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KIA NAMED BEST CAR MANUFACTURER BY WHICH?

Normal 0 false false false EN-US X-NONE X-NONE Which? has named Kia as its Best car Manufacturer for 2012 in its annual awards, praising the company's "superb new range of cars" as well as the brand's excellent value for money and "industry-leading" seven year warranty.

Presenting the award, Which? Chief Executive, Peter Vicary-Smith said: "This is the first time Kia has made the short-list and to walk off with the title is a significant achievement."

He went on to praise Kia for being one of the top ranked brands in the 2012 Which? Car survey for both customer satisfaction and reliability. Kia beat off competition from BMW, Hyundai, Skoda and Toyota to take the prize.

Which? said in its commendation: "Kia's new Rio, Sorento and Picanto have all impressed in our Test Lab, while the new cee'd and Optima get the thumbs-up from our initial road tests. Compared to where it was just five years ago, we feel that Kia is the most improved car brand around."

Kia Motors (UK) Limited Managing Director Michael Cole said: "We are absolutely delighted to win this award - especially at the first attempt. It marks the culmination of several years of hard work by our designers, engineers and by our dealers who are as committed as we are to give our customers an outstanding buying and ownership experience. We see this as a great honour as Which? has a long history of championing the consumer and being remarkably thorough in its testing process."

Which? is the UK's biggest not-for-profit consumer organisation, now more than 50 years old, and has a strong record in recommending only thoroughly tested products to its more than one million subscriber base. It seeks to advise its subscribers and campaigns top improve safety and fairness.

Courtesy of 4-Traders

Thank you for the great review on DealerRater!

"purchased a 2012 Kia sorento 2wd v6 with all the bells and whistles! i fell in love with the titanium silver model and the premium package already on the vehicle! my experience was simply Heavenly! I recommend this dealership for anyone looking for a great deal and courteous service!" -Sherry L

With its beautiful, jaw-dropping design and long list of available features, the 2013 Kia Sorento is anything but expected. Follow the Sorento, and all its beauty, as it navigates an urban jungle at night, to the tune of some equally stunning music.

2012 Kia Sportage named to AAA's Top Cars for Teens

The 2012 Kia Sportage has been named to Top Cars for Teens by the Automobile Association of America. The Sportage was picked for laudable dynamics, dependability, value and a long list of standard safety features, plus top performance in the NHTSA crash tests.

In trials at the Colorado Off Road Extreme rally during the Third Annual RMDE last week, the Compact Utility Vehicle showed excellent stability and traction on a 2-mile offroad course across a convoluted section of terrain. The AAA rating is based on those same performance capabilities when recommend for teen drivers.

"We are honored that AAA, one of the most respected authorities on travel and transportation, is recognizing the Kia Sportage as a top car for teenage drivers," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America (KMA).

"Knowing that the Sportage, our longest-running nameplate, has been chosen not only for its attractive design that appeals to all ages, but more importantly, for its safety features, reliability and value, is evidence that consumers do not have to sacrifice curb appeal for dependability."

Indeed, in naming the Sportage to their Top Cars for Teens list, AAA states, "The list focuses on vehicles that appease both parents and teens by combining attractive looks and performance with reliability, safety and a budget-friendly price."

AAA Auto Buying analysts test-drive and evaluate hundreds of vehicles each year in the process of compiling various reports and lists. The 2012 Sportage was also awarded an overall Five Star safety rating from the NHTSA.

In addition, during the NHTSA dynamic maneuvers to test vehicle resistance to untripped rollovers, the 2012 Kia Sportage was among the group of vehicles whose wheels did not tip up earning a coveted "no tip" designation.

Growing by leaps and bounds
Kia Motors has become one of the world's fastest growing automotive brands in the world. Since 2009, Kia has launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, earning a reputation as an industry styling leader under the oversight of chief design officer Peter Schreyer.

Kia Motors America's line of efficient, fun vehicles has raised the brand's public image and dramatically increased consumer awareness. In 2011, the company marked its 17th consecutive year of market growth, thanks to a quantum leap in perceived quality, according to Experian, and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking from 2007 to 2012.

Kia's U.S. based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia (KMMG) provides more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs, building two of the company's top-selling vehicles in the U.S. – the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan in certain trim levels.

Kia's lineup also includes the Sportage, the popular hamster-hawked Soul, the surprising Optima Hybrid, the compact Forte sedan and hatchback, the sub-compact Rio and its 5-door version, plus the Sedona minivan.

Other vehicles picked by AAA for Top Cars for Teens included the VWGolf/Rabbit TDI, Ford Focus, Honda Civic, Hyundai Sonata and Ford Fusion. Notably the newer models of the Ford Focus and/or Fusion have the MyTouch system, which allows a parent or guardian to limit speed, radio volume and prevent safety systems from being turned off.

"Parents and teens seeing eye to eye on a vehicle can be tough," said Don Nunnari, vice president of automotive services for AAA Arizona. "However, there are a variety of safe, reliable and stylish vehicles on the market that will fit into the budget, thereby satisfying parent needs and teen wants."

Courtesy Torque News (Blog)

Thank you for the great review on Google Maps!

"Walked in the door and immediately got a positive vibe. I was greeted right away and really felt at ease. That was important, since a new car is a big purchase and I was pretty nervous. Gotta say : I love my new KIA and the great gas mileage I'm getting. I'll recomend everyone I know to come here. Thanks" - Cindy McTaggart

Kia Champ into the Arena is a global soccer tournament held by Kia Motors. Each winning team of the participating countries wins a free trip to Poland, one of the host countries for EURO 2012.

Thank you for our 5 star review on Yellow Pages!

"I got my car in February of 2012. Angie was my dealer and she was awesome! The owner was very nice as well. Overall, good experience" - metate21

Don’t forget the PCV valve

The PCV (positive crankcase ventilation) valve is an emissions control device on older cars — check your service manual to see if your car has one.The valve recirculates partially burned gases from the engine’s crankcase to the combustion chamber. Important to a properly functioning engine, the valve should be changed every 30,000 miles (48,000 km) or as specified in your owner’s manual. In addition to helping you get the most from a tank of gasoline, it helps to prevent the buildup of harmful sludge and corrosion.When replacing your PCV valve, be sure you use the correct one or you may damage your engine.

Check out our 5 star review on Yellow Pages!

"It;s Heavenly that you should go see, she was a great salesperson to work with. The service department was helpfull, quick and easy." - connie.allen

KIA NAMED TO "TOP 10 BEST CAR BRANDS FOR 2012" LIST BY TOTAL CAR SCORE

Total Car Score (www.totalcarscore.com), one of the most comprehensive automotive ranking and comparison websites, has named Kia Motors America (KMA) as one of its "Top 10 Best Car Brands for 2012." One of only two non-luxury brands listed, the fastest-growing automotive brand in the U.S. also posted the biggest improvement over 2011 with a gain of 3.76 points. The list, based on the average Total Car Score for every model within the manufacturer's product line up, comes on the heels of the 2012 Soul urban passenger vehicle and 2012 Sorento midsize CUV being honored with "Top Scoring Car Awards" and the 2012 Forte compact sedan landing on the "Top Cars for College Grads" list from the website.

"With record sales that have contributed to Kia becoming the fastest growing car company in the U.S. over the last five years and a full line of critically acclaimed vehicles, consumer awareness of the Kia brand has dramatically increased, and this recent accolade from Total Car Score is further evidence of the breadth of our transformation," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "Kia continues to be committed to offering consumers a comprehensive array of vehicles with a hard-to-beat formula of cutting-edge technologies, high fuel efficiency, immense value and world-class design."

The "Top 10 Best Car Brands for 2012" list by Total Car Score is based on numerical ratings for 2012 model year vehicles currently on the market. The list provides a data-driven assessment of which automakers are producing the most desirable, highest quality cars, crossovers, SUVs and pickup trucks.

"As one of only two non-premium brands on the list, Kia has validated its ongoing efforts to produce some of the best cars on the market," said Karl Brauer, chief executive officer and editor-in-chief of Total Car Score.

 

Courtesy of Kia

Keep your cool

Hey fans! Here's a really simple, great maintenance tip to help extend the life of your vehicle. Always make sure you check the coolant-antifreeze level weekly that shows on the translucent coolant-antifreeze overflow tank. If low, fill to the maximum fill mark on the tank with a 50-50 solution of coolant-antifreeze and water. Some coolant manufacturers now sell premixed coolant and water for the motorist who wants a quick and easy way to top off.

Kia K9 Edging Closer to US Debut?

This morning a reporter with Automotive News said he’d been tweeted by somebody who’d snapped a photo of one of the cars traveling along an Orange County freeway. It also appeared to sport the corporate Kia/Hyundai 3.8-liter V6 under the hood, based on “3.8″ badging on the trunk.

The official line from Kia Motors America is that the car is merely being “evaluated” for potential US sale, with nothing yet set in stone. “It’s not uncommon for use to receive cars for evaluation,” said company spokesman James Hope, who also declined to comment on whether the actual car snapped belonged to Kia itself.

From the image, it appears that similar to the rendering released last year (shown above), the K9 looks like a cross between a BMW 7-Series and a larger Optima, with a similar sporty roofline and greenhouse treatment to the latter, plus fairly pronounced and muscular wheel openings.

Given that corporate strategy is pushing Kia in more of a sporty direction and touting Hyundai as the mainstream brand, there’s every indication that if the K9 does land on these shores and it does sport versions of both the V6 and Tau V8, then it will end up as a direct competitor to the Genesis and R-Spec models, exactly the kind of duplication both automakers are trying to avoid.

Nonetheless, even if that does happen, based on our evaluations of the smaller and definitely sporty Optima, we’ll still have yet another powerful, fun to drive, well built, nicely equipped sedan on our hands, which won’t necessarily be a bad thing.

 

Courtesy of Auto Guide