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Kia chasing dinero using Robert De Niro to sell e-Niro

Robert De Niro is living the ideal blueprint for a respected veteran actor. At age 75, he's continuing to make films (Martin Scorsese and Joaquin Phoenix films nonetheless), he's set to be honored at the Marrakech Film Festival, and he's still getting those advertising checks. His newest source of cash flow is coming courtesy of Kia, with the announcement at the Paris Motor Show that De Niro will lead a new advertising campaign for the Niro crossover. The new campaign was introduced in tandem with the European debut of the all-electric version of the Kia Niro. Likewise, the De Niro campaign will strictly be used for the European market. It will include not only TV spots, but digital and print advertising, as well. In a culture that is so dependent on social media that is fueled by memes, the Niro connection seems like a no-brainer. "The communication plan for the e-Niro will be as special as the car itself," Vice President for Marketing and Product Planning at Kia Motors Europe Artur Martins said in a press release. "These advertisements will draw on Robert De Niro's unique ability to entertain, as he educates drivers about the e-Niro — a car that breaks down many of the obstacles to electric vehicle ownership in a way that few others have." The e-Niro, which claims a 301-mile range on a single electric charge by European measurements (280 miles in the U.S.), is part of a larger Niro family. In the U.S., Kia currently offers a hybrid variant, as well as a plug-in hybrid variant, and is expected to launch the all-electric version in the future. Related Video:

Dealership worker takes Kia Soul for 200-mile joyride

Most often, dealership road-test capers in customer cars involve exciting metal - an employee totals a Chevy Camaro ZL1, or a does the same thing with a Dodge Viper. Or tapes himself wringing out Italian exotics at triple-digit speeds on public roads. That kind of horseplay rarely involves mass-market metal because it's not worth getting caught running red lights in a 2001 Mitsubishi Montero - except that actually happened, too. But we still don't understand the mechanic at Peak Kia North in Windor, CO, who used a customer's Kia Soul as his own car for four days and put 200 miles on it. Owner Veronica Pief discovered the nonsense when she downloaded the 17 hours of driving video from her dashcam. She dropped the Soul off to have its speed-volume control fixed, but got it back with the extra mileage and the volume problem still hadn't been remedied. It got worse when she said of the dealership, "Afterwards, they just blew us off. They didn't care. They didn't show any concern." Sometime between that disrespect and Denver's KUSA 9NEWS doing a story on it, the dealer decided it should fix the situation. Pief said she wanted the dealer to buy her car back and pay off the loan, which sounds extreme, but she might have been thinking about the verbiage in her owner's manual. Kia is one of the automakers that's strict about voiding warranties if it deems a car has been abused. Peak Kia North gave Pief what she wanted just one day after the original story ran, buying the car back from her with plans to auction it and donate the proceeds to charity. And yes, the mechanic was fired. You can watch the local news report above. Related Video: News Source: Detroit Free Press, 9NEWS Auto News Kia Car Dealers Hatchback Videos viral video colorado

Kia Optima could be renamed the K5 here in the U.S.

We recently showed you the Korean version of the 2021 Kia Optima, which is called the K5 there. And if a report is to be believed, the midsize sedan could carry that nameplate here, too, when it debuts. Korean Car Blog reported earlier today that Kia plans to replace the Optima name with K5 in its overseas markets, including the United States, saying it got confirmation from company officials in South Korea. Autoblog sought similar confirmation from Kia here in the U.S. but haven't heard back. Further, Motor1 reports that Kia was granted trademark protection in the U.S. for “K5” in 2012 and again this year. Reports have also swirled that the brand has applied for a trademark protection in Korea for a new logo that is similar to the stylized Kia badge shown on the “Imagine by Kia” electric sedan concept from Geneva in March. It appears Kia has submitted at least 50 trademark registrations since May with the Korea Intellectual Property Rights Information Service, with a modernized script in both red and black versions, both set against a white background, that look almost like “KN” with the N being backwards. It can be seen as an attempt to spiff up the existing no-frills logo of a brand that has made major strides in the quality and refinement of its vehicles. Many will note there's already an alternate Korean-market Kia logo that customers frequently apply to their cars here in the United States.  At any rate, the new Optima/K5 features aggressive, muscular new styling and a powertrain likely to mirror that of the new 2020 Hyundai Sonata, with a choice of either a 191-horsepower naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine or a 1.6-liter turbo-four making 180 hp, both mated to an eight-speed automatic. Going on sale this month in Korea, the K5 grows nearly 2 inches longer to 193.1 inches, and an inch wider, to 73.2 inches. It also gets a longer wheelbase, and the height drops by nearly an eighth of an inch to 56.8 inches.  Despite the overall decline in sedan in the U.S., the Optima still sells respectively, with 89,482 sold through the first 11 months of the year, a drop of 5%.