Kia Delivers a Stress Free Way to Dash Through the Snow.
It was a blustery cold and snowy afternoon when I took delivery of the latest Kia crossover, the Sportage. Beneath the snow this 5-door crossover looked far different from the Sportage Kia introduced to the US market in 1995. That vehicle was offered as a 5-door SUV or 3-door ½ roof convertible similar to a Suzuki Samarai/Sidekick or an Isuzu Amigo. The days of a genuine rock-crawling, wind in your hair, 4-cylinder SUV are all but gone; replaced by bulbous vehicles designed with an emphasis on handling and cargo carrying abilities while neglecting outward visibility or even tasteful styling. The 2011 Sportage is no exception to the trend. In fact, it takes the small crossover category farther from its SUV ancestry than any other competitor. The original Sportage was a two-box design with a long hood and short overhangs. For 2011, the Sportage has a relatively short hood and eliminates the side windows in the cargo area giving the impression of a VW Golf that has morphed from mild mannered Dr. Bruce Banner into the Incredible Hulk. Thankfully, for 2011 Kia has finally managed to develop a family resemblance amongst its entire line up – Sportage included – with the implementation of a barbell shaped opening in the grille complete with floating Kia badge. Read more…
Kia Can’t Spell, But They Can Build An Impressive Sport Coupe
Kia is known for a lot of things, but building beautiful cars isn’t one of them. As irrefutable evidence we submit the now (mercifully) departed Amanti. That four-eyed rolling catastrophe had a face only a blind mother could love. The good news is the era of the homely Kia is now behind us. As irrefutable evidence we submit the new-for-2010 Forte Coupe, err, Koup. This handsome little sport coupe borrows all the right stuff from clean, contemporary design leader Audi and comes loaded for $19,195 as-tested. Until very recently there wasn’t much in the under-$20k class worth getting excited about if you view driving as more than a required chore to get from Point A to Point B. After a week with the sporty SX model Koup, we think people like us might have a new option in the budget performance class. Read more…
Kia promised that the KCV III, their concept for the 2004 NAIAS, would be as fun to drive as it was to look at. I guess that depends on the driving you intend to, as forward motivation was provided by a 2.0L 4-cylinder putting out 145-hp and 140 lb-ft of torque. Kia then routed that power to the front wheels and set the rear on a torsion beam axle. Not exactly the stuff sports car fantasies are made from. Still, the KCV III made for an interesting design study for Kia. Along with the very curvaceous body it featured an all glass roof comprised of three sections that would stow at a touch of a button, allowing you to enjoy the open air ambiance regardless of the weather.
The 2007 Kia Sportage is a small, comfortable and easy to maneuver sport-utility and a solid bang for you buck vehicle.
The Ultimate Plebianmobile
Sometimes you just have to get out of the office for a few days and take a trip, change the scenery, and breathe some fresh air. But as an auto scribe you could hardly say I leave my work behind me. Oh I was on leave, but not on vacation. The good folks from Kia had a Sportage 4×4 ready and waiting for my critique as soon as my plane hit the tarmac at the Atlanta, Georgia airport. Read more…
When you test drive a new car every week, sometimes you set yourself up for heartbreak — like when you trade the keys to a Porsche for the keys to a cheap economy car.
That hurts. Read more…
In the automotive schoolyard, Kia is the kid who has the lowliest reputation, the one who is the butt of jokes, isn’t too popular, wears worn-out clothes, and occasionally gets roughed up by bullies simply because it hasn’t been aggressive enough to scare the competition. Read more…
