Korea: Kia releases 2010 Forte, sees minor upgrades

While Kia's new Forte has yet to go on sale in the States, the automaker released the 2010 model-year Forte for the South Korean market today. The main highlight of the changes is the addition of a more powerful 2.0L Theta II 4-cylinder gasoline engine to the lineup. The Forte also receives minor equipment upgrades.

The 2.0L Theta II 4-cylinder gasoline engine is a welcome addition to the Forte lineup in Korea. Producing 156 horsepower and 19.8 kg-m of torque, the new powertrain gives customers a more potent option over the less powerful 1.6L gasoline and diesel counterparts already available with the Forte since launch.

The Forte's interior receives a minor overhaul for 2010 with style and equipment upgrades. Silver metallic interior trimmings (dashboard, door, steering wheel, center fascia) that North American models have enjoyed since launch, are now available for Korean models. The suspension and steering are tweaked to ameliorate the driving and ride dynamics of the car. Additional interior dampening has also been added to reduce road noise. The 2010 Forte also benefits from an available segment-first rear view mirror with backup camera.

The 2010 Kia Forte will go on sale across South Korea in mid-June. Pricing starts at 13.31 million Won for the base 1.6L petrol (with A/T) model, and tops off at 19.45 million Won for the 1.6L diesel. The 2.0L gasoline model is priced from 17.49 million Won to 18.89 million Won.

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Spied: Kia Forte LPI Hybrid

The highly anticipated hybrid-electric variant of the Kia Forte has been spotted out in the wild today. Introduced at the 2009 Seoul International Motor Show, the Forte LPI Hybrid will be Kia's first mass produced hybrid car, and will also be the first car to bear the brand's new, eco-friendly sub-brand Eco-Dynamics.

The Kia Forte LPI Hybrid will be powered by a mild hybrid system incorporating a 114 horsepower 1.6L Gamma 4 and an electric motor generating an additional 20 horsepower. The LPI nomenclature describes the Lithium Polymer battery pack, supplied by LG Chem, that the hybrid will run on. The Forte LPI Hybrid will be the world's first hybrid car to utilize the new battery technology. The hybrid-electric powertrain will be mated to a CVT (continuously-variable) transmission. The Hybrid will achieve an estimated fuel economy of 4.7L/100km.

On the outside, the Forte LPI Hybrid distinguishes itself from its gasoline sibling with a unique front fascia, wheels, and rear fascia. Special LED taillights and a lip spoiler are also visible on the prototype.

The Kia Forte LPI Hybrid will go on sale in South Korea later this summer. There are no reports the Hybrid will reach North American markets.

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Kia Soul tops May sales in box-car segment

Kia Motors announced Thursday that the Soul has topped sales in the American "box car" segment for May. For two consecutive months, the wildly popular Kia has surpassed its primary competitors - Nissan Cube and Scion xB - in sales.

Kia sold 3855 units of the Soul for the month of May, a 19.4 percent increase from April. Toyota, meanwhile, sold 2216 units of the Scion xB and Nissan sold 1745 units of its recently launched Cube. The Kia Soul starts at $13,300 in the American market. An average of 2000 Souls are sold in its home market of South Korea.

[Source: The Chosun Ilbo]

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EXCLUSIVE: First Spyshots of Next-Gen Kia Sportage (SL)

Here are the very first spy shots of the next-generation Kia Sportage, code-named "SL", undergoing testing on South Korean soil. Purported spy shots in the past of the Sportage's successor on the web, such as the ones found here, were debunked as images of the upcoming C200 crossover by Ssangyong. With the shots we bring you today, we can confirm its veracity as through close examination, the prototype bears manufacturing plates from Kia's Hwasung plant. The distinctive taillights and rear window shape also suggest that it is not the upcoming Hyundai Tucson (LM).

From the images, the new Sportage is ostensibly larger in size compared to its predecessor. There are scant details about the upcoming Sportage. Confirmed features include the incorporation of a 6-speed automatic transmission and the addition of the newly introduced R turbodiesel engine, which debuted in the 2010 Sorento and was co-developed between Hyundai and Kia. Also, the 2.7L 6-cylinder powertrain will be canned in favor of a more potent 4-cylinder unit.

According to Kia's future product timeline, the redesigned Sportage will go on sale in February 2010 for the South Korean market. Stay tuned for more information and spy shots.

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Korea: Hyundai unveils refreshed Verna Transform

Hyundai Motor has officially unveiled the Verna Transform for the South Korean market today. Essentially a facelift of the Verna, known around the world as the Accent, the new subcompact receives a batch of exterior and interior upgrades along with fuel economy improvements.

Outside, the Verna Transform receives a myriad of changes including a more aggressive front fascia (redesigned front bumper and headlights), revised front grille, and side mirror repeaters. It also receives a sportier rear fascia with redesigned taillights and a tweaked rear bumper. Inside, the Verna Transform packs a revised center stack, USB/AUX inputs, standard PowerBass subwoofer, Bluetooth connectivity, and blue instrumentation lighting instead of the current green.

Under the hood, all Verna Transform models comes standard with ECO Assist, which helps drivers drive more efficiently and consequently save fuel. All powertrains also receive fuel economy improvements.

The Verna Transform will commence sales across South Korea from today. Pricing has been bumped in minor increments, and ranges from 9.73 million Won for the base 1.4 Trendy model to 13.74 million Won for the diesel-powered 1.5 Premier. We expect that this refresh will carry over to North American markets for the 2010 model year, in time for the Accent's long overdue MMC (minor model change).

[Source: Autodaily.co.kr]

Article updated with revised information and more images.

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REPORT: Kia Soul'ster Concept considered for production

Reports have begun to trickle in from South Korea that Kia's Soul'ster Concept will be heading for production in 2010. Based on the Soul hatchback, the Soul'ster Concept debuted at the 2009 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The rugged open-top has been hinted for production numerous times, including on a blog post at Kia's corporate blog, Kia BUZZ, where the automaker stated that its production depends solely on media and public feedback.

According to Tom Kearns, lead designer of the Soul'ster Concept, building the car would not be a huge investment. Kia's plan to bring the Soul'ster into production became apparent as it recently began the tedious legal procedures of registering the Soul'ster name with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

[Source: TheCarConnection]

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Spied: Kia Cee'd facelift caught for the first time

Thanks to the folks at Ceedonline, we have the very first spy shots of the upcoming facelift of the European Kia Cee'd hatchback.

Scheduled for an official debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September, the ostensible changes on this prototype include restyled projection headlamps, the tiger-tooth Kia corporate grille, and a revised rear fascia featuring restyled LED taillights. Interior and other minor improvements are expected for this refresh. The facelifted Cee'd will go on sale at the end of the year.

Stay tuned for more information. Visit the link below for more images.

[Source: ceedonline.info]

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