Thursday, September 27, 2012
Wednesday, September 26, 2012
Come on down and take a test drive a new Kia. You and your wallet will be happy you did.
These amazing specials at Commonwealth Kia are almost gone! Come on down and take a test drive a new Kia. You and your wallet will be happy you did. http://bit.ly/RiXMry 
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
2013 Kia Sportage SX FWD First Drive
Since it was introduced in 2011, Kia has made a few running changes to the Sportage SX. Fuel capacity has grown from 14.5 to a still-modest 15.3 gallons and highway fuel economy has improved by 2 mpg on the FWD model and 1 mpg on the AWD model to 29 and 26 mpg, respectively.
It may be a bit of a stretch to compare the Sportage SX to the much more expensive, exclusive, and refined Range Rover Evoque, but looking over the spec sheets, there are similiarties. Both are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4, overall length is within four inches between the two models, and the difference in wheelbase is less than an inch. But there's a big difference where it matters for a lot of consumers: the bottom line. The Sportage starts at over $16,000 less than the Evoque. Even at the Sportage's lower price point, you get ample equipment that includes dual-zone climate control, a power-adjustable driver's seat, leather seating surfaces, LED driving lights, and pushbutton start. Our fully loaded FWD SX tester included navigation with a backup camera and the Premium Package, which adds heated front seats, an air-cooled driver's seat, Homelink integrated garage door opener, and heated exterior mirrors.
Now we know that the Sportage SX doesn't skimp on the goodies, but what's it like to drive? A similarly-equipped 2011 SX FWD model we tested managed a 0-60 time of 7.3 seconds and a quarter-mile of 15.7 seconds at 88.6 mph. Those numbers are not quite as good as the Toyota RAV4 V-6, the current reigning speed champ of compact SUVs, but in real-world driving conditions, the Sportage's 260-hp engine never leaves you yearning for more power. The engine's broad, flat torque curve peaks at 269 lb-ft and provides ample rotational force from 2000-5000 rpm, making highway merging and passing a breeze. Just don't expect Lexus-like refinement from this feisty mill. Compared to the more common applications of the powerplant in the Kia Optima, Hyundai Sonata and new Santa Fe Sport, the engine's forced-induction character is not masked and muffled as much as it is in the others. The turbo's whooshing sound under boost is clearly audible, but considering the Sportage SX's market positioning, product planners probably figured a little bit of boy-racer personality coming through wasn't the worst thing.
Kia fitted the Sportage SX with aggressive, low-profile rubber so between that and its short wheelbase, there's no reason to expect a pillowy ride. In fact, it's a bit on the bouncy side -- not annoyingly or objectionably so, but enough to definitely get a clear sense of the road texture and topography. Also, quick transitions with elevation changes can sometimes upset the Sportage's balance. And the one downside to the torquey turbo four is that at wide-open-throttle on our FWD model, it does exhibit some torque steer, and can feel a little squirrely at full whack.
Getting back to the interior, while it's undeniably jam-packed with features, the Sportage's humble roots show in some areas of the design. The driver's power adjustable front seat cushion does not uniformly lift or lower -- the rear of the seat cushion moves up and down, with the seat pivoting at the front. The outside temperature gauge is counter-intuitively embedded within the "trip" menu, which is accessed by a pair of small buttons on the left edge of the gauge binnacle. Somewhat surprisingly, given that this is a compact-sized crossover, it's a bit of a stretch to reach the touch-screen head unit.
Ultimate cargo and passenger volume falls a little short of the class leaders, the Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4, but that may be beside the point. Objectively, the Sportage may be in the same class as the Honda and Toyota, but its bold styling is a stark contrast to the Honda and Toyota's conservative lines. And the SX model, with its powerful turbocharged engine, will likely appeal to a totally different buyer than even the RAV4 V-6. The CR-V and RAV4 may be the perfect starter cars for young families, but the Sportage SX is clearly targeted to singles and couples that aren't totally ready to give up style and power as they transition into adult and familial responsibilities.
If you're in the market for a small crossover that packs plenty of style and power into a package that won't stress your monthly budget or credit score, the Kia Sportage SX is an attractive choice in a class generally characterized by anonymous styling and function over flair.
Content Source: Fetch
Monday, September 24, 2012
The Daily Drivers: 2013 Kia Optima SXL delivers on style
Appearance: The core design remains unchanged, but the Limited trim that's the "L" in SXL brings the bling. You get lots of chrome bordering the black-gloss mesh grille, in trim pieces such as the rear-tip spoiler, in the dual chrome-tipped exhausts and in the 18-inch wheels. Add in LED daylight running lights, saucy red brake calibers and shimmering Snow White Pearl paint (one of only three SXL colors, along with Ebony Black and Titanium Silver) and it's quite the visual statement.
Performance: The 2.0-liter, 4-cylinder GDI with turbo pumps out 274 horsepower without a hint of turbo lag or torque steer in the front-wheel-drive Optima. It's enough to make you check under the hood to make sure it's not a bigger V-6 engine. The sport-tuned suspension and other SXL chassis tweaks produce a refined ride and taut handling. The 6-speed Sportmatic transmission shifts smoothly and also has paddle shifters.
Interior: It doesn't suffer from Bland Sedan Syndrome. In appearance, it seems lifted from a more expensive car, with an angled console and lots of leather and wood accents. The fit and finish are good, with soft-touch materials and, where there's plastic, still a quality surface. Our SXL came with comfortable white Nappa leather seats that are heated and cooled for the front and heated for the rear. There's also white leather in the door panels and center console. Is this really a Kia? The dual-pane panoramic sunroof, along with all that white leather, brightened the cabin. We liked the leather-wrapped steering wheel with wood accent at the top; a luxury touch, but some may find it too slick. The head- and legroom are generally good, although taller passengers will feel cramped in the rear seat because of the sloping roofline, which is part of the price you pay for styling and aerodynamics. Our tester came with the upgraded navigation with Sirius Traffic which replaces the standard UVO infotainment system and with it a rearview camera. The SXL also has a Smart Key remote with push-button start; keep your keys in your pocket or purse.
Content Source: Google News
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Wednesday, September 19, 2012
Time to bring the car in for servicing? Commonwealth Motors allows you to schedule your appointment online.
Just follow the link and get your service appointment scheduled today! http://bit.ly/UqeGpt
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Kia'S SX Limited Model Has Near-Luxury Image Without The Overhead
*Courtesy of San Diego Union-Tribune (CA), 9/16/2012
By Mark Maynard
Monday, September 17, 2012
Amazing specials going on right now at Commonwealth Kia!
These specials are here for a limited time, so come on down and take a test drive before these great deals are gone! 
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Kia gives a closer look at Quoris interior
We already know what Kia's new flagship sedan will look like, but the automaker has finally released a handful of images showing the car in its Quoris-specific guise. While Kia still hasn't said when the 2013 Quoris will be available here in the U.S., these new shots of the car have us eagerly anticipating the car's arrival.
One new aspect of the Kia Quoris that we haven't seen before is the heads-up display screen. It's not clear what the availability of the HUD will be on the Quoris, but it is a feature that will help set it apart in a crowded luxury sedan market. From the picture, we can see that the full-color HUD screen will display information for the adaptive cruise control, navigation and vehicle speed, and we'd imagine there's more. This latest round of images also gives us a better idea of what the interior will look like in a more natural light, as opposed to stylized images of the Kia K9 we've seen before, and they show the cabin in a different color combination. Outside the car, we still see full LED headlights and we also get a look at a new set of stylish, multi-spoke wheels with painted inserts.
*Courtesy of Autoblog
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
SPECIAL-EDITION 2013 RIO 5-DOOR SX M/T ARRIVES IN LIMITED QUANTITY
Until now, driving enthusiasts couldn't get their hands on the Rio they were most eager to own--that's about to change. The 2013 Rio 5-door SX is now offered with a 6-speed manual transmission (M/T). Arriving in dealerships in limited quantity with a MSRP of just $17,9004, the Rio SX M/T is a fun-to-drive subcompact that satisfies enthusiasts' desires for a more engaging drive experience without sacrificing the comfort and convenience offered by the subcompact model's highest trim level. The Rio SX M/T is inspired by Kia's championship winning motorsports efforts and the recently-introduced Rio B-spec race car. Enthusiasts should get in line now as less than 500 Rio SX M/Ts will be initially offered for sale during the 2013 model year.The 2013 Kia Rio SX with six-speed manual transmission is inspired by Kia's B-Spec racing program.
The Rio 5-door SX M/T comes standard with a class-leading 138 horsepower5 4-cylinder double- overhead cam gasoline direct-injection (GDI) engine featuring dual Continuously Variable Valve Timing (CVVT) and fuel economy of 30-mpg city/40-mpg highway6. The Rio 5-door SX M/T is available in Signal Red and Electronic Blue and comes with LED taillights, front LED accent lights, and 17-inch alloy wheels. Inside, the Rio SX M/T adds a seven-inch navigation touch screen with a SiriusXM™7 Traffic system and push-button start with Smart Key. Other standard SX features include sport-tuned suspension, rear camera display8, steering-wheel mounted audio controls, Bluetooth®9 wireless technology, and an AM/FM/CD/ MP3 SiriusXM
"The Kia Rio 5-door SX M/T is perfect for driving enthusiasts who simply won't compromise when it comes to certain features," said Orth Hedrick, Director of Product Planning at Kia Motors America (KMA). "Our customers and the automotive press have been asking for the Rio 5-door SX with a manual transmission, and we've listened. As the Kia brand becomes more and more relevant to enthusiasts, we'll continue to evaluate consumer demand and consider bringing other high-spec manuals to market."
Those looking for the inspiration behind the Rio 5-door SX M/T need look no further than the twisting, undulating macadam of America's greatest road racing circuits. In addition to its championship winning professional road racing program, Kia this year entered the new B-Spec grassroots racing series, and the Rio SX M/T offers buyers the sporty driving dynamics that transfer from the track to the street.
To advance from driving enthusiast to racer10, customers can purchase a 2013 Rio 5-door M/T (LX Trim) and a B-Spec performance kit11 available at a cost of $14,000 from Kia's racing partner, Kinetic Motorsports. The kit includes everything needed to transform the street-loving Rio 5-door into a proper racecar: pre-cut roll cage, racing seat, quick-release steering wheel, racing harness, race shocks, lightweight wheels, spec-series tires, oil sump pan expansion kit and complete build instructions. For an additional fee, Kinetic will professionally assemble the Rio at their shop in Buford, Georgia.
Kia's Unprecedented Growth
Kia Motors is one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling. Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand. In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality12 and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking13. Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia – KMMG – is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds two of the company's best-selling vehicles in the U.S. – the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan*. Kia's value and technology-laden lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.
*Courtesy of Kia Media
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Monday, September 10, 2012
NEW KIA SOUL HAMSTER CAMPAIGN CONTINUES WITH LAUNCH OF "IN MY MIND" MUSIC VIDEO CHALLENGE
Kia's music-loving hamsters energized movie audiences over the holiday weekend, and now they are making their way to the digital screen with the launch of a new user-generated content contest as the "Bringing Down the House" spot begins airing on TV during tonight's MTV Video Music Awards. The fourth installment of the award-winning ad campaign is set to "In My Mind" (Axwell remix), and the Kia Soul "In My Mind" Music Video Challenge on YouTube encourages imaginativeusers to interpret the electronic dance music song's lyrics in their own unique way and create a corresponding music video for the opportunity to win a new 2013 Kia Soul and other prizes.
Contestants are encouraged to create a 90-second music video that synchronizes the "In My Mind" track to their visuals. Videos can be uploaded to www.youtube.com/kia through September 26 and users can share their production via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help garner votes that will account for 49 percent of the final score. Six (three potential winners, and three alternates) finalist videos will be selected in mid-October, and a panel of celebrity judges, including Far East Movement, Paul Hunter and Mickey Finnegan, will select the winning entries.
"Music has played a starring role in each of the Soul hamster spots, and the mash-up and remixing trends that inspired 'Bringing Down the House' lends itself to tapping the imaginations of fans of the spot and aspiring music video directors to allow them to express their creativity," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America.
About "Bringing Down the House"
Created by David&Goliath, Kia's advertising agency of record, the new 60-second spot fuses old and new worlds by placing a spotlight on the emergence of electronic dance music, which has quickly found its way into the mainstream with some of today's biggest musical acts incorporating classical sounds and instrumentation into their arrangements.
"Bringing Down the House" starts with all the grandeur and scale of an epic Hollywood period film as ballet dancers, an opera singer and a slightly odd-looking conductor take the stage in 1799. As soaring music and vocals fill the air, the audience is stunned when the conductor is revealed to be a music-loving hamster in disguise. With the cast and audience looking on in shock, a futuristic Kia Soul rises through the stage floor and a hamster DJ spins this summer's electronic concert anthem, "In My Mind" remixed by Axwell – a member of the DJ trio, Swedish House Mafia. It doesn't take long before the sight of dancing hamsters decked out in colorful "Hamstar" clothing causes even the crustiest of the upper-crust crowd to lose their inhibitions. With the entire opera house on their feet and moving to the music, the hamsters make a memorable exit as their Soul travels through hyperspace with a hamster winking and waving its paw in the interstellar wind.
About the 2013 Kia Soul
With fun-to-drive performance and out-of-the-box styling, the 2013 Soul delivers impressive horsepower and fuel efficiency of up to 27/35 miles per gallon (mpg) city/highway1, along with a long list of standard comfort and convenience features, including Bluetooth®2 wireless technology with steering wheel-mounted controls, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a chrome-accented grille. Soul 2.4-liter I-4 equipped with the ECO Package also offers the fuel-saving ISG technology, which turns off the engine when the vehicle is not in motion, such as at a stop light or in traffic. The award-winning Kia Soul has been named as this year's No. 1 vehicle on the coveted "10 Best Back-to-School Cars in 2012" list by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, as well as honored as class best by two J.D. Power and Associates Studies: IQS and APEAL.
Kia's Unprecedented Growth
Kia Motors is one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling. Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand. In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality3 and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking4. Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia – KMMG – is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds two of the company's best-selling vehicles in the U.S. – the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan*. Kia's value and technology-laden lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.
*Courtesy of Kia Newsroom
Thursday, September 6, 2012
Tuesday, September 4, 2012
Austin Traffic Report: The Kia Optima Hybrid Surpasses Fuel Economy Estimates On A Long Journey To Las Vegas
The vehicle that many said would never make it has now become an essential part of any car lineup. Gasoline-electric hybrids are cropping up everywhere and one of the latest is from Kia.
Most road tests cover day-to-day driving but on this occasion, I needed a car to drive to Las Vegas and back and while gas prices have fallen, I still wanted the most fuel efficient vehicle I could get. With one of the best EPA estimated miles per gallon (mpg)—35 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway—the 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid performed beautifully.
It’s powered by a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine connected by a wet clutch to an Interior Permanent Magnet (IPM) synchronous electric motor and matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. A state-of-the-art, air-cooled 270V lithium-polymer battery powers the electric motor.
On this 2771-mile journey, the Optima hit 41 mpg and sometimes better, on the leg between Albuquerque, New Mexico and Las Vegas. Otherwise, it hovered between 36 and 39 mpg. While the Optima includes an ECO mode for added fuel efficiency, I didn’t notice a particular advantage. I spent less than $200 on gas for the whole trip.
Also delightful were the various digital displays to help monitor the vehicle’s performance, from a graph with green or yellow leaves on the hybrid display viewed on the center navigation screen, or the bouquet of flowers that sprouted up to five blossoms as fuel efficiency increased. I even earned a final ECO score of 69, which I’m guessing is better than average?
The version I drove included the Premium Technology Package that comes with wonderful features like navigation, a panoramic sunroof, and cooled seats. Navigation was a godsend on a trip like this but there was at least one glitch—it rerouted me on its own and if I hadn’t kept a sharp eye on the ETA and miles to destination readouts on the navigation map, I might have missed the error and gone way off course.
Still, on a solo ride like this, your car is your best friend. The Kia Optima Hybrid proved loyal and true.
Content Source: (StrategyOne Internal)
Outlet Type: Online News
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