safety Pick this year. This award has been given to the vehicle after it successfully completed a list of crash testing performed by the IIHS.

For winning the Top Safety Pick award, a car must earn the highest rating of “good” in front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. In addition to the car’s ability to handle itself well in all these test categories, it should have the electronic stability control (ECS) readily available as an option. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has reported that ESC reduces single-vehicle crashes by 35 percent and single-vehicle fatalities by 30 percent in passenger cars.

Hyundai is committed to both active and passive safety technology leadership. In addition to ECS, the Sonata has advanced airbag technology and a robust ultra-high-strength steel body structure. It provides six airbags- dual front, front seat-mounted side-impact, and front and rear side curtain airbags along with active front-seat head restraints. The Anti-lock Breaking System (ABS) incorporates the Brake Assist and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD) technology.

A new roof strength test was added to the list of qualifications this year, making the selection procedure much tougher than the earlier ones. The roof strength must be double than that of the current Federal requirements, in order to guarantee safety in a rollover accident, says the new rule. Because of this new rule, many of the earlier vehicles that were awarded the Top Safety Pick in past years were discarded in 2010. While other Hyundai models like the Genesis have been named Top Safety Picks earlier, this is the first time a Sonata has received this honor.

[Source: IIHS via Hyundai Motor America]

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Geneva Preview: Hyundai's i-Flow Concept

An all-new concept car is set to catch the ‘i’ of visitors to the Geneva Motor Show next month. Hyundai has chosen the event to reveal the i-flow, a stylish saloon that previews the look of its new D-segment contender.

Styled at the company’s European design headquarters in Rüsselsheim, Germany, i-flow is expected to attract much attention, thanks to its striking appearance – the latest product of the company’s evocative new form language, ‘fluidic sculpture’. The name i-flow reflects the exceptionally aerodynamic shape and the flowing lines of the concept car’s eye-catching styling, and retains the ‘i’ prefix of Hyundai’s established nomenclature.

The i-flow incorporates numerous new technologies from chemical company BASF, ranging from innovative lightweight materials to solar cells, to assist in reducing weight and improving energy efficiency.

[Source: Hyundai]

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Chicago: Kia Ray Plug-In Hybrid Concept

Kia Motors America has unveiled the Ray Plug-in Hybrid concept at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. The Ray features a roof top "cool-glazing" solar glass, drive-by-wire steering, touch screen controls, and a lithium-polymer battery.

The 173-inch-long car's striking shape includes a single piece of glass that extends over the hood, and another that starts at the cowl of the windshield and goes all the way back to the rear header.

The "cool-glazing" part includes nano-laminate films and other materials that reduce solar heat, and helps keep the interior cool with lighter a/c loads and greenhouse emissions. The cells also trickle charge a cooling fan to reduce interior temperatures whenever the car is parked in the sun.

Kia claims the concept can travel over 50 miles using its electric motor alone, has a 109 mph top speed, and has an effective fuel economy of over 202 miles per gallon. Total range is 746 miles. Kia said the Ray is the first of what will be many cars in the company's new sub-brand, EcoDynamics.

[Source: Kia]

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Chicago: 2011 Hyundai Azera Facelift Debuts with New Engines

Hyundai rolled out a mildly restyled version of the Azera sedan at the Chicago Auto Show this week. We first got a taste of the changes made on the 2011 Azera back in December '09 when Hyundai launched the sedan's South Korean domestic market twin, the Grandeur, in its facelifted form.

The biggest changes to Hyundai's premium sedan are found under the hood. Both the 3.3-liter and 3.8-liter V6 engines of the 2011 Azera have been enhanced with the use of Dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (DCVVT) that improves engine breathing on the intake and exhaust camshafts for better fuel economy and lower emissions. The previous versions of the V6 engines only had CVVT on the intake camshaft. Furthermore, both engines benefit from the adoption of a new six-speed automatic transmission with SHIFTRONIC manual control.

[Source: Hyundai]

Read more for the full article and more images.

The 3.3-liter V6 unit now produces an estimated 250 horsepower at 6,200 rpm and 233 lbs.-ft. at 4,500 rpm of torque, up from 234 hp and 226 lb-ft in the 2010 model. With this engine, the 2011 Azera returns an estimated 20 mpg city / 29 mpg highway (2010MY: 18mpg and 26mpg respectively).

The larger 3.8-liter V6 churns out 272 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 262 lbs.-ft. of torque at 4,500 rpm, while returning 18 mpg city / 28 mpg highway. The 2010 Azera's 263HP 3.8-liter V6 returned 17mpg city and 26mpg highway.

As with the KDM Grandeur, the cosmetic tweaks on the 2011 Azera are minimal. The most noticeable exterior updates concern the reshaped front bumper, new headlamps with LED surround accent lighting, new chrome grille and round foglights.

The redesigned LED taillights and restyled bumper with integrated chrome tailpipes and a matching decklid at the back along with the revised exterior mirrors and the new designs for the alloy wheels complete the list of exterior updates.

Inside, changes are limited to a new brushed metalgrain finish applied to the gear shift indicator area, cup holder cover, ashtray cover and center console cover.

The refreshed Azera will go on sale across the nation in Spring 2010.

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VIDEO: Hyundai's 2010 Super Bowl XLIV Ads Focus on New Sonata and Tucson

PRESS RELEASE: HYUNDAI SUPER BOWL ADVERTISING HIGHLIGHTS ALL-NEW SONATA AND TUCSON

SUPER BOWL CHAMP BRETT FAVRE STARS IN SPOT HIGHLIGHTING HYUNDAI QUALITY

FOUNTAIN VALLEY, CALIF., 02/02/2010

Hyundai will be one of the most visible sponsors of Super Bowl XLIV on Sunday, February 7 with a total of eight ads airing throughout the day. 2010 marks Hyundai’s third consecutive year of advertising during the nation’s largest sporting event and second consecutive year sponsoring the Kickoff Show. To view Hyundai’s Super Bowl ads, please go to: www.HyundaiNews.com.

Hyundai’s Super Bowl blitz will be highlighted by two in-game ads. The first, titled “Paint,” will kick off an aggressive campaign supporting the 2011 Sonata. Slotted for the first quarter of the game, the spot will feature the all-new sedan, which boasts 200 horsepower[1] while maintaining best-in-class fuel economy of 35 miles-per-gallon highway. The 2011 Sonata will reach dealerships this month.

The second in-game ad, titled “10 years/Favre,” scheduled for the second quarter, will feature Brett Favre, quarterback of this season’s NFC North champion Minnesota Vikings. Favre, who holds the NFL “iron man” record for most consecutive games started, will be included in a spot featuring Hyundai’s 10-year, 100,000-mile warranty. In the 30-second ad, Favre accepts the Most Valuable Player award after the 2020 football season.

“The Super Bowl is not only a showcase for great football, but also for the most significant advertising, reaching an estimated 95 million viewers in the U.S.,” said Joel Ewanick, vice president of marketing, Hyundai Motor America. “Following in the footsteps of our 2008 and 2009 Super Bowl focus on the new Genesis and Genesis Coupe, we are focusing this year’s Super Bowl campaign on the all-new 2011 Sonata, the most significant new model introduction in our history.”

Continue reading to view the commercials and the complete press release.

For added visibility on Super Bowl Sunday, Hyundai is the title sponsor of the “Hyundai Kickoff Show,” which begins at 6:00 p.m. ET and leads directly into the game. Hyundai will air three different 30-second ads during the Kickoff Show, including one in the time slot immediately preceding the game. Voiceovers and animations featuring Hyundai will be integrated after each commercial break.

In addition to highlighting the all-new Sonata, pre- and post-game spots will showcase the all-new Tucson and revamped Hyundai Assurance consumer protection program.

Sonata and Tucson lead a wave of new model introductions from Hyundai which will revamp its fleet called “24/7 Version 2.0.” The new product blitz will introduce seven new models in a 24-month period – the second aggressive overhaul of the Hyundai fleet since 2004. Both models usher in a new era of modern design for the Hyundai brand, while retaining its heritage of quality, safety and value. 2010 will also feature the introduction of an all-new flagship large sedan based on the Equus which is available internationally. Next year, Hyundai will also introduce redesigned Accent and Elantra models, and two all-new introductions including a sporty coupe and crossover.

Hyundai Assurance was extended and enhanced for 2010. The trend-setting program, initiated in 2009, includes a vehicle return option for new-car buyers, Hyundai’s 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, 10-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty, and roadside assistance programs. Hyundai Assurance is the most comprehensive consumer safety net for new-car buyers in the industry.

Hyundai’s aggressive Super Bowl advertising extends its “Big Voices in Big Places” strategy, which includes high-profile advertising in sporting events, entertainment awards shows and outdoor video board placement. The strategy will continue next month as Hyundai is the exclusive automotive sponsor of the Academy Awards® with eight spots planned for the March 7 broadcast.

Jeff Bridges, now in his third year working with Hyundai advertising, will continue to serve as the narrator for the upcoming campaign.

HYUNDAI MOTOR AMERICA

Hyundai Motor America, headquartered in Fountain Valley, Calif., is a subsidiary of Hyundai Motor Co. of Korea. Hyundai vehicles are distributed throughout the United States by Hyundai Motor America and are sold and serviced through almost 800 dealerships nationwide. All Hyundai vehicles sold in the U.S. are covered by the Hyundai Assurance program which now includes the 5-year/60,000-mile fully transferable bumper-to-bumper warranty, Hyundai’s 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty and 5-year complimentary Roadside Assistance in addition to the highly acclaimed vehicle return policy introduced in early 2009. For more details on Hyundai Assurance, please visit www.HyundaiAssurance.com.

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2011 Kia Sportage R Unveiled Ahead of Geneva Debut

This handsome-looking compact crossover is the next generation 2011 Kia Sportage R that will be unveiled to the public for the first time at the upcoming 2010 Geneva Motor Show in the beginning of March.

Penned under the guidance of former Audi designer Peter Schreyer, the new Sportage R carries the new Kia family look as seen on the Soul, Cadenza sedan and Sorento SUV, but it appears to have a more European flavor to it, with extra attention given to details.

The five-door crossover shares its platform with the also new Hyundai Tucson, known as the ix35 in Europe. It is longer and wider than the outgoing Sportage, something that should translate to improved cabin space.

We're still short on details about the engine range, but chances are that the 2011 Sportage will be offered with the same 2.0-liter and 2.4-liter four cylinder engines coupled to six-speed transmissions as the Tuscon in North America, while in Europe, it will most likely get the same 1.7-liter and 2.0 liter diesels, and 1.6-liter and 2.0-liter gasoline units as the iX35.

[Source: Kia]

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