World Concept Cars

During last week's press days of the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Kia took the veils off the all-new 2011 Optima mid-size sedan that will carry the same name in all markets outside Korea.

While the new Optima will arrive in Kia's U.S. showrooms this fall, European buyers will have to wait until Spring of 2011 to get their hands on the Korean firm's D-segment sedan that will compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5.

For Western Europe, the new front-wheel drive Optima will be available with a choice of 2.0-litre CVVL gasoline and 1.7-litre VGT turbo-diesel engines, with output and performance numbers to be released at a later date.

In Russia and some Eastern European markets, Kia will also offer the new Optima with a 2.4-litre MPI gasoline engine producing 178-horsepower.

Oddly enough, Kia's initial plans for Europe do not include the firm's new 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 278-horsepower that will be offered in the U.S. along with a 203HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection.

Depending on the model, European customers will have the choice of a six speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission featuring Kia's "Sport-matic" clutchless manual shifting or fully automatic operation.

Source: Carscoop

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This is the all-new Kia Magentis, revealed by the Korean company ahead of the official launch on 1 April at the 2010 New York motor show.

The Kia Magentis looks pretty good!

It does indeed. Saloons below the likes of the Aston Martin Rapide are rarely beautiful, and although we're not saying the Magentis is a stunner, it is definitely a decent step forward for Kia. 'It’s a car that people will simply not expect from Kia – and that’s exactly what we set out to achieve,' says Kia's desgin boss Peter Schreyer.

Kia is keen to highlight the car’s European roots - the exterior was designed in Frankfurt whilst the interior was drawn up in California. 'For this car we started with a clean sheet and worked to achieve an exterior design with a European feeling and stance,' says chief designer of Kia Europe Gregory Guillaume.

And that's all Kia has to say about the new Magentis so far - there are no interior pictures or technical details of the Mondeo-challenger yet.

When will the Magentis go on sale?

Kia says the new car will launch in the UK in 2011, and the usual Kia perks like low pricing and a hefty warranty will sweeten the deal.

Source: Carmagazine.co.uk

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Kia Motors has picked the 2010 Chicago motor show to unveil its new Ray plug-in hybrid concept car. It's a futuristic look at what a 4.4m-long Kia family car of tomorrow could look like.

It's based on the Kia Forte platform, but boosted by a plug-in hybrid system mixing a 151bhp direct-injection 1.4-litre petrol with the latest lithium-polymer batteries. Kia claims a 746-mile range: 50 on electric power alone.

The claimed economy figure stands at an outlandish 202mpg. Thank the zero-emissions boost of a 78kW electric motor driving through a CVT auto 'box.

Kia Ray: the lowdown

The Ray is bristling with Kia's latest green tech. Body panels are recycled and hexagonal solar panels are embedded in the panoramic glass roof to top up battery charge and chill the cabin on warm days. If the Ray reminds you of a well-loved bar of soap, that's because the designers have used as many flush surfaces and as few edges as possible to boost the aerodynamics.

Flat wheel covers, tiny rear-view cameras replacing mirrors and headlamps that move to increase cooling at speed all contribute to the 0.25 drag coefficient. Kia claims a 109mph top speed.

Will the Ray be at Geneva too?

Yes – alongside a low-CO2 Kia Venga and a new family of downsized turbo petrol engines. Come back to CAR Online on 1 March 2010 for our full Geneva motor show coverage.

Source: Carmagazine.co.uk

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