When the Kia K9 does launch in North America, perhaps as early as this year, it will bring with it a badge used by the brand in other markets: Cadenza.

According to our source the new flagship luxury sedan for the brand will borrow the Cadenza name, which is, confusingly, used on an entirely different car overseas. In markets like the Middle East, the Cadenza is based on the K7, itself a version of the front-drive full-size sedan platform that also underpins the Hyundai Azera.

If and when the K7 / Cadenza does make its way to North America, it could bring back the Amanti name, once worn by the brand’s unloved and ugly large sedan.

Based on the same rear-drive architecture as the Hyundai Genesis and Equus, the K9/Cadenza slots in between the two in terms of size. Power is likely to come from the brand’s 3.8-liter direct-injection V6 making 350 hp and using an 8-speed automatic transmission to deliver solid fuel economy.

The Cadenza could launch as early as this year in North America as a 2013 model year vehicle. Look for the Cadenza to start at around $50,000.

Delivery of diverse diesel passenger car lines in the U.S. isn’t an uncertainty anymore, but rather a waiting game. There’s almost no question that the world’s automakers will soon offer more diesel cars to Americans, it’s just a question of when.

With that in mind, we’re especially curious about a post Kia put up on its PR Facebook page asking if any of its fans would drive a diesel. The post was in response to a speculative piece published by EfficientAutomobiles.com, that suggested a North American diesel Optima was likely in the future.

While that post doesn’t seem to be based on much more than guesswork, the company’s response at the very least acknowledges it.

Offering a diesel engine could actually make sense for the brand, given that we already know some of its key competitors plan to do the same very soon. A diesel-powered Chevrolet Cruze is on the way, and we’re expecting Mazda to start offering its SkyActiv-D engine in the new Mazda6 which we already saw as the Takeri concept.

Historically, oil-burners have struggled to catch on in the U.S. with low horsepower ratings and rpm limits that were outshone by gas competitors with relative ease. Despite that, preferences are shifting quickly to favor more efficient engines.

At the moment, European customers are only offered the 1.7-liter diesel Optima with 134 horsepower and 239 lb-ft of torque, which would be a good engine candidate for American sale. With its chunky curb weight around 3,300 lbs, however, a diesel Optima might not appeal to U.S. customers, but the same power in the upcoming Forte could make a good mix or torque and efficiency.

A 2013 model year Kia Sedona won’t be making its way to dealerships this year, as the minivan has been confirmed to have reached the end of its life cycle.

No doubt its dated styling was a big reason for its cancellation, with Kia working hard to change its image over the last couple of years. Despite getting a facelift for 2011, the Sedona’s styling still feels last generation, while the vast majority of its minivan competitors, including the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna have recently been updated and feature a more contemporary design. Even the budget-oriented Dodge Grand Caravan minivan received a major do-over in 2011.

Kia spokesman James Hope did say, “We see the minivan market as one that we want to stay in.” It will be interesting to see what the future brings for Kia in the minivan market, especially since Hyundai has officially exited it.

[Source: The Car Connection]

The Kia K9 is the Korean brands first venture into the luxury car segment, and it is now officially on sale in Korea. 

The company announced that the K9 will go on sale in key overseas market in late 2012, although specific places were not mentioned. Based on the Hyundai Genesis and Equus sales here in America, it seems clear that the K9 will come to the states as it shares its platform with both cars, but offers new styling. When and if it does come, it will also likely sport a new name, as K9 bears to much resemblance to the English word canine.

We have already seen the K9′s interior and exterior look, but now the powerplant options in the car are official. The K9 will initially hit the U.S. market with one engine option, a 286 hp 3.8-liter V6, but according to the company there will be a larger version of the 3.8-liter with direct injection that will make 329 hp and will become available next year. All of the engine options will be matched up with an automatic eight-speed transmission, complete with shift-by-wire manual shift option.

To compete with cars like the BMW 7-Series, Kia has loaded the K9 with premium features like LED headlamps, lane departure warning system, blind-spot detection, a 17-speaker sound system, smart cruise control and an around-view monitor complete with four cameras.

“K9 is a clear signal of our intention and determination to compete head-to-head with the European luxury brands. And for Kia, our customers, and for me – this car is like a dream come true,” said Peter Schreyer, chief designer of the K9.

Expect the K9′s MSRP to start around $50,000 and range all the way up to $75,000.

The Kia K9 will be the Korean automaker’s flagship luxury sedan, flaunting design lines from Peter Schreyer who has undoubtedly helped transform Kia’s modern day lineup.

Schreyer, who is widely known for his design contributions to the Audi TT model, became the chief design officer at Kia Motors in 2006. Kia’s automobiles haven’t looked the same since then — in a good way.

In a recent video, Peter Schreyer explains the design behind the new Kia K9 rear-wheel drive luxury sedan. This is the Korean automaker’s first rear-wheel drive luxury sedan that will be built on the same platform as the Hyundai Genesis sedan and Equus models.

Watch the video of Peter Schreyer sketching the Kia K9 after the break.

[Source: Carscoop]

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The Kia Rio EX got top honors in Consumer Reports’ latest tests in the sub-compact sedan category, besting the Hyundai Accent and the Chevrolet Sonic.

Consumer Reports found the Kia Rio a solid and well-equipped car with nimble handling, simple controls and plenty of features for the price. Their test vehicle was a Kia Rio EX sedan ($17,275 as tested) with a 1.6-liter four-cylinder engine making 138-hp with 30-mpg overall. They noted that the six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly while both ride and noise were tolerable for a subcompact. They were also pleased with the braking performance of the Rio and found the trunk to be roomy.

The hatchback, on the other hand, came in third place behind the Honda Fit and Nissan Versa in the subcompact hatchbacks category. Despite the Versa having a strong showing among the hatchbacks, the sedan plunged from being at the top of Consumer Reports’ ratings to the bottom. Complaints from Consumer Reports include the engine’s whirring, jittery ride on the highway and unimpressive interior.

Even with its redesign, the Toyota Yaris continued to garner very low scores from Consumer Reports, which calling it “bare-bones transportation.” They reported that the Yaris is noisy, has a choppy ride, poor handling and slow acceleration.

The biggest surprise is probably the new Chevrolet Sonic getting high marks for its quiet cabin, agile handling, and excellent braking. What hurt the Sonic was its fuel economy, which Consumer Reports said is mediocre for the class. Even though Consumer Reports tested a fully-loaded Sonic LTZ turbocharged hatchback, they found that it was too expensive and “didn’t live up to its sporty aspirations.”

Maybe we just wanted an excuse to show a photo of model Adriana Lima with a Kia, but the Korean automaker along with its bigger brother Hyundai have both just been rated as the EPA’s most efficient and cleanest automakers.

The Environmental Protection Agency recently published their annual Light-Duty Automotive Technology, Carbon Dioxide Emissions and Fuel Economy Trends report with Hyundai and Kia tied in first place with a lineup average of 27-mpg in terms of fuel economy. As far as CO2 emissions, Hyundai was top of the list at 329 grams per mile, while Kia was a close second at 330 grams per mile.

This surprisingly makes the Korean automakers the greenest car companies in the United States with Toyota in second place for fuel economy at 25.4-mpg and Honda in third at 24.9-mpg. Toyota netted third place for CO2 emissions at 350 grams per mile.

“The 2011 EPA data demonstrates Hyundai’s commitment to fuel economy leadership and validates the effectiveness of our Blue Drive strategy,” said John Krafcik, Hyundai Motor America president and CEO. “Through innovations such as light-weight steel, direct injection technology, turbocharging and advanced transmissions we are able to improve the efficiency and performance of all our vehicles.”

The mentioned results reflect the 2010 model year data, which also had the best average gas mileage for new cars (22-mpg) and average rate of CO2 emission (394 grams per mile) ever recorded in the EPA’s database. Hyundai and Kia are also favored to take the top spots in a preliminary report on 2011 model year vehicles.

No more spy photos necessary, Kia has officially revealed their facelifted 2013 Sorento to the world. The Korean automaker updated its Sorento for the 2013 model year, changing up the front end, body color accents, and adding 17-inch wheels to the SUV.

The top-of-the-line SX model also gets itself a chrome exhaust tip, LED taillights, and larger 18-inch wheels. Engine choices include a 2.4-liter four-cylinder MPI with 175 hp and 169 lb-ft of torque, a 2.4-liter four-cylinder GDI with 191 hp and 181 lb-ft of torque and a 3.5-liter V6 with 276 hp and 248 lb-ft of torque.

All engines are mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive is standard but all-wheel drive is available as an option.

The interior of the 2013 Sorento comes with air conditioning, a tilt/telescopic steering wheel and power windows as standard on the base model. Available options include an UVO infotainment system and a “Convenience Plus” package that includes an eight-way power driver seat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a first aid kit.

On the EX trim model, leather seats are standard along with dual-zone automatic climate control. The top-of-the-line SX model adds heated/cooled front seats, stainless steel pedals, and illuminated door sills.

Pricing details are still unavailable.

GALLERY: 2013 Kia Sorento

Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, Inc. (KMMG) celebrated the 500,000th vehicle being completed this morning. 

“Building 500,000 vehicles in just over two years is quite a milestone for our first U.S. manufacturing plant to accomplish,” said Byung Mo Ahn, group president and CEO for Kia Motors America and KMMG. “The commitment from each one of our team members is a big reason we’ve been able to achieve 17 consecutive months of record sales. Their dedication to building world class, high quality vehicles is apparent in each vehicle we produce.”

KMMG provides jobs to more than 3000 people to date and manufactures the Sorento CUV and Optima sedan, which was the car to get the half-million unit distinction.

February treated the auto industry well this year, at least for the most part. The majority of automakers saw sales increases over the same month last year.

Chrysler was the big winner, reporting a 40 percent sales increase over February of last year. Even GM posted a tiny 1.1 percent gain over last year despite suffering from poor Cadillac and Buick sales. In fact, industry sales grew 16 percent overall compared to last year.

Cars made in North America grew the most, by 17 percent, while European manufactured vehicles saw the smallest increase — only 2 percent.

Last month’s sales numbers were nothing short of striking, but one of the most interesting developments came from the muscle car battle Chevrolet and Ford are waging against one another. The Mustang finally beat the Camaro in sales with 7,351 units to Chevrolet’s 6,923.

The next question is how long those numbers will last, given that the new 580-horsepower ZL1 Camaro is being released and is said to be the best bow tie-bearing pony car yet.

Among the other companies with impressive growth, Mercedes-Benz sub-brand Smart saw a 59 percent increase. British luxury brand Jaguar enjoyed a 48 percent boost, and while Volkswagen and MINI enjoyed 43 and 42 percent increases respectively. Even econo-box manufacturer Kia saw a 37 percent sales jump over last year.

Taking inspiration from the wild GT Concept, Kia has revealed the initial photos of its very first rear-drive luxury sedan.

Based on the same platform that underpins both the Hyundai Genesis and Equus, the car will be called the K9, but is expected to receive a different name for markets outside its native Korea.

No details have been provided on powertrains, although looking at the Genesis and Equus models provides plenty of info. As a possible base engine is the 3.8-liter V6 makign anywhere from 333 to 350 hp. As for V8 engine options, Hyundai has a 385 hp 4.6-liter V8 as well as a new 429 hp 5.0-liter version introduced in the Genesis R-Spec.

Look for details to be announced when the car makes it world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show on March 6th.

GALLERY: 2013 Kia K9

The Kia K9, code named the KH, is Kia’s sister car to the Hyundai Equus and Genesis, and will be the brand’s first attempt at an upscale rear wheel drive sedan.

We get a full view of the K9 for the first time, out driving in what we assume is South Korea, instead of just spy photos.

Calling the K9 upscale seems warranted: It seems to be taking design cues from the German luxury car makers BMW and Mercedes. Based on the look we get in these videos, it seems like the K9 will be heavily related to the Hyundai’s Genesis and Equus sedans, though that is purely speculative. We’re guessing the K9 will be run by a 4.6-liter V8, which makes 385 hp sourced from the Genesis, or a larger 5.0-liter V8 that can produce as much as 429 hp.

“This all-new rear-wheel drive large sedan will definitely become the leading model of our lineup around the world, showcasing the best of the best of Kia,” Kia marketing executive Soon-Nam Lee said.

The K9 will likely be on sale in Korea later this year, with the worldwide shipment probably coming by early-to-mid 2013.

Watch the videos of the new K9 below.

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