2006 Kia Sorento Lx on 2040-cars

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How the Koreans are cracking the luxury market

South Korea's two largest automotive brands are no longer the same companies they were when they first entered the world stage.
Anyone who visits Seoul after a few years absence is likely going to be in for a shock. What was, not that long ago, a decidedly third-world city is today a thriving, sprawling metropolis increasingly on a par with the world's most modern cities.

Kia Sedona shows off new 'comfortable and futuristic' interior

Last month Kia coined a new, fourth-generation minivan and the term "Grand Utility Vehicle" to go with it. Known as the Carnival in its home market of South Korea, and as the Sedona here, Kia's given us a look at the "comfortable and futuristic" interior we can expect when the model goes on sale. We like the current Sedona, but the imminent upgrade is immediately clear and comprehensive even in photos. The automaker calls the interior design theme "Spatial Talents," which sounds like a superpower your home mover or the guy at U-haul has, but it refers to the how designers made the most of a slightly larger body and roomier interior. The minivan's wheelbase grows 1.2 inches, overall length extends by 1.6 inches, 1.2 of that being rear overhang, and width gets an extra pip of 0.4 inches. Depending on market, seating arrangements for seven, nine or 11 people will provide more room for every occupant in every row. The star draw is the instrument panel, where Kia placed the 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster and 12.3-inch infotainment screen in a cohesive enclosure under a single pane of glass. A full-width horizontal band separates the upper and lower areas of the instrument panel, vents tucked discreetly into the contrasting divider. Below that, dedicated buttons and another screen offer radio and climate controls, a shift-by-wire rotary knob set atop the transmission tunnel where a bulkier shift lever currently sits. More upscale materials are laid throughout the cabin. Second-row passengers benefit from new USB outlets on the front seatbacks, nets to hold electronic devices, and a storage drawer at the base of the rear console.     The only engine available in our Sedona is a 3.3-liter V6 with 276 horsepower and 248 pound-feet of torque. The next-gen Sedona will likely follow the powertrain lead of the new Sorento. That means a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder putting out around 277 horsepower and 310 pound-feet, and a 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder hybrid with 227 hp and 259 lb-ft.   The Carnival goes on in South Korea in the third quarter of this year, with rollout to global market following that. Related Video:

Kia confirms $1B factory in Mexico to be completed in 2016

Kia is the latest in a string of automakers to announce plans to build new or expanded factories in Mexico. The Korean company has signed a $1 billion deal to establish a plant in Monterrey in the state of Nuevo León, with construction starting in late September. If everything proceeds on schedule, the facility should be complete in the first half of 2016 and be able to produce 300,000 vehicles a year.
The $1-billion investment will create a "new, highly automated manufacturing plant," according to Kia's announcement, a facility covering 1,235 acres of land. Confirming earlier rumors, Kia will produce compact models there, but the company won't reveal specific model names, just yet. When complete, the factory in Mexico will boost the automaker's annual capacity to 3.37 million vehicles a year with 1.69 million of those in Korea and 1.68 million abroad. It will also join Kia's plant in Georgia (where the Optima and Sorento are made) as the business' other North American location.
Kia hasn't kept plans for the Mexican factory a very close secret and openly admitted it was "being considered as a possible location" to Autoblog. The country was chosen partially because of its free-trade agreements (read: NAFTA), that make it less costly to move models elsewhere, not to mention its easy access to the North, Central and South American markets. The new plant should also alleviate some of the tight supply issues Kia has had in the US.