Longer, lower and lighter than its five-door sister car, the new Kia pro_cee’d – to be debuted at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September - brings yet more style and more sportiness to the C-segment in Europe.
“The new Kia pro_cee’d offers consumers sensationally stylish looks with a truly sporty feel to the driving experience, while also retaining most of the practicality and versatility of the popular cee’d five-door hatchback,” enthuses Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. “With performance, ride and handling that is even more responsive, the pro_cee’d will attract European consumers who find three-door cars particularly appealing.”
The 4250 mm long pro_cee’d delivers class-leading passenger and luggage space. The cee’d family wheelbase (2650 mm) is retained, so despite its lowered, sporty appearance, pro_cee’d provides generous legroom front and rear, and luggage capacity with the rear seats upright matches the five-door model. The 19-model line-up of three-door hatchbacks is scheduled to go on sale early next year.
“With the pro_cee’d we have communicated sportiness mostly through the car’s exterior design,” explains Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Kia Motors Europe. “At the front, we have extended the nose by 10 mm and introduced a shallower grille, new-style headlamps, a wider, lower bumper with a prominent lip spoiler, a deeper central air intake and larger fog lights set in elliptical depressions.
“It is the side profile that makes pro_cee’d truly distinctive. The windscreen is much shallower and the vehicle height is reduced by 30 mm. The doors, which are 276 mm longer than the front doors of the five-door cee’d model, have a unique design with a more prominent swage line that highlights the sporty character of this model and a beltline that rises much more steeply towards the rear of the car.
“The side window, C-Pillar and tailgate spoiler are all new and although the rear screen is steeply raked, rear headroom remains good. Unlike other cee’d models, the exhaust tailpipe on the pro_cee’d is boldly displayed,” concludes Guillaume.
The larger pro_cee’d doors with their extra-wide 70 degree openings ensure good access to the rear seats. To boost practicality, Kia’s designers re-styled the rear Seat cushion, which is now fixed, and re-engineered the 60/40 split backrest so that it is easy to release and simply folds down onto the cushion with no need to remove the head restraints.
With pro_cee’d, Kia is offering customers the full choice of cee’d family powertrains – five Euro4 compliant engines, with power outputs covering a 90 ps to 143 ps range, and three transmissions – as offered in the five-door hatchback and wagon models.
Like its siblings, pro_cee’d will also be available with three equipment levels plus 12 exterior colours and a wide range of optional extras – so that each customer can create a ‘personalised’ vehicle to suit their needs and tastes.
The optional Sports Pack, which comprises 17-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R17 tyres, stiffer dampers, sport-concept interior trim (with ‘tyre-track’ pattern fabric and silver stitching, plus alloy pedals and stainless-steel door-scuff plates) is expected to be a popular choice with pro_cee’d buyers.
Kia Motors will officially celebrate the start of full production of its popular Sportage compact SUV at the company´s ultra-modern Slovakia facility by holding the premiere of the 2008 model at the Frankfurt International Motor Show on 11 September.Kia´s first-ever plant in Europe continues to be a burgeoning success as the Zilina operation has seamlessly added two new models - the cee´d Sporty Wagon and Sportage SUV- to its inventory, just a few months after making its very first cee´d hatchback cars last December. At the end of this year, the facility will add a fourth model to its repertoire, the Pro-cee´d three-door hatchback.
With a staff of 2,400 working two shifts, Zilina is already living up to its promise of becoming the most productive car manufacturing plant in Europe, aiming to build 100 cars per employee per year - when fully operational. The handsome Kia Sportage SUV is little changed on the outside, but 2008 models will feature exterior enhancements that include a re-styled front grille, black bezel headlamps, enlarged door mirrors, new-style alloy wheels, a broader range of paint finishes and body-colour bumpers for all models.
"Made in Europe, the new 2008 Kia Sportage retains all the popular attributes of the original model and now offers customers an even better drive in greater comfort and refinement," enthused Mr Jean-Charles Lievens, Senior Vice President Kia Motors Europe. "Since its launch in Europe during 2004, the Sportage has attracted more than 100,000 buyers and has played a key role, together with the larger Sorento SUV and smaller Picanto city car, in raising public awareness of the Kia brand across the broadest spread of European consumers."
Technical improvements introduced simultaneously with manufacturing the 2008 Sportage in Europe begin with the power steering, which is re-tuned to be a little more direct. Sixteen inch diameter wheels with 215/65 R16 tyres are standard, the suspension dampers are stiffer for improved on-road handling and body roll has been reduced.
Larger, 300 mm diameter front brakes now stop the Sportage in just 41.6 metres (from 100 kph), and place the Kia among the best-in-class. Inside, the 2008 Sportage has improved front seats with longer (by 40 mm) and wider (by 20 mm) cushions for greater support and comfort. The rear Seat cushion shape and firmness have been enhanced and the Seat lowered by 5 mm to increase headroom. Wind noise has been reduced by redesigning the door mirror housings and improving the seals around the electric sunroof.
The 2008 Sportage has 12.5% more towing capacity than the previous model - now up to a maximum of 1800 kg. Thanks to the unique Rotation Dipping Painting process at the Zilina plant, which rotates each bodyshell through a forward somersault while immersed in the electro-plating tank, and the built-in quality of Kia vehicles manufactured in Slovakia, all versions of the 2008 Kia Sportage are covered by a new 10-Year anti-corrosion warranty - an extension of four years. Customers buying a 2008 Kia Sportage can choose from a range of 10 exterior colours and two interior colours - Flesh Beige and Saturn Black. Eight of the exterior colours are new to Sportage, with two solids and six metallics in common with the cee´d models produced at Zilina. Two of the most popular metallic colours (Greyish Silver and Smart Blue), are carried over from the 2007 model year.
Kia Motors is to unveil a dramatic 2+2 sports coupe concept – the work of Chief Design Officer Peter Schreyer – at the IAA in Frankfurt on Tuesday 11 September.
Revealing a first ‘preview image’ of the car, Schreyer said: “Kia has given me the opportunity to shape its whole brand design and character. Seldom does a designer have such a clean sheet to work with.
“We started this exciting journey with the Kia ex_cee’d cabrio concept at the Geneva Show back in March, and at Frankfurt I’m sure Kia will surprise the entire automotive world when people see our new sports coupe concept in the metal.”
The new concept – its name remains secret for now – has an imposing road presence and was designed by Schreyer at Kia’s Frankfurt Design studio and was built in Europe.
The ex_cee’d cabrio concept was Schreyer’s first design after joining Kia in September last year, but the 53-year-old Bavarian had previously indicated that Frankfurt would be the target for his unveiling of a new face for Kia products in the future. The sports coupe concept is his design statement for Kia and heralds a future product strategy focussed on design.
Schreyer was recently awarded an honorary doctorate by the Royal College of Art in London in recognition of the contribution he has made to automotive design over the last 25 years.
Guaranteed to keep the kids entertained on those long car journeys, all Sedona models and Carens seven Seat models now include a fully integrated multimedia cinema system, including features such as wireless headphones surround sound and games console compatibility. This large screen DVD player is sure to be a hit with all passengers.
With the success of the original launch offer, Kia is offering discounts on the entire Carens range for all mothers to be. A series of discounts are available depending on the number of babies you are expecting. Offers start at £100 off for one baby, to a free Carens for those expecting quins and an array of offers for all those in between.
To celebrate the introduction of the new five year warranty, two special edition Carens models have been launched; the G5 and the GS5. For £1000 less than the standard G and GS models, upon which they are based, buyers get an impressive specification, including front and rear electric windows, alloy wheels and a redesigned chrome tailgate badge.
Due to increased demand, cee’d S, GS and LS diesel derivatives are also available for the same price as their petrol counterparts. With savings of up to £1000 there has not been a better time to invest. If that was not enough, the cee’d SR models, with a low insurance group, ABS, remote central locking, CD with MP3 player and 16” alloy wheels, to mention but a few features, have had their prices frozen. The cee’d SR starts from just £10,495.
Expanding the Rio line, a special edition ‘Red’ model has been introduced, with a choice of the 1.4 LS manual and 1.5 CRDi versions at a significant saving of £680 off the normal list price. With a focus on safety and luxury the ‘Red’ models feature twin side and curtain airbags, leather covered steering wheel and gear knob together with premium upholstery and metal pedals and interior trim. The limited availability and extra features give the ‘Red’ Rio an exclusive luxurious look and feel that make it look as great as it feels to drive.
To top off the passenger car deals the Picanto LS is available with one year’s free insurance, meaning that Kia’s smallest car is now available at an even smaller price.
As the 4x4 market is growing Kia has increased its range with the Sportage 2.0 Xi special edition petrol model and the Sorento Xi, automatic and manual diesel, special edition. The Sportage Xi comes at an on-the-road price £1,350 below the XE model and the Sorento Xi at £1000 below the XE model, both with an equivalent specification. These editions mean that the Sportage range now starts at just £13,995 and the Sorento range at just £18,995.
After an exceptional response to the special edition TITAN Sportage, with 17” Rimfire alloy wheels and metallic paint, Kia is extending its availability and adding to the range a TITAN Sorento, with 18” Rimfire alloy wheels as standard. With no premium pricing over the existing XT models it is available in 2.5-litre diesel manual and automatic versions, as well as the 3.3 V6 petrol automatic. Prices start from just £25,045.
Both the Sportage XS and the Sorento XS come with three years 0% HP with a minimum deposit of 30%.
Today it was announced the Kia Sedona minivan and Kia Sorento SUV both received "Good" ratings from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) for rear impact collisions. A "Good" is the highest possible rating given by IIHS and according to the institute represents the best protection for people of all sizes in a typical rear-end crash.
"It is becoming well-known that Kia builds safety into all of its vehicles and Kia Sedona and Kia Sorento are just the latest examples to pass independent testing," said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America (KMA). "We strive to provide our customers with quality vehicles that are equipped with the best available safety features."
IIHS bases their ratings of "Good," "Acceptable," "Marginal" or "Poor" on geometric measurements of head restraints and simulated crashes that, according to the IIHS, when combined assess how well people of different sizes would be protected in an average rear crash. According to IIHS injuries to the neck are the most commonly reported by victims of car crashes; the Kia Sedona and Kia Sorento's standard active head restraints offer optimum and essential passenger neck and back support and protection.
Serving as Kia's flagship safety vehicle, the Kia Sedona has collected a number of accolades, including receiving the company's first five-star crash safety rating for each seating position from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) when it debuted in 2002, as well as receiving the "Top Safety Pick" from the IIHS for the past two consecutive years. The current generation Kia Sedona, both Long and Short Wheel Bases, tout other standard safety features including six standard airbags (dual advanced front and front seat-mounted side air bags, and full-length side curtain air bags for all three seating rows), a four-channel, four-sensor, antilock brake system (ABS), and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Refreshed for 2007 and building off of a five-star crash safety rating from NHTSA for both front and rear side impact crash tests in 2006, the Kia Sorento now boasts even more standard safety features than its predecessor, offering such standard equipment across all trim lines including advanced two- stage airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, electronic stability control (ESC) and traction control (TCS), tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS), driver knee airbag, and three-point seat belts for all seating positions with adjustable anchors and pretensioners with force limiters in front.
Government star ratings are part of the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's (NHTSA's) New Car Assessment Program (www.safercar.gov).
Kia Motors America -- the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea -- offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 retailers throughout the United States.
For more information,visit www.kia.com
Source: Kia Motors America
2007 Kia Rio (pictured), Kia Rio5 Ranks Highest in Initial Quality Study By JD Power and Associates. (PRNewsFoto/Kia Motors America)
According to the J.D. Power and Associates 2007 Initial Quality Study(SM) (IQS) released today, the 2007 Kia Rio/Rio5 ranked highest in initial quality in the sub-compact segment. This is the second consecutive year Kia Rio/Rio5 has received this honor. Completely redesigned in 2006, the study captures issues experienced by owners in two distinct categories -- quality of design and quality of production (defects and malfunctions).
"The J.D. Power IQS awards are particularly significant since they are based directly on positive feedback from Kia owners," said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of Kia Motors America. "Fresh on the heels of the Strategic Vision Total Quality Index(TM) honors, this honor further demonstrates the strength of the full Kia line-up."
In the study, the Kia Rio/Rio5 was honored as the highest-ranking model in the sub-compact segment at 102 problems per 100 vehicles (PP100). The annual report measures 228 vehicle attributes across eight categories, including the driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.
For 2007, the Kia Rio and Kia Rio5 model lineup, which includes three trim levels for the four-door sedan -- Base, LX and SX -- and the Rio5 SX five-door, continues to offer the same combination of engine performance and fuel economy as the 2006 model. Rio and Rio5 also offer one of the largest interior volumes in their class, as well as six standard airbags, including full-length side- curtain airbags.
Kia Motors America -- the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea -- offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 retailers throughout the United States.
Headquartered in Westlake Village, Calif., J.D. Power and Associates is an ISO 9001-registered global marketing information services firm operating in key business sectors including market research, forecasting, performance improvement, training and customer satisfaction. The firm's quality and satisfaction measurements are based on responses from millions of consumers annually. Find more detailed findings on new-vehicle quality performance as well as model photos and specs by watching a video, reading an article and reviewing quality ratings at JDPower.com. J.D. Power and Associates is a business unit of The McGraw-Hill Companies.
Source: Kia Motors America
Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced that the 2007 Kia Sorento and 2007 Kia Sedona both received top honors in Strategic Vision's 2007 Total Quality Index(TM) (TQI), leading the mid-size SUV and minivan segments respectively. Kia is also the most improved brand overall from last year's TQI survey. The San Diego-based research firm calculates their results based on the overall ownership experience of a vehicle.
Strategic Vision surveyed more than 27,700 new car owners who purchased their 2007 vehicle during the October-December 2006 period, focusing on the first 90 days of vehicle ownership. Total Quality assesses total ownership experience, encompassing positive and negative product experiences, reliability, dealership experience and emotional attachment to a vehicle.
"The Total Quality Index is a nice feather in our cap, as it is based directly on consumer feedback," said Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO, KMA. "We are proud that the Kia Sorento and Kia Sedona have been recognized; they serve as prime examples of the continued effort Kia is making toward creating quality vehicles."
The 2007 Kia Sorento also earned a five-star crash safety rating, the highest rating possible, for all seating positions in the latest frontal and side impact crash tests conducted by the U.S. Department of Transportation's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), while the 2007 Kia Sedona was selected by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) as one of only 13 vehicles to earn the "Top Safety Pick" award for its impressive performance with top ratings in frontal, side and rear impact crash tests, and was named the "Safest Minivan Ever Tested" by the organization.
Kia Motors America - the sales, marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corp. in Seoul, South Korea - offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 630 retailers throughout the United States.
Source: Kia Motors America
