Kia automaker has recently showed us their upcoming GT concept, but several latest photos have leaked to the web.

The Kia GT concept cabin features a bespoke instrument cluster, a flat-bottom steering wheel and individual seating for four.

Specifications haven’t been released, but Kia says the car is rear-wheel drive and “ready for take-off.”

Kia car manufacturer has recently reveals their latest Sportage SX. The Kia Sportage SX will start arriving at U.S. dealerships later this month and pricing starts at $25,795.

Check out the press release for additional information and full performance data on Kia Sportage SX.

Kia Sportage SX Gallery:

Press Release:

KIA MOTORS AMERICA INTRODUCES MORE POWERFUL SPORTAGE SX TURBO CROSSOVER

New Model Offers Advanced Turbocharged Engine and Dynamic Handling

• Kia’s popular compact CUV adds powerful yet efficient 2.0-liter Turbo GDI engine for enhanced performance and class-leading fuel economy1
• SX model offers sport-tuned suspension and unique exterior and interior enhancements

ORLAND, Fl, March 4, 2011 – On the heels of its 2011 International Truck of the Year recognition by ICOTY jurors, Kia Motors America (KMA) today announced the launch of the all-new 2011 Sportage SX compact CUV, scheduled to arrive in dealer showrooms later this month. As part of Kia’s design-led transformation, the Sportage has become a strong player within the Kia line-up, offering power and class-leading fuel economy1. SX models take a solid foundation and up the ante with a more powerful four-cylinder turbo engine, exterior styling enhancements and unique interior options. The 2011 Sportage SX front-wheel drive (FWD) features a starting Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $25,7952 while all-wheel drive (AWD) models feature a starting MSRP of $27,2952.

The Sportage SX joins the 2011 Optima Turbo as Kia’s second vehicle in the U.S to feature the powerful Theta II 2.0-liter Turbo GDI engine and adds unique exterior and interior features and luxury appointments to provide consumers a high performance and high value CUV. In combination with a highly efficient six-speed automatic transmission, the new Sportage SX features up to 256 horsepower while maintaining class-leading fuel economy1 of 27 miles per gallon on the highway, better than any other turbo-equipped compact CUV on the market today. In addition to powertrain enhancements, the Sportage SX employs sport-tuned suspension featuring firmer shock and strut rates for improved handling and dynamic performance over non-SX models.

“Sportage offers an ideal mix of performance, fuel efficiency and utility for the discriminating compact CUV buyer,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “With the addition of a more powerful Turbo GDI engine, unique interior appointments and improved performance, the Sportage SX makes an already appealing CUV even more fun to drive.”

On the outside, SX models receive unique 18″ alloy wheels, a signature SX grille, dual exhaust, and special side sill moldings. Exterior updates are complemented by SX-specific interior appointments adding more refinement inside the cabin, including standard aluminum door sills and a sleek new supervision gauge cluster. Available exclusively on the Sportage SX, Orange and Blue interior color packages offer more interior color choices for potential buyers. The Orange Color Package includes orange stitching on the steering wheel, center console, and seats coupled with orange accents on the door panels and air vents. A unique blue patterned cloth seat and blue interior accents are included as part of the Blue Color Package.

More Powerful, Fuel-Efficient SX Engine

Kia Motors’ Theta II 2.0-liter Turbo GDI engine delivers significant performance with a powerful inline four-cylinder turbocharged engine that produces up to 256 horsepower and 264 pound-feet of peak torque. The Sportage SX turbo utilizes a twin-scroll design which offers improved combustion efficiency, more available low-end power, and reduced turbo-lag as compared to more traditional single-scroll turbo systems.

The twin-scroll design features two valve-operated exhaust gas inlets responsible for feeding exhaust flow through separate paths into the turbine. Utilizing a divided manifold, exhaust gasses from separate cylinders travel more efficiently into the turbocharger’s turbine, avoiding possible interference. The result is a system that improves efficiency and pressure distribution, lowers exhaust and cylinder temperatures, and prevents loss of exhaust energy. The quantity of the air entering each cylinder is increased, resulting in more power.

Sportage LX and EX trims come standard with a 2.4-liter DOHC 16-valve four-cylinder engine with Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT), offering more power (up to 176 hp3) and better fuel economy (22/31 city/highway4) than the previous 2.7-liter V6 engine.

Kia motors has recently rolled-out their latest 2012 Rioat the Geneva Motor Show. The 2012 Rio Kia latest car is available in 3- and 5-door body styles, the Rio “combines European finesse with Korean spice to create a form language that communicates Latin flair.” The 2012 Rio will be unveiled on March 1st.
Check out the press release for additional information and full performance data on 2012 Rio Kia.

Press Release:

First photos of all-new Kia Rio released

• Korean spice and Latin flair for Kia’s B-segment newcomer
• Available in 3- and 5-door body styles in Europe
• Offered with wide range of fuel-efficient and low-CO2 engines
• New Rio to be unveiled at Geneva Show, alongside new Picanto

Frankfurt, 11 February 2011 – Kia Motors Corporation has today revealed the first official photos of the forthcoming next generation Rio, which boasts a bold and distinctive personality, bringing the newcomer in line with the rest of Kia’s striking design-led model range.

Tasked with the difficult job of improving upon the remarkable international sales success of the previous generation model, the new Kia Rio will be available in 3- and 5-door body styles in Europe, and has been designed to appeal to customers all around the world.

New Rio has its own interpretation of Kia’s signature grille, integrated with the headlamps to give a new twist on the Kia family look. In profile, the body to glass ratio and its strong wedge form give new Rio a dynamic sporty stance. The balance of the window graphic, wheelbase and overall proportions generates a ‘premium presence’ which is rare in this segment. Overall, new Rio combines European finesse with Korean spice to create a form language that communicates Latin flair.

The new model features a wheelbase extended by 70 mm (to 2,570 mm) and promises greater passenger space and comfort, together with increased cargo capacity to 292 litres (hatchback) and 390 litres (sedan). Exterior dimensions changes include: +55 mm (overall length), -15 mm (height) and +25 mm (overall width) to enhance the feeling of sportiness.

Inside, the new model will deliver a high level of quality previously associated with larger models – together with a wide selection of trim options.

Kia’s B-segment newcomer will be manufactured with an extensive range of fuel-efficient and low-CO2 gasoline and diesel engines – including a 1.1-litre diesel unit generating 70 ps, with CO2 emissions from as low as 85 g/km. An all-new, high-performance 1.2-litre Turbo Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) will also be available from 2012.

Soon-Nam Lee, Director of Overseas Marketing, Kia Motors Corporation, commented: “This new model is a big step forward. The Rio has always been successful, and with this new incarnation we have a car which is extremely attractive, that people will want to buy for its looks.” Since its launch in 2005, global sales of the current-generation Rio have totalled more than 860,000 units. It was the company’s third best-selling vehicle in overseas markets during 2010 with sales of more than 219,000 units.

The world premiere of the new Kia Rio will be celebrated at the Geneva International Motor Show on Tuesday, March 1, 2011 – alongside another all-new product for Kia, the next generation Picanto city car – during its press conference, taking place at 16.15 (CET) on the Kia stand in Hall 6. Also being displayed at Geneva, and making its European debut, is the innovative hybrid version of Kia’s stunning Optima sedan, scheduled to go on sale in the US market later this year.

Kia car manufacturer has recently released their first teaser photos of the 2012 Picanto, ahead of its debut at the Geneva Motor Show.

Check out the press release for additional information and full performance data on Kia 2012 Picanto at Geneva Motor Show.

Press Release:

Kia sketches out future with ’stand-out’ newcomer

• Kia reveals first design sketches of stylish next generation Picanto city car
• Newcomer brings confidence, solidity and maturity to the A-segment
• Production vehicle to be unveiled at 2011 Geneva Motor Show
• On sale in the UK from late Spring 2011

Kia has today released the first official design sketches of the next generation Picanto city car designed to stand out from the crowd.

The new model has been styled by Kia’s European design team based in Frankfurt, Germany, under the direction of Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer.

Exuding self confidence, solidity and maturity, the next generation Picanto is designed to break the city car mould and will be officially unveiled at the Geneva International Motor Show in March 2011 and will be on sale in the UK from late spring.

KIA motors has recently rolled-out their latest Sportage Work and Play at SEMA. The car was designed for “active urban male,” the car feaures tan leather seats, custom carpeting, a Memphis audio system, a Droid X docking station, and dual iPads.

Press Release:

2011 KIA SPORTAGE CONCEPTS WORK HARD AND PLAY HARD AT SEMA SHOW

Kia Motors and Antenna Magazine Collaborate to Showcase Two Sportage CUVs, Customized by Antenna, to “Duel” it Out in the Desert

• “Play” Sportage concept appeals to athletic and adventurous sides of today’s driver with custom bike rack, motorized barbecue grill, flat screen television and locker space
• “Work” Sportage concept offers unique convenience features and technologies, including a built-in closet, shoe rack, iPadTM and Motorola Droid X , that will benefit today’s professional male

Proving the 2011 Kia Sportage compact CUV can be all business or all pleasure – or both – Kia Motors America (KMA) has teamed with fashion and lifestyle magazine Antenna to showcase two stylish and highly customized Sportages created by Antenna for “The Duel,” which are aimed at recreational enthusiasts and busy, on-the-go professionals, and outfitted with today’s coolest gadgets, technologies and materials to appeal to active and fashion-forward males. The concept vehicles, nicknamed “Work” and “Play,” will be unveiled tomorrow at the 2010 Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas.

The collaboration between KMA and Antenna follows last year’s successful Soul Xpression program, which delivered a tricked out 2010 Kia Soul created by the fashion and lifestyle publication and introduced at the 2009 SEMA Show.

“In addition to being a functional and value-packed CUV, the all-new Sportage was designed to offer today’s consumers the latest in technologies, convenience and safety features, and above all style,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. “Antenna’s ‘Duel’ Sportage concept vehicles artistically take the CUVs capabilities to the next level by adding even more style, technology and capability to specifically appeal to today’s active and professional males.”

Red “Play” Sportage
The “Play” Sportage concept was designed with the active urban male in mind and gives Kia’s aggressively styled CUV a new skin and the latest athletic equipment and accessories, right down to the tires. The exterior was given a fresh and forceful new look featuring a standout matte finish with the body painted a flat red with texturized matte black trim paint. New 20-inch MRR HR4 wheels, also painted a coordinating matte black, enhance the rugged appearance, while a custom Yakima® roof rack is outfitted with a red and black Cannondale® QuikFX Bike with unique bike pedals and seat to meet all athletic needs at a moment’s notice.

Moving inside, all trim pieces of the “Play” Sportage concept are wrapped in black leather and accented with red stitching for a more energetic appearance. The seats are upholstered with black leather, complemented with black suede racing stripes and trimmed with red stitching running down the seat center for a unified look overall. All of the door panels use a three-material design – including black leather, black suede and red leather – with door-inset Memphis Audio® component speakers for enhanced listening pleasure. An iPod Touch® is molded into the rear center console for easy access to today’s latest music and news, while a custom quick-release camera holder in the rear center armrest holds an Olympus® EP-L1 camera to capture memorable moments while traveling on the road. The headliner, also upholstered with black suede, includes a custom beach chair holder, complete with a black-painted beach chair with a red leather seat for last-minute trips to the coast.

Making “Play” Sportage a true athlete’s car, the cargo area was transformed into a tailgater’s dream with a custom-painted locker, motorized stainless steel barbecue grill and 22-inch LCD television. In the cargo area, a Mac Mini® with a wireless keyboard and mouse, speakers and Wi-Fi® ensure full connectivity while on the move or tracking live fantasy football updates, and a Memphis subwoofer beneath a mesh overlay furthers listening enjoyment.

Blue “Work” Sportage
Aimed at the sophisticated, tech-savvy busy professional, the “Work” Sportage concept vehicle created by Antenna sports a sleek and professional appearance with custom metallic blue paint, titanium grey wheels, roof rack trim, grille insert and bumper inserts. To add to the “Work” Sportage’s unique demeanor, front and rear wheels display concave rims (more pronounced in the rear), with the rear wheels fitted with new 10.5-inch-wide tires to complete the specialized look.

Busy professionals will feel at home inside the “Work” Sportage with luxuriously appointed tan leather seats with a diamond stitching design reminiscent of an argyle pattern. High-quality custom carpeting can be found throughout, while door inserts are wrapped with the same diamond-stitched leather and fitted with mesh speaker ports to conceal the upgraded Memphis Audio system speakers for a seamless appearance.

All business-minded occupants benefit from the latest technology to keep abreast of the latest news updates, including a Motorola Droid X molded into the center console. New iPads are fitted into fiberglass inserts molded into the driver and passenger seatbacks to enable rear passengers to stay on top of pressing work matters, with passengers given the ability to either remove the iPads with a simple button release or keep docked to remain charged. A Bluetooth® wireless technology keyboard also is mounted into the back of the center console for easy communications.

To fully meet all needs of today’s professional male, a full closet and dressing station is fitted nicely within the “Work” Sportage’s spacious cargo area, offering storage for up to two suits, five dress shirts and five belts for any work situation. Grooming needs are met with holders for an electric razor (with a built-in power source) and ties, while a shoe rack with a track system to hold cufflinks and a wristwatch finish off the mobile closet.

Impressive Safety Features
Like all Kia vehicles, the 2011 Sportage is equipped with a long list of standard safety equipment. Both Sportage trims come outfitted with driver and passenger advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags, side curtain airbags and front active headrests, four-wheel Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC) Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS) and a Brake Assist System (BAS), which recognizes an emergency stop and delivers significant braking power. Hill Start Assist Control (HAC) and Downhill Brake Control (DBC) also come standard on all models, the former assisting in preventing the vehicle from rolling backward when trying to pull away from an uphill gradient, while the latter locks the vehicle at slower speeds down steep grades so drivers can focus their attention on steering.

Industry-Leading Warranty
The 2011 Sportage is covered by Kia’s warranty program, which offers consumer protection at an exceptional value. Included in this program are a 10-year/100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty, a five-year/60,000-mile limited basic warranty and a five-year/100,000-mile anti-perforation warranty. A five-year/60,000-mile roadside assistance plan also is part of the vehicle coverage.

Design-Led Transformation and Product Line
Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand’s continued gains in U.S. market share. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and new technology such as the soon-to-come UVO powered by Microsoft® in-car hands-free entertainment system. The launches of the 2011 Sorento CUV, the first vehicle to be assembled* at Kia’s first U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia, the dynamic 2011 Sportage compact CUV, sophisticated 2011 Optima midsize sedan and versatile Forte 5-door hatchback further enhance the lineup.

Kia’s model year 2011 vehicle line includes the Sorento CUV, Sportage compact CUV, Optima midsize sedan, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio sub-compact sedan, Rio5 sub-compact hatchback and Sedona minivan.

Kia Motors has recently showcased their Kia POP electric concept car at the Paris Motor Show.  The  Kia POP electric vehicle

Check out the press release for additional information and full performance data on Kia POP Concept.

Peugeot HR1 Kia POP Concept:

Press Release:

Kia POP design

“A concept car like the POP could only have come from us,” explains Gregory Guillaume, Kia Europe’s Chief Designer, sat in a darkened auditorium on the sixth floor of the firm’s Frankfurt headquarters. “Designers from other companies regularly approach me at motor shows and say ‘I would never even be allowed to try and pull that one off’ and it’s great to be in a position to operate with such freedom.”

A few seats over, wearing his trademark dark-rimmed glasses, his boss, Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer, nods sagely in the half-light.

On the wall in front of them a life-sized, 3D projection of Kia’s next stunning electric show car rotates through 360 degrees and flips between cutaway, exterior and interior views. (The vehicle itself is still being built in a top-secret Paris facility). “The POP fits in perfectly with our ‘challenger brand’ ethos,” Guillaume continues, while motioning towards the car, currently displayed in side profile. “We’re trying to stir things up in the automotive world, to surprise people even more.”

You can see what he means. After all, have you ever seen a chrome-coloured, three-metre-long three-seater with an electric drivetrain, oblong-shaped side windows and front-hinged doors before? Thought not. Compared to electric-car concepts that have gone before, the POP does indeed appear to start from a very different place.

“We wanted this car to act as a loose nucleus, a wild atom.” Guillaume’s fervent flow is momentarily interrupted by Schreyer. “The POP doesn’t point at the style of the next generation of cars, but looks even further into the future. There are a lot of new things, for example the side-window graphic is like a signature, unique with its own character.”

There certainly is something unique and unconventional about the POP. The striking side-window design, the high-tech feel of the dot-pattern grille and taillights, the full-length glass roof, and the simplistic, clean look of the wheels – all point to inspiration derived from outside the usual automotive spheres.

“Many of the things that influenced this design were non-automotive,” Guillaume explains. “We were looking at lightweight, aerodynamic things, such as gliders and high-speed bicycles. We realised that the automotive world wasn’t inspiring us to achieve what we wanted to achieve.”

The Frenchman then enthusiastically describes how the heads of the front passengers are perfectly positioned at the centre of the windows’ top ellipses; how at night the grille allows Kia’s trademark ‘tiger nose’ to illuminate the darkness; and how the protrusions at the bottom corners of the doors are actually rear-view cameras that relay images to small screens in the cabin.

Next the projectionist hits a button and opens one of the front-hinged doors on the virtual POP to reveal the most remarkable interior. “The inside and outside were always designed together. From the start we looked at the seating on that very short footprint and tried to ensure that passengers would have a perfect view, just like in a helicopter,” continues the increasingly passionate Guillaume.

“The seats are designed to be non-automotive. They’re very pure, very simple, almost furniture-like. The front bench is sculpted, with interesting, flowing lines and, because it’s an electric car without a conventional engine, we were able to push the firewall far forward,” he explains.

The rear seat is positioned at an offset angle facing out from the rear passenger side across the cabin to the driver-side A pillar. It’s a two-part affair with a base that flips up when not in use and a back and headrest integrated into the headlining. The resultant legroom is quite remarkable in a 1,740mm-wide car with a wheelbase of just 2,055mm.

And what about the purple colour scheme? “We wanted just one colour in order to create a calm and peaceful environment,” explains Guillaume. “There’s such a clean feel inside. When we were working on it, we came across an image of a space ship cabin and it was so clean and capsule-like – like a cocoon – that was a big influence.”

On the subject of space travel, the POP has two more interior features that wouldn’t look out of place on the bridge of the Starship Enterprise. On a small piece of plexi-glass in front of the steering wheel sits an Transparent Organic LED (TOLED) display that shows a speedometer, battery charge gauge and the other main readouts when the car is running, but is otherwise totally transparent.

“We thought that there was a lot that could be done with the driver’s main points of contact with the car – a chance to be visionary. The TOLED has many advantages over the current generation of head-up displays, principally that it doesn’t require a projector that takes up space and weighs a lot. This, we believe, is the future.”

Guillaume then points towards the right of the steering wheel, to the sculpted, chrome-look instrument panel. Housed therein is a truly revolutionary approach to secondary control displays. “You get so used to designers trying to make things look overly ‘techy’, with lots of buttons and switches. But in the POP there is only one button. Everything else (audio, sat-nav, climate control, etc) is controlled via the animated touch screen. The dot animation creates a warm feel for the driver,” he explains.

Thanks to its striking overall look and intriguing individual features, it’s easy to forget that the POP is also in fact a fully-electric, zero-emissions vehicle with a 50kW, 190Nm motor and a single-charge range of 160km. It’s powered by highly efficient, compact lithium polymer gel batteries and is fully rechargeable in just six hours.

Guillaume pauses for a second, staring intently at the 3D image in front of him. “You know, I have this vision in my head of a POP sat at the lights at a busy Paris intersection with all these Vespa riders waiting alongside, noisily revving their engines. Then, when the lights go green, the POP just serenely moves off without a sound.”

You could argue Guillaume might be a little biased in his choice of city backdrop for this evocative slice of imagery. However, the chic, stylistic POP does have something distinctly ‘Paris’ about it. Fitting, given where it was built and where it’s making its international debut. From the designer-furniture-style seats to the tri-colour exterior one has no trouble envisaging hundreds of POPs driven by fashion-conscious urbanites darting around the French capital’s trendy boulevards and avenues.

TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS

2010 Kia Pop Concept

A unique addition to the automotive world – a chrome-coloured, three-metre long three-seater concept car with oblong side windows and front-hinged doors.

In cooperation with LG Chem, Kia Pop uses the latest lithium polymer gel battery technology, offering the same power performance as a lithium ion battery, but with a 20% reduction in battery size and reduced manufacturing complexity.

Powertrain

Lithium polymer gel battery
Type / capacity Electric motor with lithium polymer gel battery / 18 kWh
Power/torque 68 ps (50 kW) / 190 Nm (19.4 kg.m)
Emissions 0 g/km at tailpipe

Dimensions (mm)

Overall length 3000 Overall width 1740 (excluding door mirrors)
Overall height 1490 Wheelbase 2055

Performance

Top speed (kph) 140
Range / km 160
Charging time 6 hours (230V)
Charging time 30 minutes (high voltage)

The Kia also announced that it will offer the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid powered by a 2.4-litre Hybrid engine.

Scheduled to be launched in Australia late quarter four, Kia Motors Australia can confirm the model previously known as Magentis, will now be called Optima. Australian specifications and pricing are still under consideration.