2007 Kia Sedona V6 3.8l Automatic 7 Passenger Rear Air One Owner on 2040-cars

Auto blog

2014 Kia Soul priced from $14,700*

Kia has announced pricing on the refreshed 2014 Soul. At $14,700 (*plus a destination charge of $795), the new funky crossover undercuts its two primary competitors, the Scion xB and Nissan Cube, by $2,850 and $2,060, respectively. That base model includes 16-inch alloys, cruise control, wheel-mounted audio controls and a 1.6-liter, four-cylinder engine with 130 horsepower and 118 pound-feet of torque.
The mid-range model, the Soul Plus, demands $18,200 and adds a spate of exterior items, like 17-inch wheels and chrome trim, to class up the Soul's look, not to mention a 164-horsepower, 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine. Plus customers also have access to a number of option packages, including a $400 pack that adds Kia's UVO infotainment system and a backup camera. A $1,400 Audio Package adds navigation, an eight-inch display, an Infinity stereo and automatic temperature controls. A $3,000 Primo Package adds a few notable luxury items, like a panoramic sunroof, heated leather seats, and push-button start. Finally, a $400 Eco Package adds stop-start technology and replaces the 17-inch wheels with 16s shod in low-rolling-resistance tires.
The top-of-the-line Soul Exclaim starts at $20,300 and comes with LED running lights, LED taillights, 18-inch wheels and the Plus's UVO Package as standard. Buyers can opt for The Whole Shebang, a $2,500 option pack that apes the Primo Package from the Plus. Weirdly, the Audio Package from the Soul Plus is an extra $1,200 on the Exclaim, and has been rebranded the Sun and Sand Package. Feel free to peruse the press release below for more.

Goes Both Ways: Free-trade pact sees South Korean brands losing share at home

France has been vocal, but not alone, in noting the rise of the South Korean automakers in Europe. The signing of a free-trade pact in 2011 between South Korea and the EU, along with the especially value-conscious buyers in a crisis-stricken Europe, has seen market share increases measuring in the double digits for Hyundai and Kia - analysts expect 14-percent growth for the two in 2012.
A report in Bloomberg has found that there's pain at the other end, too: The pact more than halved import tariffs on European cars headed to South Korea to 3.2 percent, and prices are now close enough to domestic offerings for more South Koreans to pay the premium for foreign luxury nameplates and the cachet they confer. Products sold by the five domestic automakers hogged 92 percent of the market last year, and sales have dropped 5.2 percent this year whereas import sales have risen by 24 percent. This will mark the first year that imports claimed ten percent of the market; compare that to 2002, when domestic market share in the world's 11th largest auto market was 99 percent.
The Germans are at the head of the arrow, counting for 65 percent of imported car sales, but every foreign maker has seen double-digit gains. Analysts think foreign makes could ultimately grab 15 percent of the market.

Kia's Super Bowl ad parks the Optima in a Walken closet

Kia has a weird marketing strategy to sell the Optima in its Super Bowl commercial titled Walken Closet. The humorous spot stars actor Christopher Walken who appears to live in a closet, and he describes the South Korean brand's midsize sedan as "as the world's most exciting pair of socks." Walken is famous for his unique voice, and he enunciates Kia Optima in this ad like no one else can. The ad markets the Optima as the midsize sedan for customers who want something more exciting from the segment. According to Walken, other vehicles are like beige socks, but the Kia has "pizzazz." Comparing a vehicle to a pair of socks still doesn't get the heart racing, though. You can watch a 90-second version of Walken Closet above. Kia will premiere the 60-second cut during the four quarter of the Super Bowl. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ADDS "PIZZAZZ" TO KIA MOTORS' SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL FOR THE ALL-NEW OPTIMA MIDSIZE SEDAN Kia is the First Brand to Utilize a New Technology Solution from Influential That Taps IBM Watson for Influencer Identification as Part of Multifaceted Marketing Campaign Extended cut of "Walken Closet" can be viewed now at YouTube.com/Kia; 60-second broadcast version will debut during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 50 #AddPizzazz social media campaign includes partnerships with Mobile First influencer platform Influential, social media creator network Niche, and lifestyle apparel brand Stance, to engage creators and generate content across a variety of channels IRVINE, Calif., February 2, 2016 – There's no one quite like Christopher Walken – he is an original. And in Kia Motors America's (KMA) 2016 Super Bowl commercial, the Academy Award-winner employs a colorfully stylish sock to demonstrate how the next generation Optima stands out in the midsize sedan segment filled with entries that look and drive the same. Premiering today on YouTube.com/Kia – and set to air in the fourth quarter of the big game – "Walken Closet" is the centerpiece of Kia's multiplatform campaign spotlighting the all-new 2016 Optima as the vibrant alternative for those searching for more in a vehicle segment whose hallmarks are basic, boring and uninspired. As Walken explains in the spot, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are content to blend in ... then there are those who expect more. They're exciting.