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Filed under: Budget, Minivan/Van, KIA, South Korea

KIA is giving Korean small-car buyers something to smile about with the new KIA Ray subcompact. The vehicle looks to have taken a cue or two from its bigger brothers with stylized headlights and a very corporate mesh grille. We see plenty of Soul in the design, but there's more to the boxy machine than a quick glance would suggest.

Look closely and you'll note that the driver's side wears two traditionally hinged doors while the passenger side boasts a sliding rear door akin to what we typically expect…

Consumers Digest
A leading consumer resource for automotive reviews, recently named four KIA vehicles "Best Buys" - the 2012 Kia Optima, 2012 Sorento, 2012 Soul and 2012 Sportage. This latest recognition comes on the heels of KIA Motors America announcing the company's best-ever October sales and setting its 14th consecutive monthly sales record.

"KIA's design-led transformation continues to attract new customers to KIA showrooms with stand-out design, fuel efficiency, a host of standard amenities as well as residual values that continue to outpace the industry," said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications of KIA Motors of America. "Receiving…

Early in September, the first Kia Optima rolled off the production line at the Kia Motors manufacturing facility in Georgia. Also this fall, the 2011 Kia Optima has been widely recognized for its sophisticated and clean design, particularly by the men's lifestyle magazine Esquire.

Esquire's "2011 Design and Technology Awards" recognizes the best innovations in the auto industry for the year. Editors applauded the stylish simplicity of the 2011 Kia Optima, particularly because it remains one of the most affordable cars on the market. The magazine made a point to say, "A decade ago, a shape this clean…

The Kia Forte has received some of the best auto reviews in its class for 2011 and 2012. But it's not the only quality vehicle from this Korean auto maker. The Kia Optima Hybrid just completed a world record drive, proving it can outlast any other hybrid vehicle.

 

A 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid traveled through the continental United States, driven by Wayne Gerdes and Chris Bernius over 7,899 miles, recording an average fuel economy of 64.55 miles per gallon. Beating the vehicle's EPA highway rating by 61%, the trip took 14 days and averaged 564 miles…

Attention Kia fans! Kia is planning to unveil an all new concept car at this September's Frankfurt Motor Show, in Germany.

To build a little excitement around the event, Kia went ahead and released some photographs online to tease interest. We have to say, it worked. Our interest is definitely piqued.

To sum up exactly how drop-dead gorgeous the new Kia concept is, let us just say, the editors at Top Gear admit to thinking it was a Maserati. No joke! And others mistook it for an Audi.

The new concept really is proof that Kia has what it…

These days, every auto maker worth its weight has at least one hybrid variant of their top selling sedan. For the Korean car producer, the Kia Optima Hybrid is that vehicle. The car has a sporty new look, with a mean, angled front grille and a rising rear compartment with large trunk and taillights.

 

Available for a test drive at Wagner Kia of Shrewsbury in Shrewsbury, MA, Optima contains the basic powerplant for a vehicle of its size and class: a fuel efficient 2.4 liter four-cylinder engine, connected to a six speed automatic.

 

But what makes this car hybrid…

A Toronto woman was rewarded with a fully loaded 2011 Kia Soul. Jane French of Toronto, ON, took hold of the keys to her all new Soul thanks to the Luminato "Express Your Soul" contest.

 

Thousands of residents visited the Luminato Festival between June 10th - 17th. Kia Canada was an official vehicle sponsor. A large structure was on display, allowing visitors to "express their inner creativity" by sketching on a vinyl cover over a Kia Soul.

 

"Kia Canada is proud to align itself with the Luminato Cultural Festival in 2011 as the official automotive partner of which mirrors the Kia…

It's a wonderful time to be part of the Kia family. The milestone three hundred thousandth vehicle to roll off Kia's vehicle assembly line at the Manufacturing Plant in West Point, Georgia, was a silver Kia Sorento SX.

 

The only Kia North American plant opened three years ago to build the Sorento SUV, and quickly helped the struggling town become born again. Hundreds of jobs were created and industry came back to the region.

 

West Point has pumped itself up quickly: "after the first Sorento rolled off the line in November 2009, the plant built its 100,000th…

Kia wants to give their brand a new look by "buffing up" the image of Kia.

 

Makers of the all new Kia Optima, which can be taken for a drive at Wagner Kia of Shrewsbury - 730 Boston Turnpike in Shrewsbury, MA, are undergoing yet another facelift process - both with vehicles and their company.

 

The South Korean auto maker recently unveiled new models, like Optima, with more powerful engines and fiercer front grills.

 

Kia is also changing its image as an employer. The company provides lunch break soccer matches on three artificial-turf fields, dormitory lodging for unmarried employees, a company hospital…

Kia Sportage is one of the Korean auto maker's oldest and most award winning vehicles in its lineup. It's been around since the 1990's, and ever since the vehicle has morphed into one of the best looking, and bestselling vehicles in its class. 2011's Kia Sportage is a bit longer and wider than its predecessors, but still packs that "sporty" punch crossover fans desire.

 

The Kia Sportage is starting at a base price of $18,295 (but options allowing you to hit $29,990) includes some industry top picks for performance. It's 2.4-liter DOHC…