2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift Spied in Australia

Our Aussie friends at Car Advice have posted the latest spy shots of the upcoming Hyundai Genesis Coupe facelift today. A left-hand drive version (LHD) of the rear-wheel drive coupe was spotted testing in Victoria's mountain region. Though again, we don't see anything new with these pictures, the car's location poses a long-unanswered question of its possible arrival in the Australian market.

An editor of Car Advice contacted Hyundai’s Senior Manager, PR and Events, Ben Hershman, asking what the Genesis Coupe was doing in Australia. Hershman responded, “Hyundai Motor Company utilises Australia as a hot test region for global model development. This has been happening for a number of years.”

Car Advice, however, notes that it has been anything but hot in the Victoria region and raised the possibility of the company testing the waters for the coupe in the Australian market. Who knows?



[Source: Car Advice]

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Kia Shelves Plans to Enter Indian Market

At a time when a number of global car makers are searching for ways to enter the rapidly growing Indian market, Kia Motors has shelved its plans to start operations in India.

According to a statement given by a senior official of the company, the company will continue to concentrate on developed markets like Europe, US and China where it has local production facilities.

"Our hands are full right now. Currently we are not looking at India but concentrating on other overseas markets where we aim to produce over 1 million cars this year. We will, however, continue to monitor the Indian market as it holds sizeable potential and may be on our future radar," said company spokesman Michael J Choo.

Kia had been vying for the Indian market for the past decade, particularly after the success of Hyundai Motor which is now the second largest car company in the country in terms of unit sales. Kia had earlier roped in consultancy company Synovate to conduct a feasibility study for the Indian market. However, despite a positive report due to a line-up mainly consisting of small cars that would appeal to Indian buyers, Kia has decided not to enter the local market.

[Source: The Economic Times]

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New Spy Shots of the 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift

Here are the latest spy shots of the upcoming 2012 Hyundai Genesis Coupe facelift, snapped during the car's cold-weather testing stages in Germany. Not much to see here, but still worth a look we'd say. Follow the jump to view the rest of the shots! Also, check out our original post on the Genesis Coupe facelift in the link below.

EXCLUSIVE! Hyundai Genesis Coupe Facelift Spied for the First Time!





[Source: The Korean Car Blog]

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2011 Kia Sportage SX with GDI Turbo Makes U.S. Debut, Pricing Announced

Kia Motors America announced the launch of the 2011 Sportage SX today. The SX models come with a more powerful four-cylinder turbo engine with direct injection, as well as exterior and interior styling enhancements. The Sportage SX arrives in showrooms later this month with a base price of $25,795 for the front-wheel drive (FWD) model and $27,295 for the all-wheel drive (AWD) model, both excluding a $695 destination charge.

This is Kia’s second vehicle in the U.S to feature the Theta II 2.0-liter Turbo GDI engine, following the 2011 Optima Turbo. The unit produces 256 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of peak torque, while delivering an estimated 22 mpg in city driving and 27 mpg on the highway.

On the outside, SX models receive unique 18" alloy wheels, a signature SX grille, dual exhaust, and special side sill moldings. Exterior updates are complemented by SX-specific interior enhancements, including standard aluminum door sills and a sleek new supervision gauge cluster.

In addition, the Sportage SX employs sport-tuned suspension featuring firmer shock and strut rates for improved handling and dynamic performance over non-SX models.

Available exclusively on the Sportage SX are the Orange and Blue interior color packages. The Orange Color Package includes orange stitching on the steering wheel, center console, and seats coupled with orange accents on the door panels and air vents. A unique blue patterned cloth seat and blue interior accents are included as part of the Blue Color Package.

Sportage LX and EX trims come standard with a 176 horsepower 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT).



[Source: Kia Motors America]

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2012 Kia Cadenza Spotted on U.S. Soil!

A reader of Carscoop recently spotted an undisguised example of the Kia Cadenza (K7) on U.S. soil and kindly took a quick snapshot of the prototype. "Saw this Kia Cadenza with Michigan plates going 55 North in Orange County, California," the reader told the website.

Already on sale in South Korea as the K7 and various Middle Eastern markets, the Cadenza will fill the void in Kia's line-up left by the Amanti it will replace when it goes on sale next year. A Kia Canada executive confirmed to us at the 2011 Canadian International Auto Show that the Cadenza will hit North American showrooms in "early 2012." We're left to wonder why Kia is delaying its release and we can only hope it's for good reasons.

[Source: Carscoop]

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Kinetic and Kia Excited About Kia 200 at Homestead Miami Speedway

BUFORD, March 2, 2011: Coming off a podium finish in the 2011 GRAND-AM Continental Tires Sports Car Challenge season’s inaugural race at Daytona International Speedway, Kinetic Motorsports and Kia Motors America are looking forward to the second race of the season at Homestead Miami Speedway on Saturday, March 5, 2011. The “Kia 200” is a two-and-one-half hour race, and will feature Kinetic Motorsports’ two Kia Forte Koups in the ST class, including the # 10 entry with drivers Nic Jönsson and Michael Galati, and the # 12 entry with drivers Adam Burrows and Trevor Hopwood.

For the full press release, CLICK HERE.

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2011 Kia Optima Earns Five-Star Rating from NHTSA

The 2011 Kia Optima has already made a splash in the midsize sedan market with its far-from-bland looks. It turns out that Kia’s midsizer has some substance to its style: it was already rated a top safety pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and has now received a five-star overall crash rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The Optima earned a five star rating in each of NHTSA’s frontal impact, side impact, and rollover tests – the highest possible score from the government agency. This marks the first time a Korean-built car has received the top rating under NHTSA’s more stringent testing methods that went into effect for the 2011 model year. Joining the 2011 Honda Accord and 2011 Mazda 6, the Optima now sits at the top its class in terms of safety.

Click here for the official press release.

[Source: NHTSA/Kia]

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