Showing posts with label Kia. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Kia. Show all posts

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Classic Kia Car Soul

Classic  Kia Car SoulClassic design Kia car soul with Black Color a head car

Concept cars serve a few purposes, they allow designers to run free without practical limitations, while leading to the creation of new technology that eventually finds its way to every day cars. i think this car classic kia soul with black color looks antique. and enginering.

Thursday, January 7, 2010

Kia and Microsoft's Uvo... [Video]



Tucked in between Google's hot new smartphone and a variety of other computer peripheral equipment at this year's CES show is a crossover. Not the jacked-up, tricked-out, neon-dragging customized type that we typically see around the Consumer Electronics Show, but a bone-stock, 2011 Kia Sorento. Well, stock except for one option: UVO.





We recently got a chance to try out the newly-announced system in the plastic, and while impressive in its own right, just hours after sitting down with Ford to check out the latest Sync and MyFord Touch, it's somewhat less than stunning.





But, ignoring that for now, Kia's offering looks good and still ahead of the rest of the curve. It's functionally comparable to early Sync, enabling easy access to media on 1GB of internal storage, on a USB-connected drive or even on a CD.





You can rip from CD straight to internal memory or to a thumb drive, an interesting feature we're not sure is particularly useful. The touchscreen display is a nice improvement over Ford's two-line Sync readout, but remember that if you get this system, you'll have to opt out of in-dash GPS. Good thing you splurged and got that Droid, right?

More Photos

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

Reasons to be happy in '09 - small, fun cars

In the midst of economic gloom and worries about the environment easing us into 2009, at least some car manufacturers still know how to have fun. First to take a bow is Fiat, who bring us news of something we've all secretly been hoping for since the demise of the Barchetta and the reinvention of the Abarth marque - a small sports car. This news comes via Auto Express, who give us pictures (albeit artists interpretations, as far as I can gather) of an agressive looking small coupe/roadster based on the Fiat 500.

This means the car will be front-wheel drive, but equipped with the 1.4 turbocharged motor from the 500 Abarth, exciting performance should be readily available, amplified by the lightweight body and low centre of gravity. Not only that, it's anticipated to deliver 45mpg, so whilst not a smart Roadster in terms of green fun, it's more than adequate. Unlike the Roadster it should also be inexpensive - Fiat are aiming for a £12,000 starting tag. Given that the Fiat 500 shares it's platform with the Ford Ka, could we be in for a possible StreetKa replacement in the future?

Abarth Coupe (Image: Auto Express)

Also bringing us a small and economical sports car is Volkswagen. VW have tempted us with small roadsters before, but appear more serious this time, touting their BlueSport concept as a cut-price Porsche Boxter. Whilst not exactly svelte at 1200kg, this is still relatively light by Volkswagen standards and the 178bhp, 350Nm 2.0 TDI engine should have no problem propelling it along, especially through VW's DSG dual-clutch transmission feeding power to the rear wheels.

Unfortunately, though somewhat predictably, you pay VW prices for a VW roadster and it's expected to start at over £22,000, over ten grand more than the Abarth. That said, by Boxter standards it's a steal and you're unlikely to get 42mpg and 113g/km of CO2 from a Boxter.

Volkswagen BlueSport (Image: Volkswagen)

Giving us open-air fun in a different form is Kia, who presented the Soul'ster at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit. The Soul'ster is based on the new Kia Soul so isn't a dedicated sports car like the others, instead presenting us with a kind of pickup/roadster hybrid. Being based on the normal hatchback, practicality is still a strong point with room for four plus luggage, according to Auto Express. With the 1.6 litre turbodiesel available in the UK-bound soul it should be capable of close to the 55mpg that Kia claim for the regular Soul. Alas, as yet the 'ster is only a concept, but it should raise interest in the production Soul.

Kia Soul'ster (Image: Kia Motors)