2012 Kia Soul – A Midterm Refresh on a Best Seller

Kia Motors is currently one of the more successful car companies. Month after month they set record sales with a product lineup that is increasingly desirable. Much of this new found success can be traced back to a single, model which started it all. That model would be the Soul.

Here is a car that was seen as a competitor to the original Scion xB, and the Nissan Cube, with rather unusual styling features. When introduced, Kia stated that the inspiration was of a cargo carrying Rhinoceros! Coupled with a very memorable advertising campaign (The Kia Hamsters), the Soul went on to outsell both the xB and the Cube by huge margins. So, when it came time to do a refresh, Kia worked on improving their best seller without killing any of its character like Toyota did with the xB refresh.

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2012 Kia Rio 5-Door – Can an Entry Level Kia become Desirable?

It was almost eighteen years ago that Kia Motors started selling their own brand here in the United States with the Kia Sephia. From those humble beginnings, a full lineup of cars and trucks were later exported into the States and Canada with mixed results. The Sephia was a logical start that was loosely based on the Mazda Familia, and packaged with all the features of a contemporary Toyota Corolla, with none of the reliability or desirability for that matter. Then the Sportage mini SUV followed with a chassis based on the Mazda Bongo, a model that never quite made its way to North America. During this time period Kia was producing the Ford Festiva (based on a Mazda designed Ford and produced under license), and the Ford Aspire (a joint venture between Ford and Kia using the Festiva underpinnings), which Kia stopped producing in 2000.

So what was Kia to do with what they learned by building the Festiva and the Aspire? Well, these industrious Koreans used the existing chassis structure, the same Mazda designed B5 1.5L engine, the same transmissions, only wrapped in distinctive clothing, and when released it was the least-expensive mass-produced car to be sold in the United States. It was sold on price alone, and came in a 4-door Sedan, and 5-door Wagon versions. They sold well enough to warrant a face-lift during the 2003 model year, with the installation of the Mazda designed B6 1.6L engine, enhanced brakes, and a re-tuned suspension. The second generation Kia Rio was a completely new design that shared the platform and powerplants with the Hyundai Accent which was a cost saving measure now that Kia was under the Hyundai umbrella. There was a 4-door Sedan, but the Wagon morphed into a 5-door Hatchback.

The problem for Kia was the fact that these cars were marketed to the credit challenged car buyer that wanted a new car rather that settling for a used car. Now comes the all new 2012 Kia Rio, which I got a chance to try out in various guises while in Austin Texas. Will the new Rio 5-door follow in the footsteps of the Soul, the Optima, and the Sorrento and help thrust Kia into the realm of desirability?

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Requiem For A Rondo

You might not be aware that Kia discontinued the Rondo wagon-cum-microvan at the end of its 2010 run, at least for the U.S. market. Perhaps most hoons’ only interaction with the Rondo would be to make fun of it. After all, it’s a bargain-priced, economy-focused, Korean-built mini-crossover. It possesses as much cred on the street as Rob Schneider at the Academy Awards. But I have come both to bury the Rondo, and to praise it.
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2010 Kia Forte Koup

Most of us on this planet are not wealthy. Most of you reading this review enjoy spirited driving. Seeing that you are most likely not a person of means and that you enjoy being behind the wheel of a vehicle, you’re probably intimately familiar with the “slow-car-fast” concept. This is to say, you know the thrill of driving a slow car quickly.

Growing up, I always found the ideal vehicle for this concept to be the Honda Civic. When they are not adorned with field goal posts, unpainted body kits, and neons, the older Civics are a blast to drive. I am thinking specifically of the 5th and 6th generation (1992-2000) cars. They were simple machines that were frugal and fun at the same time. As Honda grew larger, so did the Civic and it is now in its 8th generation with the 9th gen car on its way. It is still a great car yet it seems to have drifted away from its humble origins. You can actually build a Civic coupe to $30,000, though if you do that you may have recently suffered some form of head trauma and should visit your local ER.

There is a car that does fill the gap that the Civic has moved on from. The 2010 Kia Forte Koup is here to show you that slow cars can still go fast, attacking the road while not attacking your wallet. … Continue Reading

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2011 Kia Sorento

One of my least favorite segments of the automotive industry is the mid-size crossover utility vehicle. I know it has practically become an automotive journalism cliché at this point but I love a good wagon. I see no reason to choose a tall wagon over one with a lower entry point and roofline. That being said, more automakers have recently figured out how to build better mid-size crossovers and I am finding it harder to complain about them.  A perfect example of this is the totally redesigned 2011 Kia Sorento.

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