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The critically acclaimed, U.S.-built, Kia Optima added another accolade to its trophy case this week when it was named to The Boston Globe's annual Top Ten Drives List for 2012, beating out more than 100 cars and trucks. Optima's world-class design and technology features impressed editors who dubbed the Optima a "first-class, five-passenger, mid-sized sedan" with a "surprisingly spacious interior," and appreciated the available heated steering wheel during the cold New England winter months. "With its powerful combination of world-class design, advanced technology, turbocharged performance and outstanding value, the Optima has been turning heads since arriving in showrooms in January and demand has outpaced supply all year," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing and communications, Kia Motors America (KMA). "Kia is the fastest growing car company in the U.S.1 and earning a spot on The Boston Globe's Top Ten Drives List adds to our unprecedented momentum heading into 2012." The Boston Globe 2012 Top Ten Drives List spans a wide range of vehicles and prices in all segments, but they all feature key core traits such as excellent performance, quality construction, fine details and solid value. About the 2012 Optima Design-Led Transformation and Product Line  |
"We had a great buying experience at Huffines Kia in McKinney. Our new Optima is great. The sales person, Taylor Blankenship, found just the car we were looking for at the right price. I would definitely recommend this dealership and our sales professional to anyone searching for a new car. This is our third Kia purchase, but the first at Huffines in McKinney. They addressed all of our concerns and followed through with all commitments."- M. K. Teran
Everyone knows that drunk driving is not only a bad choice, but that it can be a dangerous one.
Kia is working with Mothers Against Drunk Driving (MADD) to engage with teenagers to discourage drunk driving by initiating the “I Pledge” campaign. The “I Pledge” campaign takes place across Canada and visits schools to educate students about the dangers of impaired driving.
This was not the first time MADD and Kia teamed up together. In the past, they came up with a memorial tattoo advertisement which stated, “The consequences stay with you forever. If you drink, don’t drive.”
Now, Kia and MADD are taking their campaign to the next level by visiting young students in person to teach them about the consequences of drunk driving.
Kia is playing its part by donating its vehicles to sponsor the 2011-2012 School Assembly Program. The cars will be used by MADD representatives to promote safe and sober driving at schools across the country.
Each vehicle is customized with Kia and MADD logos and provides space for people to sign their names to pledge their support.
Not living in Canada? You can still participate in the campaign! Check out the Kia Canada Facebook Page (http://www.facebook.com/kiacanada#!/kiacanada) and visit the “I Pledge” Facebook tab. Just click on the “Take the Pledge” button and participate to raise awareness about dangers of drunk driving. You can also read other people’s stories about drunk driving and share your own.
"My wife and I bought two cars from John Bernius on Saturday. He was the most professional salesman I have ever worked with. He spent the time with us to go through every detail about the Optima and the Sorento. We are both VERY pleased with our Kia's. If you have not taken the time to come check these out and work with John, you are missing out!! The best part of all is no pressure, he Gives you all the facts and helps instead of pushing you to make a decision. Thanks John!!"
Korean car maker Kia, along with its significant other Hyundai, symbolize the fourth major automotive business in the world. Cars is the very clear leader on this relationship, yet Kia has various products of the company’s own which make this upstart automaker a person worth observing. If you’re interested in a new car, Kia has a few cool designs for your concern.
1. Kia Soul – The trendy, urban Intellect defies easy categorization. Of course, it is a small in size vehicle, but it really has a large interior. Of course, it is tactically priced, nevertheless its value interests a young age group. The Kia Intellect offers more than enough for a few adults in addition to features a lot of the amenities present day young drivers want including Bluetooth connectivity, air-conditioning, power microsoft windows along with its elegant and cool appeal. Charged from less than $14K, fully rich this type can be had for less than $20K.
2. Kia Specialty – Anyone who said a compact car needs to be boring? Not necessarily Kia and certainly certainly not the Kia Specialty. This a few passenger auto is offered in coupe, 4 door and hatchback body styles giving very good fuel economy, excellent dealing with and a number of attributes standard together with a robust Two.0-liter four pump engine, steering wheel mounted sound controls, your 6-speaker audio system in addition to Bluetooth wi-fi connectivity. If you need more storage space room, then a hatchback works for you.
3. Kia Optima – The midsize sedan phase is packed having competitors, meaning that the Kia Optima must deliver importance for its price tag. The Optima is successful by offering a highly equipped relatives sedan for less than $19K, featuring SIRIUS satellite television radio, your 6-speaker audio system, Wireless bluetooth connectivity plus a 2.4-liter some cylinder engine paired with your 6-speed automatic tranny with switching capabilities. The sedan’s roomy internal, 35 miles per gallon highway standing and brand-new hybrid 4 door make the Optima the best in its course.
4. Kia Sorento – The best offering Kia model was made right here in the states, at Kia’s brand-new manufacturing plant in Georgia. The Kia Sorento is a a few passenger cross-over SUV, priced from the very low 20s. This specific nicely optioned CUV plays against the Frd Escape, Toyota RAV4 in addition to Honda CR-V while others delivering a car or truck available in front- or all-wheel-drive and driven by a Two.4-liter four pump or discretionary 3.5-liter V-6. The Sorento is coupled with 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic signals, and offers amazing highway fuel economy, ample cottage room in addition to generous storage space capacity.
5. Kia Sportage – Innovative for The new year, the smallest SUV offered by Kia may be vastly enhanced. Still quite reasonably priced merely over $18,Thousand and well-equipped, the particular Sorento offers a Two,000 single lb . towing capacity and can find 31 miles per gallon on the highway. Wireless bluetooth connectivity, SIRIUS satellite television radio as well as an upgraded speakers are among the quite a few amenities presented in this astonishingly nimble crossover.
Accountant los angeles models offered by Kia worth checking out and, towards the end of The new year, the high grade Cadenza will be available for purchase. This luxurious a few passenger 4 door will do to get Kia what the Genesis collection has done to get Hyundai, shifting brand views and widening brand attain into brand-new territories.
Courtesy of Website for Coaches
Vroomgirls.com is a relatively new site that centers their car information around women. Make no mistake about it, this site is not for showing women which cars are best for grocery shopping or hauling the kids to soccer practice, this is a site that speaks to what women truly want in a car. This year, Vroomgirls.com put out their first annual list of the Vroomiest Cars of the Year.
They declared winners in every category from compact to fun car to dream and luxury models and Kia is proud to take home one of those awards. The 2012 Kia Rio 5-Door, one of the most talked about models in the Kia line up, came away with top honors as the “Best Hatchback.”
“Kia has been attracting new customers to the brand with a stylish lineup of technology-laden, fun-to-drive vehicles and the Rio 5-door is packed with the right balance of performance, modern amenities and fuel economy that consumers are looking for,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing and communications, Kia Motors America (KMA). “The subcompact segment is more competitive than ever and Vroomgirls recognition of the all-new Rio is further evidence of Kia’s unprecedented growth and expansion in the U.S. market.”
“Simply put, the Rio is a blast!” said Tara Weingarten, Vroomgirls.com editor-in-chief. “It’s sporty, fun, handles very well in corners, has great styling and is spacious enough to be an every-day driver with no compromises.”
The Kia Rio comes in two different body styles to better fit buyers needs. The 2012 model is available in the now award-winning 5-door hatchback and a coupe, so buyers can get something that fits their life style and their budget.
Courtesy of Cucumberland Kia Blog
Expansive good looks will attract a lot of people to the 2012 Kia Rio. And when they get there, in most regards, the Rio will satisfy. However, there is one critical area in which the all-new Rio will leave some shoppers questioning going with the handsome new 2012 Kia.
However, it won’t be the car’s interior quality or feature-set.
In the not so distant past, many of the 2012 Kia Rio’s offerings were found exclusively in luxury cars. Bluetooth telephony and audio streaming, power folding outside rear-view mirrors, voice activated telematics, a rear-view camera feeding a huge seven-inch monitor in the dash, leather upholstery, a sunroof, keyless entry, and pushbutton start are still pleasant finds to this day, particularly when they’re all found together as in the 2012 Rio.
Soft touch materials adorn the dash and door panels and even the Rio’s base-level cloth interior features a sumptuously woven fabric. Tres cool “aircraft style” toggle switches grace the center console for the climate control system. The handsomely styled leather wrapped steering wheel is nicely sized and hosts redundant controls for the audio and communications systems, as well as switches for the cruise control.
Air conditioning, electric power steering, an AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with USB and auxiliary ports, along with satellite radio and three months of complimentary service are standard equipment. You’ll also find an abundance of safety features — Electronic Stability Control (ESC), ABS, Hill-start Assist Control (HAC), and Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) — as standard features.
The 138-horsepower, inline four-cylinder engine tasked with motivating the front-drive Rio does an admirable job of setting the 2500-pound Kia into motion and keeping it moving briskly along. The engine makes 123 ft-lbs of torque and in most cases will be paired with a six-speed automatic transmission. A six-speed manual is offered, but Kia’s product planners chose to exile that transmission to the lower (LX) trim level of the Rio.
The 2012 Rio is the first car in its class (that isn’t a hybrid) to offer what Kia terms “Idle Stop and Go”. In other words, the Rio’s engine shuts itself down at traffic signals, or when you have to stop in heavy traffic. The engine then restarts when you release the brake pedal to move again. Kia’s reps say this feature is good for a one mile per gallon increase in fuel efficiency. On that subject, according to the EPA, the 2012 Kia Rio is good for 30 mpg in the city and 40 on the highway.
Dynamically, the Rio ranks right in there with every other car in its category. It’s a pleasant enough car to drive. Not overtly sporty, but not dull either. The Kia’s steering, suspension and braking systems do a nice job of balancing comfort and engagement. While the 2012 Rio won’t set your eyebrows ablaze with exceptional dynamics, it is an enjoyable car to drive.
Seated behind the wheel, you’ll find the ergonomics of the handsomely styled interior demonstrative of a thoughtful process. You won’t miss your exit trying to find the tuner or volume control for the radio in a Kia Rio. And it’s an especially good thing, because you will need that volume knob a lot.
The 2012 Kia Rio is a pretty noisy car. And when you think about it, simple economics demand if you load all those premium features in a sub-$20,000 car, you’re going to have to cut corners somewhere. Part of where Kia makes up the difference is in insulation. Tire roar is an omnipresent Rio traveling companion. If you’re intrigued by the look of the car and truly enraptured with the vast amount of content you can get for so little money, you’d do well to turn the radio off on your test drive, ask the sales person to stop talking about the Rio, and let you listen to it.
If you can hear yourself think, you've found an exceptional deal. Pricing for the base model 2012 Kia Rio LX starts at $13,600. The top of the line Rio SX starts at $17,500. Fully loaded, with every option, a 2012 Kia Rio still comes in under $20,000.
Courtesy of Lyndon Conrad Bell
The Europeans can now buy the 2012 model year Kia Optima, which is the newest vehicle in the mid-size segment and the car is coming with some interesting updates and an even more interesting price for what it has to offer. A direct competitor to the new Kia Optima and its 1.7 liter CRDI diesel engine is the 2.0 TDI Volkswagen Passat, and to understand more about what the Asian vehicle has to offer, we’ll compare only the torque, which is 325 Nm in the South Korean model while the German vehicle has a peak torque of 320 Nm.
According to the manufacturer, the European Kia Optima is powered, as we said above, by the 1.7 liter CRDI diesel engine which is developing a total output of 136 horsepower and has a peak torque of 325 Nm. Another interesting fact about the model is the automatic transmission, which is also fitted onto the Kia and Hyundai models in the United States, powered by V6 engines which are generating over 300 horsepower. The average fuel consumption for the 2012 Kia Optima is 6.0 liters every 100 km and the vehicle is emitting just 158 g/km of CO2. Prices for the new model in Europe start at 19.999 EUR for the entry-level while the top of the line costs around 25.000 EUR.
With winter in full swing we have to start dealing with frozen windows in the morning and foggy windows at night. Although it is frustrating, with proper technique you should have clear windows again in no time. Below, I am going to cover the best ways to get rid of frozen and foggy car windows.
Foggy windows
Don’t you hate it when it is raining outside and you car windows fog up? Not only are foggy windows extremely hazardous, but they are also very annoying. As soon as you see the windows start to fog up, turn up the heat and direct the airflow to your defrosters with the AC switch engaged. If you car doesn’t have AC, you will need to open up the back windows to get the air moving (let’s just hope it is not raining too hard.) If all else fails, a rag or an article of clothing should work just fine. By regularly cleaning your window, you will be able to prevent some of fog in the future.
Frozen windows
There is nothing worse than coming out to your car in the winter and finding it frosted over. Hopefully you are not running late at the time, because this process isn’t exactly quick. The easiest way I have found is to turn your car heater on and let the warm air inside the car unfrost the windows. In the mean time you can go inside and make a cup of hot cocoa or coffee, because chances are it is going to be cold day. If you are willing to do a little more work, try scraping the ice off using an ice scraper. Make sure you are wearing gloves because this task is bound to leave you cold.
Courtesy of Towne Lakes Car Wash and Detail
| Kia has continued to defy a contracting new car market with another Top Ten performance in November, according to the latest industry figures released by VFACTS. With 2344 sales in November, Kia soared 18.2 per cent over the same month last year and remained 4.7 per cent ahead on the year-to-date performance in an overall new car market down by 2.4 per cent for the same period. The star performer for Kia in November was the small car Cerato which has continued its month-on-month climb in the popularity stakes, recording a massive 130.4 per cent increase over November last year for a year-to-date rise of 78.2 per cent. In the People Mover market the perennial favourite, the Grand Carnival, continued to dominate with a 36.5 per cent share well clear of any challengers. |
| In the highly competitive Compact SUV field the stylish Sportage continues to grow its popularity with a year-to-date jump in sales of 14.3 per cent. Its big brother Sorento is enjoying even greater success with a 27.4 per cent increase over November last year and a year-to-date increase of 28.4 per cent. "It is always pleasing to outperform the market and especially satisfying to do so in difficult times," Kia Motors Australia's Chief Operating Officer, Tony Barlow, said. "There is a good spread of demand for Kia models and that is again a recognition that brand acceptance with buyers is continuing to improve. "December will be a particularly challenging month for the industry as a whole but we are confident that another solid month will provide a great launching pad for 2012.
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At 7:55 a.m. Hawaii time (12:55 p.m. EST) on December 7, 1941, Japanese fighter planes attacked the U.S. base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii, launching one of the deadliest attacks in American history. The assault, which lasted less than two hours, claimed the lives of more than 2,500 people, wounded 1,000 more and damaged or destroyed 18 American ships and nearly 300 airplanes. Almost half of the casualties at Pearl Harbor occurred on the naval battleship USS Arizona, which was hit four times by Japanese bombers. As we commemorate the 70th anniversary of this “date which will live in infamy,” as President Franklin D. Roosevelt described it on December 8, 1941, explore five little-known facts about the USS Arizona and the attack that plunged America into war.
1. Twenty-three sets of brothers died aboard the USS Arizona.
There were 37 confirmed pairs or trios of brothers assigned to the USS Arizona on December 7, 1941. Of these 77 men, 62 were killed, and 23 sets of brothers died. Only one full set of brothers, Kenneth and Russell Warriner, survived the attack; Kenneth was away at flight school in San Diego on that day and Russell was badly wounded but recovered. Both members of the ship’s only father-and-son pair, Thomas Augusta Free and his son William Thomas Free, were killed in action.
Though family members often served on the same ship before World War II, U.S. officials attempted to discourage the practice after Pearl Harbor. However, no official regulations were established, and by the end of the war hundreds of brothers had fought—and died¬—together. The five Sullivan brothers of Waterloo, Iowa, for instance, jointly enlisted after learning that a friend, Bill Ball, had died aboard the USS Arizona; Their only condition upon enlistment was that they be assigned to the same ship. In November 1942, all five siblings were killed in action when their light cruiser, the USS Juneau, was sunk during the Battle of Guadalcanal in the Solomon Islands.
2. The USS Arizona’s entire band was lost in the attack.
Almost half of the casualties at Pearl Harbor occurred on the naval battleship USS Arizona, which was hit four times by Japanese bombers and eventually sank. Among the 1,177 crewmen killed were all 21 members of the Arizona’s band, known as U.S. Navy Band Unit (NBU) 22. Most of its members were up on deck preparing to play music for the daily flag raising ceremony when the attack began. They instantly moved to man their battle positions beneath the ship’s gun turret. At no other time in American history has an entire military band died in action.
The night before the attack, NBU 22 had attended the latest round of the annual “Battle of Music” competition between military bands from U.S. ships based at Pearl Harbor. Contrary to some reports, NBU 22 did not perform, having already qualified for the finals set to be held on December 20, 1941. Following the assault, the unit was unanimously declared the winner of that year’s contest, and the award was permanently renamed the USS Arizona Band Trophy.
3. Fuel continues to leak from the USS Arizona’s wreckage.
On December 6, 1941, the USS Arizona took on a full load of fuel—nearly 1.5 million gallons—in preparation for its scheduled trip to the mainland later that month. The next day, much of it fed the explosion and subsequent fires that destroyed the ship following its attack by Japanese bombers. However, despite the raging fire and ravages of time, some 500,000 gallons are still slowly seeping out of the ship’s submerged wreckage: Nearly 70 years after its demise, the USS Arizona continues to spill up to 9 quarts of oil into the harbor each day. In the mid-1990s, environmental concerns led the National Park Service to commission a series of site studies to determine the long-term effects of the oil leakage.
Some scientists have warned of a possible “catastrophic” eruption of oil from the wreckage, which they believe would cause extensive damage to the Hawaiian shoreline and disrupt U.S. naval functions in the area. The NPS and other governmental agencies continue to monitor the deterioration of the wreck site but are reluctant to perform extensive repairs or modifications due to the Arizona’s role as a “war grave.” In fact, the oil that often coats the surface of the water surrounding the ship has added an emotional gravity for many who visit the memorial and is sometimes referred to as the “tears of the Arizona,” or “black tears.”
. Some former crewmembers have chosen the USS Arizona as their final resting place.
The bonds between the crewmembers of the USS Arizona have lasted far beyond the ship’s loss on December 7, 1941. Since 1982, the U.S. Navy has allowed survivors of the USS Arizona to be interred in the ship’s wreckage upon their deaths. Following a full military funeral at the Arizona memorial, the cremated remains are placed in an urn and then deposited by divers beneath one of the Arizona’s gun turrets. To date, more than 30 Arizona crewmen who survived Pearl Harbor have chosen the ship as their final resting place. Crewmembers who served on the ship prior to the attack may have their ashes scattered above the wreck site, and those who served on other vessels stationed at Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941, may have their ashes scattered above their former ships. As of November 2011, only 18 of the 355 crewmen who survived the bombing of the USS Arizona are known to be alive.
5. A memorial was built at the USS Arizona site, thanks in part to Elvis Presley.
After the USS Arizona sank, its superstructure and main armament were salvaged and reused to support the war effort, leaving its hull, two gun turrets and the remains of more than 1,000 crewmen submerged in less than 40 feet of water. In 1949 the Pacific War Memorial Commission was established to create a permanent tribute to those who had lost their lives in the attack on Pearl Harbor, but it wasn’t until 1958 that President Dwight D. Eisenhower signed legislation to create a national memorial. The funds to build it came from both the public sector and private donors, including one unlikely source. In March 1961, entertainer Elvis Presley, who had recently finished a two-year stint in the U.S. Army, performed a benefit concert at Pearl Harbor’s Block Arena that raised over $50,000—more than 10 percent of the USS Arizona Memorial’s final cost. The monument was officially dedicated on May 30, 1962, and attracts more than 1 million visitors each year.
Courtesy of History.com
The 2012 Forte is a line of compact cars, fitting between the subcompact Rio and the mid-size Optima in Kia's lineup.
Introduced a couple of years ago, the Kia Forte set a new design direction for Kia's cars--adding a dash of European flavor and pitching the anonymity. And on closer look, it's easy to see why Kia gave this model a completely new name (replacing Spectra). The Forte is smooth, clean, and uncluttered on the outside, with proportions that feel just right either up close or from a distance, a stance that's assertive and attractive, and a flowing, gently arced roofline. There aren't any awkward angles, and the sleek coupe looks even better with its simple, swept-back appearance. Last year, a five-door Forte5 hatchback joinsedthe lineup, with a more truncated roofline in back. Inside, the look in any of the models remains simple, no-nonsense, and stylish though not particularly trend-setting.
A 156-horsepower, 2.0-liter four-cylinder powers LX and EX models of the Forte, while sportier SX models get a 173-hp, 2.4-liter four. The Forte Koup is only offered in EX or SX trims. LX models have a standard six-speed manual, while the rest of the line gets a smooth new six-speed automatic. There's nothing to complain about performance-wise, even though this is a very value-minded car; with either of the engines, you'll find more than adequate acceleration. Meanwhile, gas mileage is competitive for the class, at up to 26 mpg city, 36 highway. We actually recommend the automatic with the Forte, as it works well with the engine, and the manual is a bit balky. Suspension tuning is firm but absorbent, and the hydraulic power steering responds well.
With a rather tall roof and high seating position, you get a reasonably good view outward from the front seats, and the cabin feels airy. Front seats are a bit short and flat, but there's lots of legroom, and the backseat has plenty of (legroom-limited) space for two adults, three in a pinch. Interior appointments are unremarkable, but they stand as better than what we've seen in the latest Honda Civic, while Kia has done a great job sealing out road noise.
The 2012 Kia Forte sedan remains an IIHS Top Safety pick, and it's performance in federal tests is a sound four stars. Otherwise, the standard safety-features roster includes dual seat-mounted side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags, front active headrests, anti-lock brakes with brake assist, and electronic stability control.
If you go with one of the more affordable 2012 Kia Forte models, you won't miss out on much--except for maybe telescopic steering adjustment, which comes only on EX models and above. Air conditioning remains optional on the base Forte LX, but all Forte trims get Bluetooth, Sirius Satellite Radio, and an auxiliary input jack for the audio system, plus steering wheel controls and voice activation. The EX model adds A/C and power accessories—and larger 16-inch alloys, for Koup models—while the SX adds fog lamps, plus upgraded upholstery and trim. A Technology Package brings navigation, Sirius XMTraffic, automatic climate control, and push-button start, plus other upgrades.
Courtesy of The Car Connection
All New Kia Rio, designed by Massimo Frascella who is based in the United States has an exterior appearance that is quite tempting. Kia Rio target customers aged 25-40 years. This car is called the right for people who have an open mind and who dared to be different.
Competitors from the Ford Fiesta, Honda Jazz, Toyota Yaris and Mazda 2 has a typical grill as seen on the model adopted tiger nose design, a large front bumper, grille line width and a firm body. While at first glance in the rear, this car-like SUV Sportage, which is the mainstay of MCH.
The interior of the cabin looks dynamic with two-color dashboard and space that feels airy. Rio has adopted a steering wheel adjustment feature that can be set high or low as desired driver.
On systems using a rack and pinion steering is fitted MDPS (Motor Driven Power Steering) where an electric power steering could use when needed. Noise, Vibration and Harshness (NVH) All New Rio is also claimed to be low. This is evidenced by the silence on this car is also quite good. Engine noise and noise from outside can be muted so that feels comfortable when he was in it.
During the trip accompanied by a set of entertainment features that can spoil the ear. Entertainment system in question is an audio double din which includes MP3, CD, Bluetooth, USB and AUX connections are forwarded to the sound system 4 speakers. Interestingly the color of light on this audio system can be fickle so look eye catchy.
While security features rio better than the hyundai Grand Avega because rio has adopted Anti-lock Brake System (ABS) and airbags are intended for single drivers.
Kia Rio is offered in seven solid colors white, Bright Silver, graphite gray, black, fresh beige, red signal and Wendy Brown. IMA plans to officially launch the Rio on December 1, 2011 in Central Park, Jakarta. While the price Rio manual transmission only $ 17,490 and the automatic version $ 18,700.
Courtesy of Repair Paint Car News
