de autos cars

Showing posts with label Kia. Show all posts

2011 Kia Sorento Review

Posted by kopok Sunday, July 31, 2011 0 comments

The 2011 Kia Sorento.

It's deja vu all over again.

Those of us of a certain age can remember when Honda found the magic dust and began sprinkling it liberally over their product portfolio. They went from an interesting, quirky also-ran to a company that could do no wrong and whose products you couldn't afford to ignore come car-shopping time.

Well here we are three decades later, and that's what's happening with Kia, which before they were an interesting, quirky also-ran, weren't all that interesting...so the achievement curve here is actually higher than it was for Honda.

About a month ago, we extolled the virtues of the Kia Sportage, now a fine, no-excuses small SUV. But what if you need something a touch bigger?

Well, that's where the Kia Sorento comes in. It's roomier but gets very close to the same mileage as the Sportage (21 city/29 highway to the Sportage's 22/31).

Our tester was the mid-level EX front wheel drive (all three, LX, EX and SX are available in all-wheel-drive as well), starting at $24,795. And that gets you a very well-equipped machine: DOHC 4, 6-speed automatic transmission, 18-inch alloy wheels, ABS, airbags and curtains all around, Electronic Stability Control, Traction Control, tire pressure monitoring, downhill brake control and hill assist control, dual-zone automatic climate control, power windows, door locks, and outside mirrors, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with SiriusXM satellite radio, USB and auxiliary jacks and Bluetooth.

The interior of the 2011 Kia Sorento.

Also standard in the EX are a multi-adjustable driver's seat with lumbar support, 60/40 split folding and reclining second row seats, pushbutton start with smart key, cruise control, leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob, auto light control, tilt and telescoping steering column, illuminated vanity mirrors, rear privacy glass and fog lamps.That's a nice package for less than 25 large. And the Kia people added three options to it:

The Limited package (Navigation with traffic data, backup camera, Infinity Audio system with 10 speakers, 18-inch mirror-finish alloy wheels and interior accent illumination)...$2,000.

Premium Package 1 (Leather seat trim in the first and second row, heated front seats and an auto-dimming mirror with display for the backup camera)...$1,500.

And a mirror with Compass and Homelink for $250.

Regular TireKicker readers know I'd almost always pass on factory nav systems (your phone can do most of what those do), but the added safety of the backup camera is a good idea in almost any vehicle...especially SUVs...and the Infinity Audio system rocked...so I'd actually go this way with my own dime....which would give us a grand total after delivery charges of $29,340.

It drives well, it handles well, it gets good mileage, and nicely equipped, you're coming in just a shade below the competition on price. Plus there's the 10 year/100,000 mile limited powertrain warranty and the 5 year/60,000 mile roadside assistance. Hard to go wrong...unless you don't test drive one.

2011 Kia Sportage Review

Posted by kopok Saturday, July 2, 2011 0 comments

This year's list of nominees for "most improved" wouldn't be complete without this potential winner of the award...the all-new Kia Sportage.

The nameplate has been around since 1997, when it was the grimmest little conveyance imaginable...underpowered, undersized and possessed of the kind of materials and craftsmanship that gave Korean automobiles a reputation they're still trying to live down.

But, as we've been saying here at TireKicker for the past three years, the Koreans are making quantum leaps with each generation of automobiles. And the Sportage is an excellent example of that.

Even in more recent years, the best thing Kia had going for it was price and warranty, but the Sportage is now a no-excuses, fully competitive small SUV. In fact, it's leapt ahead of some of the older competitors with a DOHC four and a six-speed automatic transmission standard in all but the base model, which gets a six-speed manual.

That base model starts at a reasonable, but no longer bargain-basement, $18,295. Our tester was the next-to-the-top EX model (the SX is a screamer, with 260 horsepower instead of the 178 in the base through EX models). Base price: $23,295. That gets you the engine and transmission detailed above, plus power steering, power four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, traction control, electronic stability control, donhill brake and hill-start assist, tire pressure monitoring, dual-zone climate control, power locks and windows, keyless entry, an AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with USB and auxilary inputs, cruise control, a trip computer, tilt steering wheel, Bluetooth, a 12-volt power outlet, intermittent wipers and a leather-wrapped shift knob and steering wheel.

All that adds up to a very pleasant environment in which to do your driving. And the one Kia sent over for a week included navigation with Sirius Traffic and a backup camera, a premium audio system including a subwoofer, heated front seats, pushbutton start, a panoramic sunroof, rear sonar, heated outside mirrors and a cargo cover.

Bottom line: $27,990 with destination charges. Which is right in the zone for this type of small SUV with that type of equipment. And the combination of the four-cylinder with a six-speed automatic pays off with excellent gas mileage...22 city/31 highway. It's well worth a test drive.

Kia Pop

Posted by kopok Friday, October 1, 2010 0 comments

Anticipando algo que seguramente veremos en la próxima edición del Salón del Automóvil de París, volvemos a poner nuestra atenta mirada sobre el Kia Pop, al que ya oportunamente habíamos comenzado a disfrutar en una anterior oportunidad aquí en Coches 2.0.

Compartir con amigos

Return Of The Hamsters: The New Kia Soul TV Commercial

Posted by kopok Thursday, May 27, 2010 0 comments

When you create an award-winning ad, the impulse is to go back and do it again. Which usually works about as well as your typical Hollywood sequel. Transformers 2, say.

But this? Hit. Massive home run hit. It begins airing tomorrow (Friday, May 28). But you can start burning it into your brain now.

And if you want to indulge your inner hamster, you could start by dressing like them. Go here.

Nissan Cube SL Review

Posted by kopok Wednesday, May 12, 2010 0 comments

It's been nine months since our last drive in a Nissan Cube...and we've learned one thing. With this vehicle, a lot depends on how you equip it.

Last time around, it was a very sparsely equipped base model. This time around, Nissan sent the SL ($17,130), which gets you interior upgrades, a nice AM/FM/CD/mp3 audio system with 8 speakers, Bluetooth and premium grade seat fabric. Makes a huge difference.

And Nissan went even further...the SL Preferred Package ($1800) brought Nissan Intelligent Key, a pushbutton ignition, a further upgrade to the audio system with a color display and USB connectivity, six upgraded speakers with a Rockford Fosgate woofer, XM satellite radio, a rearview camera, and fog lights.

The Ginormous Package (really...$2500) added an Aero kit, 20-color interior accent lighting, illuminated stainless steel kick plates, a custom grille, hood molding accent, chrome front fascia accent, cargo area protector and an 8-piece interior trim applique set that goes around the HVAC vents other spots on the dash with a faux carbon fiber look.

And, for $250, the Interior Designer Package gets the carpeted floormats, carpeted cargo area mat, shag dash topper and front door bungees (for securing plush traveling companions, don't you know).

Oh, yeah...and $100 for a vehicle alarm impact sensor.

That and destination charges get you to $22,330. Which is a lot of money for a car that competes primarily in the $15-18K segment with the Kia Soul and Scion xB. But it was very, very likeable. To the point that both my wife and daughter were talking about how they'd be perfectly fine with one of these (hint, hint).

I will say that it is enormously comfortable (aided by the better fabrics), far roomier and more cargo-capable than you'd expect, and peppier (there is no better word) than the continuously variable transmission mated to an engine with a 122 horsepower rating would have you believe. But the value equation at 22 and change is a hard sell...at least to me.

EPA estimates: 27 city/31 highway.

Kia Soul Sport Review

Posted by kopok Wednesday, February 3, 2010 0 comments

Soul. Korea.

Not a typo. Not talking about Seoul, the capital city...but the latest import from Korea, the Kia Soul.

Number one question I got from people during the week I had it: "What IS it?"

Answer: A very roomy, reasonably powered and very fun car.

The exterior styling looks better (at least to me) in person than in pictures. The interior, I think, deserves an award. The designer, who came from Audi, found a way to distract from a low budget with inventive textures and colors. It's a mood elevator...and probably makes the Soul feel more fun than it actually is. But that's okay. Flip through enough car magazines and you'll find automotive journalists busting very fast cars because they don't feel that fast. It works both ways.

$16,950 base. The tester had one option...a sunroof for $700. That and $695 freight gets us to $18,345. That's $351 more than the Scion xB I tested (which didn't have a sunroof). And the Soul gets better gas mileage (EPA estimated 24 city/30 highway to the xB's 22/28).

As I noted in the xB review, this segment's getting crowded...the Soul, xB, Honda Element and Nissan Cube all aiming for trendy young drivers....but I think Kia has the edge.

UPDATE: Did an additional week in the Kia Soul Exclaim (which is actually printed as just an exclamation point...as in "Kia Soul !"). Pretty much the same deal as the Kia Soul Sport, except the Sport gets a sport-tuned suspension which the ! doesn't, the ! gets body color front and rear bumpers while the Sport gets "Unique front and rear bumper fascias"...and the $700 optional power sunroof in the Sport is standard in the !. Either one's a strong candidate for the segment.

Kia Cerato Forte

Posted by kopok Thursday, January 28, 2010 0 comments

El ultimo de los modelos de Kia, ya llego a los paises latinos. Se trata del Kia Cerato Forte, el cual tiene un tamaño de 4,53 metros de largo, 1,77 m de ancho y 1,46 m de alto y la distancia de ejes es de 2,65 m.

El equipamiento depende por supuesto de la version que elijamos, pero desde el modelo mas economico cuenta con:

* ABS
* Doble airbag
* Llantas de aleación de 15 pulgadas
* Pack eléctrico
* Audio con CD y MP3 y entrada para USB y IPOD + cable para Ipod
* Cierre central con comando a distancia
* Aire acondicionad
* Ccomputadora de abordo
* Velocidad crucero
* Luces de giro en los espejos eléctricos.

Kia Forte Review

Posted by kopok 0 comments

Imagine you're Toyota or Honda...secure in the knowledge that you build high-quality small cars, that even if you slip a bit, it will take a long time before the perception diminishes after 30 years of performance.

About three years ago, though, you see a tiny dot in your rearview mirror. Long way back...don't worry.

But the dot gets closer and bigger faster than you could imagine. Now it's on your bumper. If you're Toyota, recent recalls, controversies and suspension of production and sales could erase the narrowing lead.

The dot is the 2010 Kia Forte. Base price 2 grand lower than Corolla and Civic. Base horsepower higher. EPA mileage estimates a virtual draw.

But what puts Kia into tailgating territory is a quantum leap in exterior styling and interior quality. Kias have always been not quite there when it comes to the details. In the Forte, they're there. There's not a hint of cheapness or corners cut.

Victory? A new champ? Well, the Forte is certainly deserving of notice, but in terms of winning the hearts and minds of compact buyers, there's that perception issue we mentioned. It will take Kia a while to convince millions of compact car buyers that they have something to offer beyond price...and that "resale value" and "Kia" are not mutually exclusive terms.

Once that happens, though, watch out.

Blog Archive