2011 Kia Sportage Fwd 70k Miles on 2040-cars

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Hyundai, Kia ratchet up fleet sales as retail transactions slide

Automotive News reports both Hyundai and Kia have stepped up fleet sales in an attempt to offset disappointing first quarter results. The Korean automakers saw their sales decline by nine percent compared to last year, while all major competitors managed to increase their sales. That situation marks an inversion of two years ago, when both gained ground after Japanese rivals suffered production and inventory shortages after the country's earthquake and tsunami tragedies.
Now, Hyundai can't come up with enough volume models in popular trim configurations to satisfy buyers, and lower-volume models are also in a snag. At the moment, Hyundai can only build 20-30 percent of Veloster hatchbacks with turbocharged engines while the US market would apparently support closer to 70 percent.
In order to reverse the sales slide, Hyundai and Kia have stepped up fleet sales of the vehicles they do have by some 50 percent, ringing up a total of 42,400 units in the first quarter. By contrast, Automotive News reports the seven largest automakers increased retail volume by seven percent and fleet sales by four percent as a group.

Kia's Imagine concept is a high-riding, electric sedan

Kia released teaser images of its Geneva-bound concept car late last month. The one detail that stayed with us the most was the fact that the futuristic dashboard consisted of 21 small screens side by side. Kia was in on the joke, calling it a "humorous riposte" to the industry's obsession with implementing screens. But the rest of the concept car, shown today, is no joke. The ' Imagine by Kia' concept is a swoopily shaped, somewhat muscular, high-riding, all-electric sedan with suicide doors, which might or might not introduce some interesting new design themes for future Kias. There's a new logo, which is far more stylish than the existing one, and the front features a LED DRL arrangement that frames the headlights like the car wore stylish glasses. It's a bit like the Saab 9-5 "Dame Edna" facelift, but far better realized, and the "Tiger Mask" Kia front end treatment has been developed further. The roof and the windscreen are a single piece of glass, in the style of the Tesla Model 3, and the Imagine also features a frunk in addition to the trunk. But the concept is far taller than the Model 3 and more aggressively shaped, riding on 22-inch alloy wheels with acrylic glass inserts and with bespoke Goodyear tires and featuring sharp strakes on the curvy bodywork. The paintwork is said to consist of six hand-applied layers of chrome-effect paint with a bronze tint on top. And about those tires: they themselves are a Goodyear concept, called IntelliGrip, which means they detect and convey road conditions to the car and driver and adjust handling attributes accordingly. Related Video:

Kia reveals updated 2016 Rio hatchback and sedan [w/videos]

Kia makes vehicles of all different shapes and sizes (or many shapes and sizes, in any event), and the smallest of them all... well, that'd be the Picanto, but that's not sold here. The smallest Kia we get Stateside is the Rio, and it's just been updated for the 2016 model year and revealed here in Chicago. An update on the existing version rather than an all-new model, the new 2016 Kia Rio actually debuted in hatchback form at the Paris Motor Show a few months back. But this is the first time we're seeing the US model, where it's being showcased alongside its betrunked stablemate, the Rio sedan. Both bodystyles benefit from updated styling at both ends with new grilles and new lights front and rear. There are also some new paint options, and the interior has been updated with more high-density foam, higher-quality materials and revised trim. In addition to the choice of bodystyle, the Rio can also be ordered in three trim levels with varying levels of equipment, but they're all powered by the same 1.6-liter inline-four with 138 horsepower and 123 pound-feet of torque. They're mated to a six-speed transmission in either manual or automatic forms, though the stick has been discontinued on the five-door hatch. 2016 RIO 5-DOOR DEBUTS AT CHICAGO AUTO SHOW The new year brings refreshing enhancements to Kia's entry-level sedan and hatch at the 2015 Chicago Auto Show - New front and rear valances add visual width and sporty attitude; two new exterior colors added - Interior enhancements include upgraded UVO eServices1 technology and a more premium look and feel CHICAGO, Feb. 12, 2015 – Chicago's gleaming skyline and indie rock music were the backdrops today as Kia Motors America (KMA) pulled the wraps off the 2016 Rio Sedan at the Chicago Auto Show. Making its global debut alongside the previously introduced Rio 5-Door (Paris, 2014), these two modern and dynamic subcompacts are the entry points into KMA's ever-expanding lineup of award-winning cars and CUVs. Refreshed inside and out for the 2016 model year, the pair offer sporty European design cues and generous interior accommodations while providing fuel efficiency. Both Sedan and 5-Door are expected to go on sale in the first quarter. "The Rio signifies everything the Kia brand has evolved into since coming to the U.S. market more than 20 years ago," said Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning. "And like the brand, the Rio has grown up as it enters the 2016 model year.