Kia Sx Turbocharged Keyless Start Front Wheel Drive Power Steering Fog Lamps on 2040-cars

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Kia showcasing Optima T-Hybrid concept in Paris [w/video]

At the Geneva Motor Show earlier this year, Kia showcased a new diesel hybrid powertrain. And at the rapidly approaching Paris Motor Show, it will present that new technology in the Optima sedan concept you see here.
Called the Kia Optima T-Hybrid, the concept mates a 1.7-liter diesel with both a turbocharger and electric supercharger to a small electric motor and a 48-volt lead-carbon battery. The mild hybrid setup allows it to travel in electric-only model at low speeds and at cruise, regenerating brake power to recharge the battery. Kia said it chose the lead-carbon battery pack over lithium-ion because it's easier to recycle and does not require active cooling.
Because the powertrain is still under development, Kia isn't saying what kind of fuel economy or emissions figures it gets in the Optima T-Hybrid concept, but it is targeting a "significant reduction" in emissions and fuel consumption, while delivering 15 to 20 percent more power. Check out the system in action in the video below.

Kia K900 flagship to make advertising debut during Super Bowl

Kia is already solidifying its advertising plans for the 2014 Super Bowl, targeting a 30-second spot for its new, rear-drive K900 sedan during during the biggest football game of the year. The cost for this half-minute of air time? $4 million.
Of course, Kia is no stranger to advertising during the Super Bowl, with the Space Babies and Hot Bot ads of last year and the Mr. Sandman spot in 2012. But the stakes with the K900, which see the Korean brand attempting emulate its corporate cousin/bitter rival Hyundai, by moving into the rear-drive luxury space, are far, far greater. After all, Kia's previous Super Bowl ads were all for models in established segments - the K900 is an entering a realm the brand has never played in before.
The Super Bowl spot will be the first exposure to the K900 for many potential buyers, and considering that the South Korean brand is targeting conquest sales, according to the report from AdAge, it's important that it makes a good showing on such a large stage. As for the theme of the ad, there isn't much speculation from the execs this early in the game, according to AdAge. Looks like we'll be waiting until February to find out.

Kia's brand perception still painfully lags behind reality

I can't tell you how many times I've been driving with friends or family in a decidedly nice Korean press car, only to have a passenger notice the logo on the steering wheel and exclaim, "Wait... this is a Kia?" For every time I roll my eyes at a story with a lede about how Hyundai "is really gaining momentum these days," I get equally annoyed when people comment on how Kia is finally starting to make decent cars. This is hardly news. The brand has been pumping out really solid stuff for a while now.
But as it turns out, not everyone knows that. According to Ward's Auto, speaking to Kia marketing chief Michael Sprague, the automaker recently placed third-to-last in a recent ALG Brand Perception of Quality study, only besting Suzuki and Smart. Wow.
Ward's notes that Kia recently earned a credible sixth place in J.D. Power & Associates' Initial Quality Study, and yet still fell way behind pretty much every other brand in the ALG study. The Korean automaker's cars have also won numerous awards in recent years, and have generally earned positive reviews from the media, Autoblog included.