2012 Kia's Facelifted Soul in Britain

The refreshed for the 2012 model year Kia Soul is on sale in the UK with on-the-road prices ranging from £12,495 for the basic petrol model to the £17,795 for the fully equipped diesel variant.
The most important change for the 2012 Soul is the presentation of a new 1.6-liter petrol engine and a revised version of the 1.6-liter turbo diesel, both hooked up to a six-speed manual gearbox that replaces the previous five-speed unit. Furthermore, the diesel model is optionally available with a new 6sp auto in place of the former 4sp transmission.
The new direct-injection petrol unit delivers 138bhp, an increase of 14bhp over the previous 1.6-liter engine for a 0-100km/h (62mph) sprint time of 10 seconds and an official combined-cycle economy of 44.1mpg UK with CO2 emissions of 149g/km.
The modified 1.6-liter CRDi diesel with the six-speed manual completes the 0-60mph (96km/h) acceleration in 10.3 seconds and is 3mpg more fuel-efficient (57.6mpg UK) than its predecessor. CO2 emissions are also down by 8g/km to 129g/km.
For the 2012 model year, Kia refreshed the appearance of the Soul with some modest styling tweaks to the front and rear bumpers, upper and lower front grilles, headlamps, tail lights and the alloy wheel designs. Kia said all versions are 15mm longer than before to accommodate the new powertrains under the bonnet.
Interior improvements include a redesigned center stack and new color options.

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Bob Lutz : General Motors, Volkswagen and Hyundai are the World's New Big Three

It's fall again, time for Bob Lutz to make headlines. Less than a month after "Maximum Bob" made his official comeback to General Motors as a consultant, the semi-retired car executive and onetime Marine pilot gave an in-depth interview to German monthly Manager Magazin.

Lutz was questioned about a variety of subjects that mainly concentrated on Opel and its relationship with General Motors, but he was also asked about the future of the industry in general, and whom he sees as being the major players.

According to Captain Lutz, the new big three in the automotive industry are General Motors, the Volkswagen Group and –wait for it- the Hyundai Group. And what about Toyota and the rest of the Japanese carmakers like Honda? According to the GM exec, Japanese automakers have lost it… Follow the jump for his (translated) response as well as the original Q&A.

Bob Lutz: “A while ago, many experts thought, the race for the top position in the auto business would be a dead heat between GM, Toyota, and Honda. This has changed. The Big Three are now GM, Volkswagen, and Hyundai. Toyota is in decline. The Japanese lost their bullet-proof quality image. Their cars aren’t especially pretty. Their driving dynamics is below the level of the best European and American cars.

GM on the other hand has improved its engineering, payroll and healthcare are way down after the bankruptcy. When it comes to platform sharing amongst brands, GM always has been absolutely competitive. Trust me: GM will give Volkswagen and Hyundai a tough fight.”

Original Q&A from Manager Magazin in German:
Manager Magazin: "Sie haben gesagt, Chevrolet sei die neben Hyundai Chart zeigen am schnellsten wachsende Marke der Welt. Wie wird General Motors Chart zeigen angesichts des gewaltigen Wachstums der wichtigsten Konzernmarke 2015 und 2020 dastehen?"
Bob Lutz:"Hervorragend. Früher glaubten viele Branchenexperten, GM, Toyota Chart zeigen und Honda Chart zeigen würden die Position der automobilen Nummer Eins unter sich ausmachen. Das hat sich geändert. GM, Volkswagen Chart zeigen und Hyundai sind jetzt die großen Drei. Toyota fällt dagegen ab. Die Japaner haben ihr kugelsicheres Qualitätsimage verloren, ihre Autos sind nicht besonders schön, nicht besonders reizvoll, und ihre Fahrdynamik reicht nicht an das Niveau der besten europäischen und amerikanischen Modelle heran.
GM dagegen hat sich technisch verbessert und die Ausgaben für Gehälter und Gesundheitskosten nach der Insolvenz deutlich gesenkt. Was den Einsatz gleicher Architekturen für mehrere Marken angeht, war GM schon immer absolut wettbewerbsfähig. Verlassen Sie sich auf eins: GM wird Volkswagen und Hyundai einen sehr harten Wettbewerb liefern."

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IAA 2011: Kia Rio's Presence in Europe with New Three-door Version

Although five-door versions of most B-segment cars are more popular in most markets, in order to satisfy those customers that don’t need the practicality of the two extra doors and prefer a more dynamic look, Kia launched a three-door version of its new Rio at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
Like its more practical sibling, with which it shares the same dimensions (4,045mm long, 1,720 mm wide, 1,455mm tall and with a wheelbase of 2,570 mm), the Rio 3d has been designed with the European consumer in mind.
In most markets, the 3-door Rio will be available with the same range of powertrains, equipment and options as the five-door model. Buyers will be able to choose from four three- and four-cylinder engines delivering between 75HP and 109HP.
The most powerful engine accelerates the new Rio from 0-100 km/h (0-62 mph) in 11.5 seconds and offers a top speed of 183 km/h (114 mph).
The most efficient model in the range is the new EcoDynamics diesel that boasts an extremely low average fuel consumption of 3.2 lt/100 km (equal to 88.2mpg UK, 73.5mpg US) and an industry-leading CO2 emissions figure of just 85 g/km.
Kia expects the three-door version to account for nearly 20-25% of the Rios total European sales.

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Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The latest concept that’s scheduled to break cover at the biggest auto show of the year is the Kia Sports Sedan Concept. FRANKFURT, Germany — The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept, a 390-horsepower rear-wheel-drive Sport sedan with suicide doors, was unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show. It has certainly taken the company too long to get around to designing a sports car, but Kia's first rear-wheel drive car is a beauty, and it's packing a V-6 turbo, too. Kia has been changing what people think about Korean cars for well over a year now thanks to some impressive designs, and now the automaker is looking to add some performance to its lineup with the new Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show – the first ever rear-drive vehicle by Kia.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

This is the GT concept. Kia has appeared to step out of their zone of bland economy cars and into the arena of sleek custom cars. The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show apparently gives a hint to the company's new design direction inspired by "the iconic 1970s GT cars, capable of whisking passengers from Paris to the South of France in effortless style and at high speed. It would be a dream to put this into production" says Peter Schreyer, Kia design chief. "It's exactly the kind of car Kia should be making."

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Set to be unveiled tomorrow at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, the Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show is a rear-drive coupe-styled sport sedan that we can now confirm is powered by a turbocharged and direct-injection 3.3-liter V6 making 395-hp and 394 lb-ft of torque. Helping get power to the ground in a smooth and fuel efficient manner is an 8-speed automatic transmission. This four-seat concept, introduced at the Frankfurt auto show, hints at the expected rear-wheel-drive sports car sedan from Kia—which would be a first for the brand. It’s looking like a pretty sure thing, while also looking pretty darn good and unlike anything we’ve seen yet from Korea.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, it’s a turbocharged version of the direct-injected 3.3-liter V-6 engine the conglomerate sells in other markets. In this application, it’s tied to the new eight-speed automatic seen in the Genesis and Equus, and delivers 390 hp and 394 lb-ft of torque to the rear wheels. The engine makes sense as the downsized replacement for the Koreans’ current 4.6-liter V-8. When the GT—or some semblance thereof—goes into production, either a turbocharged four-cylinder or a naturally aspirated V-6 will likely power the base model.

 Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

“This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car,” says Peter Schreyer, Kia’s Chief Design Officer.  ”The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

 Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

Ignore the carbon-fiber wheel fins and sills, the glass-panel OLED interior controls, and the suicide doors, and you still end up with an attractive and eye-catching design. Kia design chief Peter Schreyer has gone on record saying he wants to build more interesting and fun-to-drive cars, and this is one about which he’s clearly excited. The GT’s silhouette reminds somewhat of the Porsche Panamera and Audi A7, which is no bad thing. At least when it comes to styling, where it has in the past diverged most from its Hyundai sibling, Kia seems to be heading in the right direction.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

New vehicle platforms being the expensive, engineering-intensive undertakings that they are, we fully expect the production version of this concept to ride on underpinnings shared with Hyundai. Kia even supplied dimensions for the GT (more evidence of an imminent if not already lit green light), quoting a wheelbase of 112.6 inches, which is three inches shy of the Hyundai Genesis sedan’s and 1.6 greater than the Genesis Coupe’s. In other words, it’s doable with the company’s current rear-drive parts.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show, 690 mm long and 1.890 mm wide concept car, which signals Kia’s distinctive new design direction, has the classic front-engine, rear-wheel drive layout of a high performance sport car sedan which ensures very different proportions from a front-wheel drive car.

Kia Sport Cars Kia GT Concept At 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show

The new concept allowed Kia to explore exciting new visual paths – with an extended bonnet, the front wheels pushed to the very front of the car, the cab-rearward stance with powerful rear shoulders and a truncated rear end. The front doors and rear-hinged back doors open at a slight upward angle ensuring easy access to the spacious and airy interior which provides generous, uncluttered cabin accommodation for four – thanks in part to the Kia GT’s unusually long wheelbase (2.860 mm) and despite its low stance, overall height is just 1.380 mm.