Figuring out a vehicle’s total cost of ownership before setting out to make the purchase can be very difficult. Luckily for us, Kelley Blue Book has conducted a cost of ownership study factoring insurance, maintenance, repairs and fuel expenses. According to KBB’s findings, pinchpenny  shoppers stand to gain the biggest bang for their buck by choosing Kia automobiles.

Kelley Blue Book director of vehicle valuation Juan Flores said, “Car shoppers should take the time to compare vehicles on their consideration lists to fully understand the financial implications involved with cost of ownership. While a vehicle might be less expensive up front, the cost of fuel for that model, insurance, and other expenditures could make it the less appealing choice for their wallet in the long run.”

According to the researchers at KBB, new Kia Soul, Optima, and Sportage models earned top marks thanks to its great fuel economy, its dramatic improvement in quality, and its rising trade-in values.

Other automakers that stacked up well in the study include Audi, for its low depreciation as well as its respectable mileage for its segment. Audi vehicles that carry high values include the Audi A3, A4, and Q5. Despite an expensive price tag, the Audi A5 premium coupe also emerged a winner with five-year ownership costs at $56,908, a $5,000 advantage over other vehicles of its class.

Segment wise, the Nissan Versa came out on top in the highly contested subcompact segment. At a 5-year ownership projection of $29,252, it is the lowest of any model in the study. The compact crossover Nissan Juke wins for its class at $36,627. In the midsize car segment, the Hyundai Sonata’s estimated 5-year ownership costs were $38,476. The most expensive vehicle to win its segment is the Lexus LS460 for the high-end luxury car segment. The five-year cost of an LS460 is $90,234, attributed to its low up-front costs,  repair costs, minimal depreciation and low insurance.

In the hybrid and electric segment, Honda Insight won the hybrid category at $32,884 over five years. The real surprise in the segment is the Chevrolet Volt plug-in besting the Nissan Leaf. Although the Volt carries a $40,000 price tag, $7,500 federal credit and minimal energy or maintenance expenditures as well as its likely trade-in value makes it a smart buy.

Kelley Blue Book explained that many manufacturers make hybrids and its inherent fuel economy advantages a selling point to frugal minded car buyers. However, KBB’s study revealed that the best-in-category Honda Insight Hybrid is still more than $1,000 more expensive than the Nissan Versa and Kia Soul over a 5-year period.

GALLERY: Kia Soul

Kia has been talking about a rear-wheel drive luxury sedan for a while, and now we’ve got the pictures to prove that they’re serious.

Seen here is the Kia K9 undergoing some winter testing in northern Sweden. We can already see some cues from the Kia GT concept, like the full LED headlights.

The K9 is based on the rear-drive platform from the Hyundai Genesis. That said, engine options could include the brand’s direct-injection 3.8-liter V6 making anywhere from 333 hp to 350 hp. Plus you have to think a V8 will be available, such as the 385 hp 4.6-liter Hyundai unit, or the 429 hp 5.0-liter version. Perhaps most exciting is the possibility of a turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 making 390 hp – as seen in the Kia GT Concept.

As for transmission choices, look for either the 8-speed unit recently introduced in the Genesis lineup, or a possible 10 speed automatic that’s currently in development.

Expect the K9 to arrive later this year as a 2013 model year car and to be aimed squarely at German luxury brands like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

GALLERY: Kia K9

Hyundai‘s old Elantra Touring was a function-first vehicle, targeted against cars like the Toyota Matrix. Now Hyundai is switching gears, replacing that small wagon with the Elantra GT (that’s Grand Touring), a hatchback built to compete against fun cars like the Mazda3, Ford Focus hatchback and VW Golf.

Unveiled alongside the Elantra Coupe at the Chicago Auto Show, find out more about the new 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT by watching the video below.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

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You wouldn’t expect a Kia to be the star of an auto show. Then again, you probably wouldn’t expect a 250 hp, widebody Kia Soul.

Unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show, the wildly modified Track’ster is just a concept… for now. Kia has announced that while it has no plans to bring this specific car to market, company execs are awaiting market reaction to judge if a high-performance crossover is in the cards for Kia.

GALLERY: Kia Track’ster Concept

Find out more about the Track’ster below and let us know if you think Kia should build a high performance crossover:

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Kia, you’re such a tease. Today at the Chicago Auto Show, the Korean automaker revealed what it’s calling the Trak’ster Concept. But this sport cross came with a disclaimer, “there are no current plans to produce the Track’ster”.

Boo! Hiss.

Of course, that has to be the case, with this wild widebody and 250 hp turbocharged Soul just too extreme for the road.

Expanding on Kia’s Optima Super Bowl ad with the tag line “A Dream Car for Real Life”, the Track’ster was created to show what happens when a dream becomes a reality.

Designed to add some bulldog aggressions says Tom Kearns, chief designer for Kia Motors America, along with some significantly wider fender flares that add 5-inches to the width of the factory car, the Track’ster has a sportier appeal thanks to the removal of two doors. Inside the big fenders are 19-inch HRE wheels with 245 wide front tires and 285 wide rears. Keeping with the track theme, braking potential has also been upgraded with 6-piston front calipers and 14-ich rotors, while out back are four-piston units with 13.6-inch disks.

Power is generated by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cyinder making 250 hp – a 66 percent increase over the standard car. That power makes it to the ground through an electronically controlled four-wheel drive system and (of course) a six-speed manual transmission.

The interior of the Tack’ster further conveys its track-ready capabilities with orange suede racing seats up front. The rear seating area has been removed to make room for a spare tire and the tools you’ll need to work on your car at the track.

As though teasing us with such an impressive performance crossover and then denying plans to build it weren’t bad enough, Kearns continues to tease us more, commenting that concept cars like this, “allow KMA’s design team to dream about what could be. Whether that dream becomes a reality or not is a separate question.”

GALLERY: 2013 Kia Track’ster Concept

GALLERY: 2013 Kia Track’ster Reveal

Replacing the dull-looking Elantra Touring for 2013 is an all new five-door Hyundai, which along with sporty Euro-hatch looks gets a marketing-friendly “Elantra GT” name.

The GT is powered by the same 1.8-liter four-cylinder engine found in the other Elantras, though it fails to make Hyundai’s hallowed 40-mpg mark. Instead, estimated fuel mileage is 28/39 city/highway, or 32 mpg average – still a solid number.

It also misses out on standard heated seats, which suggests that the company really is courting younger buyers when you realize the new coupe version gets that feature across the board. Despite that, there is some catchy standard equipment like a chilled glove box and three 12-volt outlets to keep the kids happy on long trips.

The competition ultimately becomes the defining factor for practical cars, and this is where Hyundai often shines. The Elantra offers significantly more passenger and cargo capacity than those it stacks up next to like the Volkswagen Golf, Mazda 3 and Toyota Matrix. Space behind the rear seat is a substantial 23 cu-ft, with a total of 51 cu-ft when you fold the seats flat. Those numbers are essentially on par with the new Subaru Impreza hatch, although if you don’t need all-wheel drive and do want a few extra miles per gallon, the front-drive Elantra stands out.

Safety ratings are obviously unavailable for the 2013 model, but if it’s anything like the predecessor, which the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave four of five stars, it will be a reasonably safe ride. So far it seems like Hyundai is doing a good job of offering the stuff that sells cars to customers in their segment. You won’t be riding in the lap of luxury, but the savings can buy quite a few steak dinners.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra GT Reveal

Watch video of the Elantra GT below:

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Set to be unveiled later today at the Chicago Auto Show, Hyundai is expanding its Elantra lineup with a two-door coupe.

De-dooring the Elantra is part of the company’s strategy to pull younger buyers in who they say are willing to sacrifice practicality for coupe appeal. It’s also a product targeted squarely at the Honda Civic Coupe, which has retained its dominance in the category despite rivals like the Kia Forte Koup and Scion tC.

The coupe is pretty-much the same as the sedan, featuring standard Hyundai sensibilities like heated seats, Bluetooth, iPod connectivity and more.

In keeping with the push toward a younger crowd, the Coupe gets a few sport-inspired touches, though people purchasing these cars are anything but track junkies. The same 1.8-liter 148-hp four delivers power to the front wheels with Hyundai’s homemade six-speed manual or automatic.

The Coupe won’t however, join the rest of the 40-mpg club in Hyundai’s lineup, missing the bar slightly with a 39 mpg highway rating. Still, a 33 mpg average isn’t half bad and driving enthusiasts can get there with an entertaining 6-speed stick.

Consumers can choose from two trim levels, the base GS or premium SE. Both come with generous standard equipment, but the nicer accouterments like leather seats remain reserved for SE buyers. The wheels also get an inch bigger for the SE, growing from 16 to 17 inches.  Finally, an optional technology package is again withheld from the lower-end model but includes a 7-inch infotainment system, rear-view camera, an upgraded stereo and other cool stuff like proximity key entry, push-button start and more.

The sportier SE model gets a stiffer suspension that Hyundai says is designed for the car’s lower-profile tires. Despite getting the coupe treatment, the EPA classifies this as a mid-size car, which is interesting because it competes directly with compacts like the Honda Civic coupe and Kia Forte Koup which are both badged as compacts. Hyundai says it will deliver the best of both worlds (two door sex appeal and rear passenger roominess).

Regardless of the extra bulk, the car still manages to wiggle in between the Honda and Kia’s power to weight ratios, meaning customers can walk *erm drive away without feeling much buyer’s remorse.

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe

GALLERY: 2013 Hyundai Elantra Coupe Reveal

For more on the 2012 Chicago Auto Show, see our complete coverage here.

Watch video of the Elantra Coupe below:

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Despite previous reports to the contrary, Hyundai is reportedly still considering launching a premium sub-brand.

The plan would be to branch-off the Genesis name plate into its own marque, creating a mental gap between disparate products, that range from the $12,545 sub-compact Accent, all the way to the $59,000 Equus.

This latest rumbling is more than a rumor too, with the source being none other than Hyundai Motor America sales boss Dave Zuchowski. According to Zuchowski; “There’s a conversation going on within the company that says, ‘Does having the Hyundai badge on the premium vehicles sell more vehicles, or does it restrict us from selling more vehicles?

While no decision has yet been made, the plan would be to branch off the rear-drive models, including the Genesis Sedan, Genesis Coupe and Equus, removing the “H” badge from the cars and swapping out their current names for alphanumeric designations. The proposal, however, does not go as far as a new dealer network, with the cars continuing to be sold within the current dealership structure.

If Hyundai does move ahead with the plan, it could be implemented as early as late next year, when the first of the second-generation Genesis models arrive.

[Source: Automotive News]

Unveiled at the 2009 Detroit Motor Show, the Kia Soul’ster concept dared to prove basic transportation could also be stylish and interesting.

Three years have come and gone but new information has finally surfaced about the Kia, buried in a press release about the Track’ster concept – set to be unveiled at the Chicago Auto Show next week. Despite previous reports that the Soul’ster convertible has been axed, the Kia release says the convertible crossover is “currently under final assessment for production.”

The original Soulster concept looked like a modern Suzuki Sidekick with a chopped windscreen and an innovative two-piece top that allows passengers to open up the front and rear roof independently. The design also features attractive material finishes such as the anodized metal thick roll-bar, fender vents and skid-pad inserts.

If approved, the Soul’ster should be available with a 1.6L 4-cylinder that delivers 138-hp and a more powerful 2.0L that makes 164-hp.

GALLERY: Kia Soul’ster

Click here to read AutoGuide’s 2012 Kia Soul Review

When GM sold 9.03 million vehicles globally to become the world’s largest automaker of 2011, a great deal of the American automaker’s success came down to its dominant popularity in the Chinese market.

According to the China Association of Automobile Manufacturers (CAAM), the best selling car in China for 2011 was the Buick Excelle. While it has been reported China sold 253,514 Excelles while only 177,633 Buick cars and SUVs were sold in the United States, confusion with Buick’s naming system revealed that the hot Buick Excelle isn’t the same as the Buick Verano sold stateside as we presumed. Oddly, the Buick line-up offers a total of three unique Excelles. Of the three, it’s the oldest generation model based on a dated Daewoo design that earned the most amount of sales. Powered by an engine designed by Holden, this particular Excelle is also known as the Kai Yue and was last given a face lift in 2008.

The second and third Chinese market Excelles are known as the Ying Lang. Using Opel Astra architecture, the hatchback Ying Lang XT and the Verano sedan variant, Ying Lang GT, only sold a combined 8,381 units during December 2011 when the older Kai Yue model sold 13,846 units in the same month.

Much of its popularity is due to its competitive pricing. At just 100,000 renminbi, or $15k USD, the Kai Yue Excelle is the gateway vehicle into China’s coveted Buick Owner’s Club.

GALLERY: Buick Excelle

[Source: China Car Times]