Category: Kia

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2017 KIA RIO SI AUTOMATIC

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The designers of the new Kia Rio have done just about everything they could to move it upmarket. Operating in the ultra-tight small-car market the South Korean company realised it had to move away from mainstream to give it an edge. On the whole they have succeeded, but there is one problem that needs to be sorted out asap, more about it later in this report. In the European manner new Kia Rio sits on a 10 mm longer wheelbase to permit a bigger cabin for greater legroom and comfort…. Read more

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KIA SORENTO IS BIG, BOLD AND PRACTICAL

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It’s a bit of a stretch to call Kia the sleeping giant of the Australian automotive industry but for a company with such close links to its high-flying Korean sibling, Hyundai, it has long been something of an under-performer. That’s all changed in the last two years with back-to-back growth in sales of 20.5 per cent in 2015 and 26.5% in 2016 and Kia has now moved into the top ten of overall motor vehicles sales for the first time. This week’s test vehicle, the Sorento is the larger of… Read more

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ALL-NEW KIA RIO

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Kia’s fourth-generation Rio has arrived and it’s significantly better than the already good gen-three model. It features improved ride and handling, safety and has full connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Kia is very much a global player and was styled in the company’s design centres in Germany and California, overseen by the design Namyang, Korea. Naturally the company’s famed design chief, Peter Schreyer, kept a close eye on the work. The design is neat and tidy and already looks to be timeless rather than ground breaking. It has… Read more

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KIA STINGER AIMED DOWNUNDER

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South Korean marque Kia is running red hot at the moment. It’s showing the rest of the world its quality credentials according to JD Power research, sales are soaring in Australia, and new models are coming out almost by the month. Now comes the biggest news of all, especially if you’re a keen driver who’s a bit light on in cash. The new Kia Stinger high-performance hatch has just been confirmed for Australia. Kia Stinger was unveiled at the Detroit Motor Show and is certainly a long way from being… Read more

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KIA SPORTAGE 1996 – 2016

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2002 Kia Sportage

Kia Sportage was a real 4WD when launched here in 1996. Its ladder frame chassis and dual-range 4WD system meant it could carry out genuine off-road operations. Indeed its relatively light weight and smallish size meant it could sometimes squeeze into tight spots where big truck-based 4WDs couldn’t fit. Sportage owners just loved that. From May 2000, the Kia Sportage had basically the same front as the 1996 model, but gained a significantly longer tail to provide a lot more boot space, though the back seats had much the same… Read more

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SEVEN-YEAR WARRANTY HAS KIA SALES BOOMING

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Kia Australia is enjoying a boom period and looks likely to break into the Australian top 10 for the first time in 2016. Ten months into the year Kia sales are up by 26.9 per cent following on from a 20.5 per cent increase in 2015. Kia is also closing the big gap that exists between its sales and those of its Korean sibling Hyundai. In 2014 Kia sales were around 28 per cent of Hyundai’s. That now currently sits at nearly 42 per cent. Earlier this year Kia Australia… Read more

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KIA KOUP 2009 – 2016

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2014 Kia Koup

  The Kia Koup is two-door coupe based on the Cerato four-door sedan. The Kia with the cute name arrived in Australia in September 2009 and sold pretty well straight way. That was mainly because of its styling, though low prices certainly played their part. Despite its sleek styling there a reasonable space inside the Kia Koup. As is the norm in this class, rear headroom is borderline and anyone over about 170 cm is likely to be cramped in the back. Small side windows won’t be appreciated by rear… Read more

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KIA PICANTO IS CUTE AS A BUTTON

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Kia Picanto is a small city car that’s loaded with standard equipment and comes in at a very attractive price of just $14,990. That’s for a five-door car with automatic transmission and is driveaway. This market segment isn’t strong in Australia at present, which is a shame as these small economy cars are really all that many people need. It’s early days yet – the little Kia Picanto has only been on sale here since April – and is now neck and neck with the previously all-conquering Mitsubishi Mirage in… Read more

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2016 KIA SPORTAGE REVIEW

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An all-new Kia Sportage arrived in Australia at the start of 2016. More stylish than previous Sportages, that tended to lean in the direction of SUV rather than trendy wagon, it’s already selling well. And sales are likely to leap now that Kia has secured number one spot in the JD Power Initial Quality Study in the USA. Sportage was ranked top vehicle in the small SUV segment. New Sportage has a longer wheelbase than the outgoing model and is 40 mm longer overall (at 4480 mm), both changes are… Read more

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OPTIMA GT TURBO: GAME-CHANGER FOR KIA

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We recently reported on Kia’s success in the 2016 JD Power Initial Quality Study (IQS), the USA car industry’s benchmark for new-vehicle quality. The South Korean company was number one. While the result will have surprised many it is anything but a surprise to those of us that have been watching the steady rise of the giant Hyundai/Kia group. We’ve just spent a week in the latest version of the Kia Optima, released late last year, and quality is the word that immediately sprung to mind. This isn’t just a… Read more