That's a Kia? Really?

Due for a formal unveiling at the New York Auto Show, Kia has released a few design sketches for their 2011 Optima. The Optima is Kia’s flagship sedan, and there are significant changes expected for the new model, including a longer wheelbase, wider track and lower stance.

No longer content to be the butt of jokes about disposable cars, Kia unveiled the radical “Ray” concept at this week’s Chicago Auto Show. Designed as a “plug-in hybrid”, the Ray combines the green appeal of an electric car with the go-anywhere practicality of a gasoline hybrid. For trips of fifty miles or less, the Ray can rely solely on battery power. For longer trips, or in situations where both battery and gasoline power is required, the Ray’s 1.4 liter, 153 horsepower Gasoline Direct Injection motor takes over. The car’s low drag shape, coupled with low rolling resistance tires and hybrid power, help to create a fuel economy rating that tops 200 miles per gallon in electric mode and approaches 78 miles per gallon in hybrid mode.

Kia has just introduced their own “infotainment” system to rival Ford’s SYNC.  The Kia UVO (Your Voice) will be extremely similar to the SYNC system as they both run off of Windows software and share many of the same high-tech features, some of which include the voice commands and ipod compatability. The big difference? UVO uses Microsoft’s latest and greatest software available, which can decifer intricate speech patterns and words that, which with previous versions such as SYNC, proved to be an annoyance.  No more screaming at a voice recognition system that only gets more confused we scream louder. However UVO was not only developed for its convenience but also for its safety aspect. Drivers will have the ability to answer phone calls verbally through UVO, allowing them to keep their eyes on the road instead of being distracted by searching for their phone.

Although usually we’d question the wisdom of any Kia product cited for its exemplary performance anywhere outside a demolition derby, we’re inclined to agree with the NADA guides’ decision to crown the 2010 Kia Forte Koup the “Best of the 2009 Orange County Auto Show.” Like the NADA guides’, we’re able to overlook Kia’s track record for incredibly uninspiring engineering and evaluate the Forte on a purely objective level, and we’re impressed. As its clever ad campaign proclaims, while Kia may not be making headlines for its in-house technology, they have apparently mastered the art of manipulation.

To give you an idea of exactly how enthusiastic you should be about Kia’s newest reveal, the first thought that sprung to our minds upon seeing it was “Hey, switch the vowel and throw in a consonant and you could spell ‘Credenza’.” Then we started to think about the old retired school desk we’re currently using as our workspace and how we might benefit from an upgrade, and then we thought about scouring Craigslist to see if we could find something better. Our thoughts then wandered down a slightly dark path regarding the quality of humans that tend to lurk Craigslist, and we eventually got up to make another pot of coffee and briefly peruse the furniture classifieds.

What we did not do was remember how this sudden interest in home furnishings arose, for that is how uninspiring we find the Cadenza. Granted, it’s still less offensive than similar vehicles in its class but its only really attractive feature is its rump, which means the 2011 Cadenza can only be appreciated when its driving away from you. The inherent symbolism there is obvious.

Despite our underwhelming initial review, however, given Kia’s impressive display with the Forte we’re actually intrigued to see what kind of presence the Cadenza will bring to the market. Like the Genesis from fellow Korean automaker, Hyundai, the 2011 Cadenza is intended to compete directly with the likes of the BMW 5-Series and other Tier 1 manufacturers all with a MSRP not expected to exceed a cool $30k. Engine options have not yet been confirmed, but rather disappointing rumors hint at the strong possibility of a 4-cylinder. We’ll keep you posted as more updates surface.

Ideally, this is not how we’d kick off a Thursday morning – or any morning for that matter – but whaddya gonna do? We kneel helplessly at the feet of the auto makers we cover, and if they want to unveil boring, lifeless products, we’re obligated to write about them. So, here it is folks, the 2011 Kia Sorento. Try not to piss yourselves with excitement.

If you feel the 2011 Sorento looks awfully similar to the current gen then don’t worry, although mixing those pills might have been ill-advised, you’re not hallucinating. Aside from the few extra inches padding its measurements (new dimensions: 184.4″ x 74.2″), very little has visibly changed for the 2011 model year. Beneath the hood, the 2011 Sorento receives a new 172-horsepower 2.4L 4-cylinder option in addition to the currently available 273-horsepower 3.5L V6, both of which Kia claims are more powerful than the comparable Ford Escape and Honda CR-V3.

News that Kia has entered the hybrid segment is unremarkable considering the tardiness of the South Korean automaker in inserting themselves into that discussion. That is until you consider other factors that have accompanied this announcement. Most significant are the broad improvements that have taken place at the company, particularly with the release of the new Forte. The success of this car is a demonstration that production quality and style are now at least on par with compacts from Honda and Toyota, and at a reduced price. Similarly, the release of new Kia hybrids is perhaps the strongest signal yet that the premium price that has typically been attached to owning a hybrid, (the main obstacle for many potential buyers), is on the verge of being eliminated.

Wait, what? It’s true: Hyundai/Kia have, by one measure at least, surpassed Ford to become the world’s 4th largest automaker, moving 2,153,000 units through the first half of this year, beating Ford by about 8,000 vehicles sold. Of course, this data does separate Nissan and Renault from each other despite their alliance, so the overall 4th place ranking is somewhat subjective. But it is undeniable that they shifted more cars than Ford during the time period – not bad for a manufacturer who not so long ago was foisting atrocious Excels onto shoulda-known-better customers. Anyhow, we applaud Hyundai/Kia for getting their act together so quickly, and for all you doubters, the proof is in the Genesis-pudding. Press release after the jump.

Scion tC: One Of 25 Winners

A study by automotive consulting company AutoPacific turns out some interesting results about TRUE customer satisfaction. It is one thing to say that a new car performs satisfactorily for your own use, but according to the results of this survey, a vehicle has to perform in all sorts of other ways for a customer to feel comfortable recommending the car to their friends.

It makes sense. If you are going to recommend a car to a friend, you’d better REALLY like it. There aren’t many ways that would be more effective in turning a friendship sour than someone close to you resenting your automotive input into their new car. The top vote-getters in 25 categories are listed below.

2009 Kia Sportage

It’s clear that based on the current and future lineup of vehicles from Kia, the Korean automaker is not too concerned about the perception that they are essentially copying the homework of their Japanese competitors. The Forte is a dead ringer for the Honda Civic, and the Sportage could be a first cousin of the CR-V, and to a lesser extent, the RAV-4.  Of course the imitating of economy/utility vehicles is not a major offense if you end up surpassing the original.  But while you can be assured that the 2009 Kia Sportage is an inexpensive alternative to the competition, is it also a better vehicle?