Cars, Car Insurance, Auto Purchase

Kia Borrego
Kia Motors announced the world debut of the all-new Borrego SUV at the 2008 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit, further bolstering its product offerings in the United States.

Inspired by Kia’s “less is more” design philosophy, Borrego was intended to convey a pure and functional look. It joins Kia’s versatile and stylish line of cars and SUVs for those who enjoy active and energetic lifestyles. Set to go on sale this summer as a 2009 model, Borrego houses Kia’s first-ever V8 engine, making it the most powerful Kia vehicle to date.

“Kia is proud to deliver a stylish and amenity-filled SUV to consumers who are passionate about what they drive,” said Len Hunt, president and CEO of Kia Motors America. “We strive to make quality vehicles at affordable prices and the Borrego offers distinctive styling, while meeting the needs of families and those who want to infuse life into their driving experience.” Read the rest of this entry »

Kia Picanto
The new Kia Picanto enjoys a whole range of updates and the model line-up is adjusted to take advantage of the changes in Vehicle Excise Duty regulations.

Priced from £5,995 OTR, the revised 1.0-litre Kia Picanto is now eligible for band B VED at only £35 per year. This saving was made possible as the entry level model is a four-seat version with eco-friendly tyres and upgraded engine, producing an extra 2 PS.

The major changes all happen externally with new front and rear bumpers, new headlights, rear clusters, bonnet and wing mirrors.

A sporty-looking model will be available for the first time, called the Kia Picanto 3. The range topping model will feature a mesh grille, front fog lamps, black bezel headlamps, 15-inch alloy wheels, heated and electrically adjustable wing mirrors with integrated side repeaters, unique dials, headrests and alloy pedals. The Kia Picanto 3 will be based on the 1.1-litre engine. The full product line-up is shown below.

The launch model, Kia Picanto Ice, comes with air conditioning whilst the range topping Picanto 3 adds full iPod compatibility through the new factory fitted audio system.

Like the Sportage, and in response to customer demand, the indicator stalks are now on the left hand side of the steering wheel.

The cee’d influence continues across the Kia range. In Picanto the cee’d grille and orange dial illumination is adopted along with some interior plastics and the switch layout of the centre console.

Specifications (Power train / Trim / Power - bhp / Torque - Nm / CO2 / Comb. mpg / OTR)

1.0-litre / Picanto / 61 @ 5600 rpm / 86 @ 2900 rpm / 117 / 57.6 / £5,995
1.1-litre / Picanto 2 / 64 @ 5500 rpm / 97 @ 2800 rpm / 126 / 53.3 / £6,795
1.1-litre auto / Picanto 2 / 64 @ 5500 rpm / 97 @ 2800 rpm / 143 / 47.1 / £7,595
1.1-litre / Picanto Ice / 64 @ 5500 rpm / 97 @ 2800 rpm / 126 / 53.3 / £6,995
1.1-litre auto / Picanto Ice / 64 @ 5500 rpm / 97 @ 2800 rpm / 143 / 47.1 / £7,795
1.1-litre / Picanto 3 / 64 @ 5500 rpm / 97 @ 2800 rpm / 126 / 53.3 / £7,995

Kia Borrego
Kia Motors has revealed that the corporation’s all-new, mid-size, SUV will bear the name ‘Kia Borrego’ when it makes its world premiere at the Detroit Motor Show in early January 2008.

Code-named HM during development, the new Kia Borrego is the first mid-size SUV from Kia and features a body-on-frame construction incorporating the latest NVH engineering philosophy for enhanced refinement. With room for up-to-seven occupants, the newest addition to the Kia model line-up gives the brand a truly comprehensive global product range that delivers value, safety and ownership peace of mind to consumers.

The Kia Borrego, which is named after the bighorn sheep native to California’s largest desert state park, will be manufactured in Korea. It will go on sale in its home market early in 2008, with sales in the USA and other export markets commencing in the late spring or early summer. The Borrego will be available with a choice of V6 or the company’s first V8 gasoline engines (depending on market) and will boast Kia’s largest-ever towing capacity.

The latest example of Kia’s commitment to designing products to suit specific markets, the Borrego is primarily intended to meet the needs of consumers in the USA and there are no plans to market this model in Europe.

The Kia Borrego styling is derived from the Kia Mesa concept vehicle first shown by Kia at the Detroit Motor Show in 2005 and is larger than Kia’s popular Sorento model. The Borrego’s third-row seating is designed to comfortably accommodate two adults.