Addition of 2012 Rio sedan compliments Rio 5-Door to offer practicality, technology and impressive fuel efficiency with unparalleled design

Similar to its Rio 5-Door sibling, the all-new 2012 Rio sedan shines with technology thanks to Gasoline Direct Injection (GDI) and a long list of comfort features

Value-packed 2012 Rio sedan offers outstanding combination of head-turning style, impressive fuel economy and power in its class

 

Scottsdale, AZ, January 19, 2012 ? Kia Canada Inc. today launched the all-new 2012 Rio sedan, which adds to the recently revealed Rio 5-Door hatchback. First unveiled at the 2011 New York International Auto Show, the all-new Rio sedan ushers in the next chapter of Kia Motors' ongoing design-led transformation with previously unseen levels of eye-catching design, advanced technologies and sophistication in the small car segment. Starting at $13,795, the all-new Rio sedan features GDI technology and increased power. The Rio returns remarkable fuel economy of 4.9 litres per 100 kilometres on the highway, promising consumers impressive fuel efficiency without sacrificing power or fun-to-drive performance. 

 

"Much like its 5-Door sibling, the Rio sedan continues to offer an unparalleled blend of world-class design, safety, quality and technology, while maintaining impressive fuel efficiency and practicality," said Robert Staffieri, Director of Marketing at Kia Canada Inc. "The Rio sedan has an unparalleled youthful persona that will resonate well with Canadians."

 

Available in five trims ? LX, LX+, EX, EX+ and EX Luxury ? the 2012 Rio offers a 1.6-litre GDI four-cylinder engine with a standard six-speed manual or available six-speed automatic transmission.  The 2012 Rio gives consumers the elusive combination of power and incredible fuel efficiency by achieving a class-leading[1] 138 horsepower, while also maintaining fuel economy ratings of 6.6 L/100 km in the city[2] and 4.9 L/100 km on the highway. 

 

Conceived at Kia's design studios in Irvine, Calif., the all-new Rio sub-compact exhibits highly sculpted sloping shoulder lines and wedge-shaped exteriors. Its athletic profile conveys power and agility while mimicking the aggressive lines found on other recently launched Kia vehicles, such as the 2011 Optima and Sportage. The Rio sports its own interpretation of Kia's signature grille, slimmed down to connect to the dynamic headlamp design, providing a new twist on the Kia family look.

 

The 2012 Rio envelops driver and passengers in a bold and modern cabin centred on Kia's distinctive horizontal three-cylinder instrument panel, emphasizing a feeling of spaciousness and comfort.  An extended wheelbase (2,570 mm) greatly enhances passenger and cargo capacity for additional comfort, offering 1,015-mm front headroom, 955-mm rear headroom, 1,112-mm front legroom and 790-mm rear legroom.  

 

In addition to offering a comfortable cabin, impressive technology features also come standard throughout, including an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with SIRIUS^® Satellite Radio capabilities and three months complimentary service. Also included are auxiliary and USB audio input jacks for connecting the audio system to MP3 players.  Available on the EX+ trim is Kia's all-new UVO infotainment system, which has been co-developed with Microsoft® and based on Windows Embedded Automotive software.  UVO is an easy-to-use, hands-free solution that allows drivers and passengers to answer and place phone calls, access music from a variety of media sources and create custom music experiences.

 

The 2012 Rio sedan brings with it an all-new platform ? longer, wider and lower than the previous generation.  Its aggressive and playful stance is assisted through an overall length of 4,365-mm with a platform measuring 1,720-mm wide and 1,455-mm high.  Employing high-tensile-strength steel, Rio's lightweight design offers high torsional stiffness for improved handling, ride quality and refinement.  Though a more expensive alternative, using these materials also increases crash safety capabilities while reducing overall weight. To ensure good noise vibration and harshness (NVH) reduction, the 2012 Rio was outfitted with hood and dashboard insulators as well as expandable foam in the A and C pillars.  

 

Built on a unibody frame, the front-wheel-drive Rio utilizes front MacPherson struts, coil springs and a stabilizer bar in the front, with a torsion beam axle suspension in the rear to engage drivers with responsive handling and provide the utmost comfort for a variety of driving situations.

 

The 2012 Rio is equipped with a high level of standard safety features, as is the rest of the Kia line-up. Rio's high-strength steel structure includes an innovative Halo Body construction designed to help protect occupants in certain side impact and roll-over collisions, while additional standard safety features include six airbags (dual advanced front and front-seat mounted side as well as side curtain), side-impact door beams, height-adjustable front seatbelts with pre-tensioners, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH).  Also standard on all Rio trims for increased driver and passenger safety are Electronic Stability Control (ESC), four-wheel disc brake with Anti-Lock Braking System (ABS), Hill-start Assist Control (HAC) and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM), which coordinates the car's ESC, ABS and electric assist power steering to help the driver stay in control of the vehicle.

 

Starting at $13,795, the LX trim includes body-colour door handles and sideview mirrors and 15-inch steel wheels with 185/65R15 tires.  To accentuate the premium look, the power, heated sideview mirrors are attached to the door rather than the plastic triangle like so many others in the segment.  Also standard are: power windows and door locks, driver's seat height adjuster, map lights, illuminated vanity mirrors, trip computer, sliding centre console armrest and 60/40 split folding rear seats.

 

At $15,295, the LX+ trim offers air conditioning, heated front seats, cruise control, keyless entry, fog lights, and Bluetooth hands-free phone connectivity with steering wheel-mounted voice activation controls to enable hands-free operation for compatible mobile phones. In addition, automatic-transmission equipped 2012 Rios feature an Active Eco System, a driver-activated feature, for optimal fuel-efficient driving. 

 

The EX trim starts at $16,695 and brings standard 16 inch alloy wheels wrapped in 195/55R16 tires, a power sunroof, and electrically-foldable sideview mirrors with LED turn signal indicators. In addition, the EX trim offers consumers an even more upscale look and feel with leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob as well as soft-touch dashboard finish, and leatherette door trim. The EX+ trims continues the added features with a UVO infotainment system, rearview camera and automatic headlights for $17,195.

 

For consumers looking for higher levels of sporty refinement, the EX Luxury offers standard 17-inch wheels with 205/45R17 tires, sport-tuned suspension, larger front brakes, and twin-tip exhaust. The EX Luxury starts at $20,495 and also adds a smart key, push button ignition, heated steering wheel, supervision cluster, cooling glove box, luggage net and tray, leather seats, alloy sports pedals, automatic climate control, rain-sensing windshield, LED tail- and positioning- lights and special solar glass, which reduces cabin temperatures. An available navigation system is also offered for an additional $1,200.

 

Like all Kia models in Canada, the 2012 Rio is covered by a comprehensive warranty program, which offers unprecedented consumer protection. Included in this program are a five-year or 100,000-km limited powertrain warranty, a five-year or 100,000-km limited comprehensive warranty, and a five-year unlimited-km anti-perforation warranty. A five-year/100,000-km roadside assistance plan is also part of the comprehensive coverage program.

September 14, 2011

Kia Motors is one of the automotive industry's current fuel economy leaders and today the brand is celebrating the setting of a new Guinness World Record for lowest fuel consumption in a hybrid gasoline vehicle, while driving through all 48 adjoining U.S. states.
Drivers Wayne Gerdes from Wadsworth, Illinois, and Chris Bernius from New York City, successfully piloted a factory-standard 2011 Kia Optima Hybrid sedan through a 12,712 km route across America and achieved an incredible average fuel consumption of 3.64L/100 km, beating the car's official EPA highway fuel consumption figure by 61.37%.
Kia's 48-state challenge was completed in 14 days driving an average of 907 kilometers per day.  The Optima Hybrid used just over 5.5 tanks of gasoline to complete the route, recording an average distance of 2,282 kilometers between fill-ups.  To comply with the Guinness World Record guidelines, the Optima Hybrid had to carry two people and their luggage throughout the journey.
The record attempt was verified by Philip Robertson, Adjudicator at Guinness World Records, who also presented the drivers with their Guinness World Record certificate at an official handover ceremony at Kia Motors' manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia on September 12.
The record set is officially titled "LOWEST FUEL CONSUMPTION DRIVING THROUGH ALL 48 CONTIGUOUS U.S. STATES IN A GASOLINE HYBRID CAR",  which is a new category created by Guinness World Records.  In order to qualify for a new record, Kia Optima Hybrid was required to achieve a nimimum 4.5 litres per 100 kilometers, which this fuel-sipping Optima Hybrid exceeded by 23%!
After a send-off by local dignitaries and Kia team members on August 26 at Kia's manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia, the drivers departed on their epic journey in a clockwise direction, with the two drivers averaging approximately 907 kilometers per day.  They finished their route in the city of Greenville, South Carolina, just over two weeks later on September 9.  After a rigorous accreditation process by Guinness World Records, the drivers and car were transported to West Point for the closing ceremony and celebration.
Senior Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation, Thomas Oh, commented, "Kia Motors is deeply proud to have set a new Guinness World Record.  It is a testament to the quality of the design, engineering and production methods of the Kia Optima Hybrid.  The drivers had to complete their unsupported drive through all kinds of American terrain and weather conditions and they did it without a single hitch from the Optima Hybrid while setting what is such an impressive fuel consumption figure."
"While travelling across the United States the Optima Hybrid experienced temperatures ranging from more than 47 degrees Celsius to less than freezing point.  The team climbed through the formidable Rocky mountain chain and negotiated rush hour traffic in Chigaco, New York City and Las Vegas - which makes the Optima Hybrid's fuel consumption figure all the more impressive," added Mr. Oh.
Record-breaking driver, Wayne Gerdes, said, "The Kia Optima Hybrid was the perfect vehicle for this long road trip.  It is spacious, comfortable and fun-to-drive, and the parallel gasoline-electric powertrain provided considerable efficiency at highway speeds and the car performed flawlessly throughout the 12,712 kilometer drive.
"The remarkable economy figure we achieved included driving in all kinds of conditions, from straight open highway to deserts to gridlocked city traffic, so this really was the ultimate demonstration of the real-world fuel economy that any Optima Hybrid owner can achieve with attention to the details of their driving style."
Followers and fans interested in exploring the route in more detail can view daily blogs, plus photo and video uploads via a specially-developed Facebook app at http://www.facebook.com/Kiamotorsworldwide, where driver Wayne Gerdes has also shared his top tips for achieving better fuel economy.

NATIONAL POST - David Booth. Nanoose Bay, B.C. - Quick, name the fastest-growing auto company in Canada. The revamped General Motors with its suddenly resurgent product line and the creditable Cruze compact? Nope. Ford and the fawning headlines it garners continuously as the only American automaker not to succumb to a bailout? Nah. How about Volkswagen with its suddenly cheap, cheap, cheap Jetta and Passat? Almost. ... READ MORE.

 

TORONTO STAR - Brian Early. NANAIMO, B.C. - According to Kia's numbers, total hybrid vehicle sales make up just 2.4 per cent of the North American marketplace, so you'd have to wonder just why it would bother to go through the expense and effort of introducing a hybrid version of its sexy-looking new Optima sedan.  ... READ MORE

 

AUTOGUIDE - Nauman Farooq Until recently, the only mass car producing nation that had not caught on to the hybrid game was Korea, but that has all changed in 2011. First came the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid, and now it's followed by the Kia Optima Hybrid. ... READ MORE

 

Daniel Barron from Autonet.ca: "Kia certainly didn't go halfway with its first North American hybrid vehicle. It packs in a ton of notable features - be it in terms of fuel economy, safety, or luxury - to make it a force to be reckoned. I'm really not sure what's more attractive, the exterior styling or the long list of goodies with which it comes." ... READ MORE

 

Michel Deslauriers from Auto123.com: "What's impressive is how natural the Optima Hybrid feels; drive it normally, and it behaves like a regular car. The harshness sometimes felt in a hybrid car's brake pedal during energy regeneration is barely noticeable, and the start/stop system doesn't cause the car to shudder while it fires the gas engine back to life." ... READ MORE

 

David Booth, from National Post: "That same great-with-a-small-exception also captures the essence of the Optima's handling. Where Kia truly excels is in the Optima Hybrid's styling: you have perhaps the prettiest car in its segment." ... READ MORE

 

Jim Robinson from Metroland: "This is a very enjoyable car to drive and frankly I almost forgot it was hybrid because of the way it felt and handled. There are more and more hybrids on the road but this is the best I've driven to date." ... READ MORE

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Chuck Reimer on Kia Forte5	Dan Heyman on Sportage SX

 

Michel Deslauriers on Cadenza	Harry Pegg on Sportage SX

 

Justin Pritchard on Sportage SX	Kia wins four design awards

 

The  Kia Soul Hamsters are still on a roll with the arrival of the special-edition 2011 Hamstar Soul.

This is the sixth special edition of the funky urban passenger line. The Soul was first seen as a concept at the 2010 SEMA Show.

The Kia Soul Hamsters rolled into pop culture in staring in music-filled  commercials. Since then, those commercials have been viewed on YouTube more than 7 million times. And the  Hamstar clothing line has been launched.

The Hamstar Soul special edition features off-black matte finish stripes on the vehicle's sides and a black star graphic with the signature Hamstar script logo on the hood.

Additional exterior extras feature body-colored bumpers with a rear bumper applique, power sun-roof, fog lights, a rear sport spoiler, black fender vents with turn signal indicator and a matte black alloy fuel door. The Hamstar Soul rides on black 18-inch alloy wheels.

The features continue in the cabin with black leather-trimmed seats with heated front seats, Hamstar floor mats, push button start with smart key, automatic climate control and leather wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

Music is a big part of the Hamstar scene, so the Hamstar Soul includes an audio upgrade package with a center speaker, subwoofer, 315-watt external amplifier and speaker lights that pulse to the beat.

The Hamstar Soul has a MSRP of $20,295.