Category: Kia

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NEW KIA EV9 IS BIG, BOLD AND BATTERY-POWERED

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  Kia’s commitment to electric vehicles has taken a major step forward with the arrival of its new fully-electric flagship EV9, a large and luxurious three-row SUV. The biggest and most expensive Kia model to date, the EV9 range will comprise three variants: Air, Earth and GT-Line with the Air and GT-Line on sale now and the Earth trim to follow early in the new year. Will the EV9 cost you the earth? Maybe not, but when it gets here the mid-range Earth will cost you $106,500, sitting between the… Read more

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KIA SPORTAGE SX+ 1.6-LITRE TURBO PETROL AWD

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Our old friend the Kia Sportage needs little introduction. It’s one of the best-selling SUVs in the country and we’ve owned a couple over the years, including the first one. Now in its fifth generation the current model was released in 2021 and is a much larger vehicle than its predecessors. With seating for five, it’s 17.5cm longer and has an 85mm longer wheelbase than the previous model, and that translates to a more interior space, together with more rear legroom. Long story short, you get more car for your… Read more

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PRICE AN ELECTRIC SHOCK FROM KIA

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Not before time, it’s a chance to dip a toe into the expanding pool of Kia electric vehicles with a stint in the Niro compact sports utility, albeit the top-of-the-range GT- Line. And there looms the first obstacle: where the EV models open their account at $44,380, plus on-road costs, for the petrol / electric hybrid Niro HEV S, the full electric GT-Line sets back the buyer $72,100. That’s a big pile of dosh to step over. And what do you receive in return? The second-generation Niro has landed with… Read more

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KIA SOUL 2009 – 2020

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  Two very different buyers are likely to be attracted to the Kia Soul as a used car.    If you’re young and trendy you might like to get one in a bright colour with added  customisation.    If you’re a member of the sex-drugs-and-rock n’ roll generation but now have a ‘7’ in  front of your age you might like to get a Soul in a bright colour with some added  customisation!    Yep! Two different groups both looking for the same thing. Love it!   Kia Soul has… Read more

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KIA TO FRESHEN UP ITS CUTE PICANTO HATCH

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Kia has provided details of a refreshed version of its Picanto compact hatchback with styling changes, safety improvements and advanced technology. Although Picanto had been on sale overseas since 2003 it took until the release of its third-generation model in 2017 for it to go on sale here. Despite early concerns that it could be too small for Australian buyer preferences it has proved to be a very popular addition to the booming Kia fleet with a clear sales focus on younger drivers. The MY2024 Picanto is a second upgrade… Read more

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KIA SELTOS SPORT+

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Kia now offers four SUVs of which Seltos (oddly they all start with the letter S) is the second smallest. At one stage we were contemplating the purchase of a Seltos as a replacement for our ageing Sportage which has finally run out of warranty. The big attraction was its size and price because along with its growth in size and prestige, Sportage has piled on the dollars. Though it’s a smaller car, Seltos offers plenty of utility for two people and these days the petrol engine gets better fuel… Read more

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KIA CERATO 2013 – 2021

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  Kia Cerato is a small-medium South Korean car that’s becoming ever more popular in  Australia.    This has been partly due to the stunningly long seven-year warranty, but the car itself  has been significantly improved since the first models arrived here in 2004.   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.   Originally, Cerato was rather plain it is shape but the third generation, launched… Read more

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KIA OPTIMA 2011 – 2020

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Kia Optima is a long-time player in Australia having been introduced here in 2001. In this Used Car Checkout review we are looking at the third generation that was launched Downunder in January 2011. Kia Australia had been working on Australian suspension tuning for quite a few years and Optima handle handles pretty well for what it is, a family sedan. Kia’s Optima is a medium-large four-door sedan with room for four adults, usually with little need to compromise on legroom. The fourth generation of November 2015 was larger and… Read more

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KIA EV6 GT AWD DUAL MOTOR

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Kia’s EV6 GT is World Performance Car of the Year, who can argue with that? To be eligible a car must be produced in volumes of at least 1000 units/year, must be overtly performance-focused in overall character and must be “on-sale” in at least two major markets during the qualifying period. And with two electric motors and a seriously impressive 430kW of power and 740Nm of torque, not to mention a 0-100-km/h time of just 3.5 seconds, EV6 GT certainly meets the requirements. STYLING The GT sits 5mm lower, with… Read more

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KIA STONIC IS OFTEN OVERLOOKED

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Based on the same platform as the Rio hatch, Stonic is the smallest of Kia’s SUVs. Designed by the maestro Peter Schreyer, the name is a combination of the words “stylish” and “iconic”. In Australia Stonic is available with 1.4-litre four cylinder or turbocharged 1.0-litre three- cylinder petrol engines, the latter confined to the top of the range GT-Line. Top seller in this section of the market is the Mazda CX-3, followed by the Toyota Yaris Cross, with the Hyundai venue in third place. Nipping at their heels is the… Read more