Kia sales improved 9 percent last month according to the company’s official sales release. With sales rising to 24.052, the Korean second largest automaker recorded its best February sales ever.

Sales last month were led by new Sorento and Soul crossovers. The US-produced Sorento posted sales of 8.207 units, which represnets an 11 percent increase over January 2010. During the first two months of fiscal year, Kia already sold 15.605 units of new Sorento in the US market.

Monthly sales numbers show us that the 2011 Kia Sorento is one of the hottest crossover vehicles on the market at the moment. In February, the model outsold Toyota RAV-4 to become the second best-selling vehicle in the segment. It topped the Chevrolet Equinox with 8.061 units sold and came very close to the segment-leader, the Ford Edge, with 8.694 units sold.

“In addition to being our best-selling vehicle for the second month in a row, the all-new Sorento also is bringing new, more affluent customers into our showrooms and indicates the growing interest in the Kia brand,” said B.M. Ahn, group president and CEO of KMA and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

“Having recently celebrated the grand opening of Kia’s first U.S.-based manufacturing plant in West Point, Georgia, Sorento’’s strong performance validates the investments Kia has made in the U.S. market as more and more consumers are recognizing our commitment to quality, design, safety and technology.”

February also marks exactly one year since Kia Motors America put its funky Soul crossover on the market. Its sales have leaped from just 34 units in February last year to impressive 3.600 units sold in February 2010.

Other Kia cars that also performed well last month were Forte compact sedan (and two-door Koup) and soon-to-be-replaced Kia Optima sedan with 4.300 and 2.471 units sold, respectively. Kia also sold 1.949 units of Rio and 1.088 units of Sportage SUV. Other models such as Borrego, Sedona and Rondo achieved monthly sales below 1.000 units.

Kia February sales table:

It’s here, the all-new 2011 Kia Sportage crossover, making its world premiere at the 80th Geneva Motor Show!

With a new bodyshell, new engines and fresh, bold styling that introduces a new kind of dynamic aesthetic, the latest Kia Sportage is an urban-friendly crossover for today’s families – consuming less fuel and emitting less CO2.

Longer, wider and lower than the previous model, the all-new design successfully retains the key SUV features which made the second generation Kia Sportage so popular.
Under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, the Kia design teams have created a third-generation Sportage incorporating Kia’s new design DNA and many features from the 2007 Kia Kue concept car.

The 4.4-metre long new Sportage is sleeker and lighter than the previous model, with an aerodynamic drag figure of Cd 0.37 (down from 0.40) and a significant weight loss of 91 kg compared with the previous model – enhancing fuel economy and refinement.

When the full range of new Sportage models is ‘on sale’ in Europe later this year, it will be available (depending on country) with four engines (two petrol and two diesel, covering a 115 ps to 163 ps power spread), 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions and two-wheel or all-wheel drive.

In Europe, fuel-stretching Start/Stop technology will reduce CO2 emissions to as low as 138 g/km.

New Kia Sportage gallery:

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Kia Venga EV concept car made its world premiere at the 2010 Geneva Motor Show.

Kia Venga EV concept car is a full-time electric vehicle based on a B-segment Venga mini-MPV, which has been on sale across Europe since January this year. By its looks, the Venga EV concept does not differ from production vehicle. The model features identical exterior and interior design lay-out.

What sets the Venga EV concept vehicle from a production model is placed under the hood and that is an electric motor, which generates 80 kW of raw power and 280Nm of maximum torque. The front wheel-drive concept car also features a twin-pack 24kWh Lithium Ion Polymer battery pack placed under the boot floor, which enables the vehicle to drive 112 miles on a single charge!

Under the quick recharging cycle (50 kW) the battery can be recharged to 80 percent of its capacity within 20 minutes. Under the normal cycle (3.3 kW), 100 percent power is attained after eight hours.

The latest concept car from Kia is not a sports car, but it provides decent performance. According to Kia, the Venga EV is capable of accelerating from standstill to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds, and can reach a top speed of 87 miles per hour.

Kia says that Venga EV concept car represents brand’s continuing commitment to earth-friendly research and development and marks an additional dimension in the company’s development of eco-friendly vehicles.

Kia Venga EV concept car gallery:

Earlier this week, Kia released a few designer sketches previewing the up-coming Magentis / Optima replacement. To spice things up a little bit, we are adding a few real-life spy shots of a slightly camouflaged, near production Optima sedan to the set of official Kia sketches.

The long-anticipated sporty mid-size sedan, which looks absolutely stunning so far, will make its official global debut at the New York Auto Show on April 2nd, according to Kia.

Codenamed TF, the 2011 Optima sedan will first go on sale in South Korea in May, with a choice of two four-cylinder engines: the 2.0L CVVT and 2.4L with Gasoline Direct Injection technology and estimated 200 horsepower.

When the model goes on sale in the U.S. and other international markets, you can also expect to see a turbo engine, as well as hybrid powertrain to join the engine line-up.

We know that next-generation Kia Magentis will share its powertrain technology with Hyundai’s just recently launched Sonata mid-size sedan and that is expected to get a turbo four-cylinder engine soon.

There are rumors that Hyundai will unveil both, turbo engine powered Sonata and Sonata hybrid at the 2011 North American International Auto Show, but we predict that this could also happen earlier, at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show.

Over the past couple of years, Hyundai used L.A. Auto Show to unveil many of its latest production and concept cars. Two years ago, the automaker revealed its hybrid car architecture developed to fit mid-size cars such as Sonata and Optima sedans, while this year they launched a brand-new Tucson crossover and Sonata at the event.

We are really looking forward to finally get a more performance oriented Kia sedan with a turbo engine and a few more ponies under the hood. There’s still some mystery around the up-coming turbo engine, but have learned that the unit will generate around 240+ horsepower.

Our excitement regarding Optima’s engine line-up does not end here. The all-new hybrid powertrain architecture sounds tempting as well. A combination of a four-cylinder engine, cvt transmission and electric motor should provide even better fuel economy ratings than the existing four-cylinder 2.4L already achieves.

With 24 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway, the 2.4L four-cyl. powered Sonata beats just about every rival in the segment and you can expect those numbers to be repeated with the all-new Optima mid-size sedan.

This is what we know about the 2011 Kia Optima / Magentis at this point. With the official premiere approaching fast, you can expect to see more images and read more information about this stunning Kia sedan at our Kia blog, so stay tuned (Thanks for sending us the pics, Lee)

Kia Magentis / Optima spy shots:

Kia releases teaser images of its next generation Optima / Magentis midsize sedan, which is set to debut at the New York Auto Show.

Kia Motors Company released four teaser images of the next generation Kia Optima (called Magentis in Europe) mid-size sedan just a few weeks before its official worldwide premiere scheduled for New York Auto Show.

A fresh design from the ground up, Kia’s latest generation of its popular mid-size sedan is completely transformed and boasts a bold, athletic and sporty exterior lay-out penned by Peter Schreyer and his colleagues at Kia’s design headquarters.

The new model has grown in size. It is longer, lower and wider compared to the previous generation Optima sedan and now features a significantly longer wheelbase and more space for both people and luggage.

According to Kia, the next generation Optima sedan is scheduled to hit the US showroom floor in Fall 2010, while sales in European markets will commence at the beginning of 2011.

Next generation Kia Optima / Magentis images:

Kia unveiled Ray plug-in hybrid concept car at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.

Kia Motors has unveiled its “Ray” plug-in Hybrid concept at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, to highlight its innovative fuel-stretching and emissions-cutting technologies.

Following the Kia Borrego Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV), the Forte LPI Hybrid, the petrol cee’d Hybrid and the twin-turbo diesel Sorento Hybrid the “Ray” concept is a bold new collaboration between design and engineering and inventively showcases a futuristic four-seat compact saloon based on the Kia Forte platform.

Designed with lightweight and recycled materials, as well as hexagonal solar cells embedded in the glass roof panel to power extra lighting or climate control systems, the Kia “Ray” boasts a range of up to 746 miles.

“It is important to imagine early in the design process what people will want in the future from a green perspective. People want to reduce their carbon footprint without driving carbon copies,” said Peter Schreyer, Chief Design Officer for the Kia Motors Corporation.

“Being green doesn’t have to be an obvious statement anymore and the Kia “Ray” exemplifies a viable blend of modern, eco-minded features for today’s environmentally conscious consumers,” he added.

The stylish, aerodynamic “Ray” combines design and engineering for maximum efficiency, incorporating clean, flush surfaces minimising unnecessary edges giving a flowing profile and a pronounced rear shoulder ending in a slightly higher deck for reduced drag.

The “Ray” also features touch-screen controls, drive-by-wire steering, “cool-glazing” solar glass and a lithium-polymer battery - all possible indicators of future technology from Kia. As a plug-in hybrid, “Ray” is designed to cover driving distances of more than 50 miles using just its electric motor on a single charge, and has a fuel economy rating of more than 202 miles per gallon for a total range of 746 miles.

You should definitely continue your read after the jump to find even more details about Kia Ray PHEV concept car - after the jump!

Kia Ray concept car gallery:

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Second teaser image previews front fascia design of Kia Ray hybrid concept car.

Kia has just released the second teaser image of its latest Ray concept vehicle. The Ray concept is a plug-in hybrid car that is set to be unveiled at the Chichago Auto Show next week. The teaser photo reveals a futuristic design of concept car’s front fascia, which features extended LED headlights and fog lamps integrated into the front bumper.

Official Kia press release:

KIA LOOKS TO THE PLUG-IN FUTURE WITH “RAY” CONCEPT AT CHICAGO SHOW

As Governments and motorists keep up the interest levels in an electric-car future Kia Motors Corporation has revealed the first preview rendering of its latest concept car - called Ray - which will make its global debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show next month.

Styled by the team at Kia Design Centre America, the Kia Ray project was undertaken to demonstrate how Kia’s evolving design direction would be applied in the packaging of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The actual car will form the centre-piece of the Kia Motors America display at Chicago and the vehicle will contribute to Kia’s on-going development of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Already Kia has pioneered potentially real-life fuel cell vehicles and has working prototypes operating in California and Korea. Additionally Kia has various hybrid-engined vehicles providing real-world data in various locations and plans to commercialise Liquefied Petroleum Gas hybrid vehicles in Korea within the next 12 months.

Currently no date has been set for hybrid Kia models to be put on sale in the UK but on-road testing of petrol and diesel hybrid vehicles is due to start in Britain this year.

The Kia Motors press conference for the 2010 Chicago Auto Show will be staged at 1:30 p.m. on February 11, 2010.

Auto Show Update: Here’s yet another set of Kia teaser shots. This time, we can show you four high-quality Kia Optima teaser images.

Kia Ray concept image:

Kia Motors America reports January 2010 sales. The 2011 Sorento crossover sales rev up! 

Kia Motors America announced its overall sales for the past month totaled 22.123 units. This represents a 0.1 percent increase over January of last year.

Kia’s January sales were lead by new Sorento crossover, which has just recently been put on sale. It hit the Kia dealerships on January 4th and already in its first full sales month achieved its best-ever sales result in the US market. With sales of 7.398 units, the Sorento was also the automaker’s best-selling vehicle in January.

“The all-new Sorento’s tremendous early performance is a clear indication that its combination of modern design, state-of-the-art technology and available resonates with US consumers,” told B.M. Ahn, president and CEO of Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia.

Forte sedan (together with Forte Koup) also performed pretty good last month. In January, Kia dealers sold 3.732 units, which was enough to take the second spot among the top five best-selling Kia vehicles in the US. The Forte was closely followed by Optima sedan, Rio sub-compact car and Soul crossover with 3.162, 2.398 and 2.145 units sold, respectively.

New Sorento may be blowing up, but Sportage sales went down 81 percent last month. Sportage is an ageing model, still a great value, but it hardly competes with numerous hot-looking crossover vehicles from other automakers. Sales are not expected to improve until the next-generation model hits the dealers later in the year.You can see some new Sportage images at our previous post.

Other models that did even worse were Rondo and Sedona with 356 and 928 units respectively, while sales of discontinued Spectra and Amanti plummeted to zero.

Kia sales - January 2010:

New Kia Sportage makes its official debut ahead of Geneva Auto Show. 

Kia today revealed its long-anticipated next-generation Sportage crossover. The company released a series of images previewing the production-ready Sportage crossover fully undisguised.

As evident from the pictures, the all-new Kia Sportage crossover marks a dramatic shift in design direction for the brand’s popular compact SUV. Like all new Kia vehicles so far, the new Sportage received a distinctive family face with “Schreyer” grille and Sorento-inspired daytime running lights. The combination of high beltline and narrow glasshouse makes it look fantastic, while its plastic body cladding boasts an off-roading appearance.

The new model looks eye-pleasing, but Kia claims that Sportage also offers vastly improved ride quality thanks to a brand-new platform with longer wheelbase. In terms of size, the model is longer, lower and wider than its predecessor and offers more passenger room. The boot space has also increased significantly, according to Kia.

The hot-looking 2011 Sportage crossover is set to hit the Kia dealerships within a few months with a wide range of highly competitive gasoline and diesel engines. Since the model shares its underpinnings with Hyundai’s Tucson crossover, it is expected that both crossovers will share their engines, as well as transmissions.

Kia has yet to release more details, but you can expect to see a 2.0L and 2.4L four-cylinder gasoline engines fitted under the hood of North American Sportage. In Europe, Kia Sportage is expected to get a 1.6L GDI gasoline four-cylinder and a choice of 1.7L and 2.0L four-cylinder diesel engines.

As speculated before, Kia has now confirmed that the world-wide premiere of its brand-new Sportage crossover will take place at the forth-coming Geneva International Auto Show, which opens its doors on March 2nd. If you plan to visit the event, make sure not to miss the Kia stand in the hall 6!

New Kia Sportage image gallery:

Euro- and US-spec Kia Sportage images:

First interior design details of the all-new 2011 Kia Optima interior surface to the web!

Guys, this past week was all about Kia Motors! First, we have seen exclusive photos of the 2011 Kia Sportage, which has been revealed in its full production form through a series of leaked images, and then, just a few days later, we have been told that Kia will unveil a brand-new concept car, called Kia Ray at the forth-coming auto show in Chicago.

And the “Kia week” is not over just yet as we have another surpising revealing for all of you, Kia fans. This time, we are bringing you some interesting spy shots of the new 2011 Kia Optima sedan.

Apparently, the fellows from ClubTF.com, a Korean Kia fan website dedicated to the upcoming Kia Optima replacement, had gotten their hands on a few exclusive shots that give us the very-first sneak peak preview at the all-new Optima sedan.

Codenamed TF, the 2011 Kia Optima is scheduled to reach the South Korean Kia showrooms in the second half of the 2010, with a choice of three four-cylinder gasoline engines and one diesel engine, coupled to either a six-speed manual or automatic gearbox.

The Korean-market Optima sedan will be named “K5″ and will be Kia’s second vehicle in Korean market to bear the automaker’s new alphanumeric nomenclature system.

Like all latest Kia models, the all-new Optima has also been penned under the guiding hand of Peter Schreyer, so you can expect to see a nicely executed exterior design lay-out with sporty and sleek lines applied to the car’s body. [Photo-source: ClubTF.com]

UPDATE: New image added to the Optima gallery!

New Kia Optima interior spy shots gallery:

Kia Ray plug-in hybrid concept set to be displayed at the 2010 Chicago auto show!

By releasing a teaser image to the world-wide-web sphere, Kia Motors America revealed it is going to unveil a brand-new concept car at the forth-coming 2010 Chicago auto show next month.

The Ray concept car was designed at Kia’s state-of-the-art Design Center in America and clearly demonstrates the next step in Kia’s fast progressing design evolution. Not much is known about the vehicle at this point, but is said that this oncept car also previews the automaker’s highly advanced and eco-friendly drivetrain technology.

According to Kia, the Ray concept car sits upon a plug-in hybrid drive platform and showcases the direction Kia is considering for its future plug-in hybrid vehicle.

To find more information about the concept, we will have to wait until the opening day of this year’s Chicago auto show, which kicks off on February 10th.

Kia Ray concept car gallery:

Images of the next-generation 2011 Kia Sportage leak to the web!

About.com names the 2010 Kia Forte sedan to “Best New Cars of 2010″ list.

Recently named “Car of the Year” for 2010 by NADAguides.com, the 2010 Kia Forte sedan has now been named to the “Best New Cars of 2010″ list by popular online resource About.com.

The 2010 Kia Forte was one of 12 vehicles selected by About.com for its attractive combination of high quality, extensive standard safety features and overall value.

Taking all new and redesigned vehicles for 2010 into consideration, About.com reviewed and selected the top 12 vehicles they felt best offered consumers an exceptional combination of value, style, quality, safety features and amenities.

“In today’s economy consumers are looking for an attractive, well-equipped vehicle at a great price point, and the stylish Forte sedan offers exactly that and more,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of Kia Motors America (KMA).

“Recognition from a widely referenced consumer site like About.com brings more attention and credibility to the progress of the Kia brand and consumers can expect to see more of our new signature design direction in the near future as we continue the largest product rollout in company history.”

Available in LX, EX and SX trims, pricing for the Forte sedan starts at $13.695 for the LX trim, while the EX begins at $15.995 and the SX starts at $17.495.  In addition to competitive pricing, Forte comes well-stocked with a long list of standard amenities, starting with a standard AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service.

Also standard on all models is an auxiliary audio input jack and USB port for connecting personal MP3 players as well as Bluetooth wireless technology and connectivity with steering wheel-mounted controls, which enables hands-free operation for all compatible mobile phones.

In addition to offering affordability and standard amenities, Forte also showcases a class-leading combination of standard safety features with active front headrests, advanced two-stage airbags, front seat-mounted and side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with an antilock brake system (ABS), brake assist (BAS), electronic brake-force distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), a traction control system (TCS) and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).

Kia unveiled the Shadow Dragon Soul Special Edition at the 2010 North American International Auto Show.

Kia has released another Soul special edition model. The Shadow Dragon Soul is the third of four special-edition Soul cars destined to hit the market, according to Kia Motors America. It features an attractive exterior appearance package that looks pretty close to the Soul Burner concept car, which made its official debut at Geneva auto show two years ago.

The third Special Edition model is coated in unique, deep shadow black exterior finish and features matte black dragon graphics on the hood and tail-gate. The hot-looking exterior is spiced-up with attractive body-colored wing-type spoiler, high-gloss black accents on the bumpers and 18-inch alloy-wheels with machined accents.

The interior of the Shadow Dragon Soul provides a little more exclusivity than both previous Special Edition (Soul Denim and Ignition Soul) models. It features leather-wrapped seats – the first leather seating available on any Soul model – with integrated seat warmers for additional comfort.

The equipments of latest special edition model also include Audio Upgrade Package with subwoofer, dash-mounted center speaker, external amplifier and pulsing front-speaker lights. Steering-wheel controls, iPod cable, sun-roof and carpeted floor mats and fog lights are also a part of standard package.

Equipped with five-speed manual gearbox, Kia Shadow Dragon Soul Special Edition model starts at $18,195 (add the $695 destination charge).

Look for these cars to begin arriving at Kia dealers by the end of this month, but don’t expect them to last long because only a limited number of vehicles will be built!

Kia Shadow Dragon Soul gallery: 

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FAMA Magazine names Kia Soul the “Small car of the year”…

Adding even more recognition to its growing list of accolades, the 2010 Kia Soul was named “Small Car of the Year” by FAMA Magazine during an award presentation at the 2010 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit.

Also named one of “10 Great and Safe Rides for Teens” by AutoWeek magazine, one of the “Most Exciting Cars of 2010″ by TIME.com, given two “Top Safety Picks” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) and named to the “Top 10 Back-to-School Cars” list by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, Soul was selected by FAMA for its extensive list of safety features, dynamic styling, impressive interior room and value.  

“Soul offers today’s consumer a practical and attractive option with a more than impressive package of vibrant styling, extensive safety features and standard amenities,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of Kia Motors America (KMA).  “In today’s economy we feel it’s important that buyer’s don’t have to sacrifice these necessities for overall value, and Soul delivers.”

Editors from FAMA selected the top vehicles across six categories, including Editor’s Choice Award, Green Car/Hybrid of the Year, Best Luxury Sport Utility, Sport Car of the Year, Small Car of the Year and Car of the Year for Women.  Each vehicle considered possessed a long list of safety features, impressive styling, interior space and value.

Available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, Kia Motors’ affordable halo vehicle offers an attractive starting price below $14,000(1).  Four special edition Souls, based on the Soul+ trim, also are being released throughout the year, including Denim Soul, Ignition Soul and most recently Shadow Dragon Soul.  Offering consumers even more ways to customize the Soul, each special edition comes with its own unique exterior color and packaging.

In addition to presenting an immense amount of style and value, Soul also offers an extensive list of standard safety features, including front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags, an Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS).  Front and rear crumple zones, side-impact door beams, an impact-absorbing steering column and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system also come standard.