Category: Kia

No comments

KIA FINE TUNING GIVES BIRTH TO BABY ‘GRAND’

  By ,

Why, you might wonder, has Kia added a hero car with limited appeal (manual transmission only) to a cluttered, highly competitive compact car market? The answer is: because it could. The model in question is the Picanto micro and the latest addition to the range, the GT. According to Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Damien Meredith the company was happy with how the Picanto had gone over its three years of on sale Down Under. “With that in mind it seemed like the right time to give an opportunity… Read more

No comments

KIA GRAND CARNIVAL 2006 – 2017

  By ,
2011 Kia Grand Carnival

Kia Grand Carnival first arrived in Australia in January 2006. The ‘Grand’ title is well deserved. It’s not only significantly larger than the older Carnivals (that stayed on sale alongside the Grand for a while), but also more sophisticated internally and in the way it rides and handles. The original Grand Carnival stayed on the market for nine years, perhaps a little too long as many competitors were becoming increasingly more modern than the 2006 Carnival. That all changed in January 2015 as the new model, so good is it… Read more

No comments

NOW KIA CERATO TAPS INTO ‘GT’ TAG

  By ,

In days gone by, GT, as in Grand Touring, was generally reserved for aristocratic automobiles, usually from Europe, or American muscle cars. Then hot hatches got in on the act. These days, GT seems to be bandied about, being given to any ‘below stairs’ vehicle showing spirit. Take the new Cerato GT from Kia, for example. Does it stack up to the top-shelf suffix? The South Korean car maker thinks so, with its best-selling model, the Cerato sedan and hatch, adding a 1.6-litre turbo model and a ride and handling… Read more

No comments

KIA PUTS THE ‘GT’ QUESTION TO PICANTO TEST

  By ,

With automatic transmissions leading the way in car sales to the detriment of manual gearboxes, the thought of a manual-only option for a hatchback would appear questionable. Not to Kia, whose latest micro-model, the Picanto, has just added a hero GT version to its list. “We were warned that trying to launch a micro car into Australia was a fruitless exercise and doomed to failure,” Kia Motors Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith says. “The segment was shrinking fast with only a handful of cars being sold. “Three years on… Read more

No comments

2019 KIA RIO GT-LINE

  By ,

Kia’s fourth-generation Rio first arrived here in January 2017 and received a major upgrade in November 2018. The subject of this week’s road test is the sporting Rio GT-Line. It sits in an interesting position in that it’s not a hot-hatch but rather provides added driving appeal and a bit more power than the standard models. It’s a warm-hatch rather than a hot-hatch, which leaves room for a hotter model at some time in the future. Kia Australia won’t comment on this, but stay tuned and we will bring you… Read more

No comments

KIA RIO 2011 – 2017

  By ,
2012 Kia Rio hatch

Kia Rio is a small South Korean car that has improved significantly in the generations being reviewed here. In fact it’s up with the best in its class from the 2011 third-generation car onwards. This is not only due to constantly improving build quality, but also to the fact that significant handling and suspension changes were made to the Rio following extensive work by Australian and South Korean engineers in this important field. Australians really do enjoy driving and pre-purchase test drives often swing them to Kias against others in… Read more

No comments

KIA PICANTO X-LINE

  By ,

Kia has introduced a Picanto X-Line Australian Open Special Edition as part of its major commitment to the biggest tennis event in Australia. Picanto X-Line is based on the Picanto GT-Line. It has premium seats with red accents, premium steering wheel and shift knob, alloy pedals, electric-folding door mirrors, LED position lamps with DRLs, LED rear lights and projection headlamps X-Line and AO Edition. Interestingly, the X-Line rides a little higher on suspension, raised 15 mm over the standard car. It rides on 16-inch alloy wheels. The AO Edition stands… Read more

No comments

KIA RIO GETS SERIOUS UPGRADES

  By ,

Kia Rio competes in one of the most hard-fought sales segments in Australia so it made sense to give a full-on revamp with major mechanical changes to give it more weapons to fight with. The entry level Rio S is unchanged, with a 1.4-litre petrol engine mated to either a six-speed manual or four-speed automatic. Much bigger news is that the Rio Si and SLi models have been replaced by a new Kia Rio Sport. It has 17-inch alloy wheels and, importantly, a six-speed automatic that replaces the four-speed. It… Read more

No comments

2018 KIA CERATO SEDAN REVIEW

  By ,

Easily Kia’s biggest-seller, the Cerato sits in fourth-place in the ultra-competitive small-medium segment having gradually eroded sales from the perennial big-three of Toyota Corolla, Mazda3 and Hyundai i30. Kia’s seven-year unlimited distance warranty is proving a masterstroke in that it is attracting new buyers who may have had any lingering doubts about the quality and reliability of Korean cars. The third generation, Kia Cerato sedan arrived here in June 2018 with the hatchback due towards the end of the year. The biggest change is styling, with more than a hint… Read more

No comments

OPTIMA GT KEEPS UP THE KIA PACE

  By ,

A fresh face and a new set of ‘shoes’ are Kia’s attempt to keep its Optima mid-size sedan appealing in an ever-changing Australian car market. Pricing has come in for a haircut too. The MY2019 entry-level Si and premium GT pair gain a new grille and front fascia, upper and lower rear panels and re-styled wheels. Inside, the Optima gains the new OEM infotainment head unit (7-inch for the Si and 8-inch for the GT) with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto tie-up. Kia’s Australian engineering team once again has rolled… Read more