Germany’s TUV has awarded the Kia Cee’d two certificates. The first is for environmental considerations during the design, construction and destruction/recycling of their vehicles – the DFE (Design for Environment) award.
LCA – Lifecycle Assessment – (ISO 14040) examines both the car’s overall manufacturing process and its lifetime environmental impact. Kia uses Kenaf (a form of jute) in the door trim panels, for example, as well as using engines designed from all aluminium to minimise weight, at their Slovakian factory.
Mr In-Kyu Bae, president of Kia Motors Slovakia, said: "When launching
vehicle and component production, we focused our attention on observing
all environmental regulations in both spirit and letter.
"I am very glad we had a chance to prove our commitment to being
environmentally-friendly. We received the internationally renowned
environmental certificate ISO 14001 within a year of starting production and we can be proud of our achievements to gain these new certificates."
Kia is the first Korean company to achieve this triple recognition – in
fact the only other automotive manufacturer to have the DFE and LCA
certification are the Mercedes-Benz S-Class (2005) and Mercedes-Benz
C-Class (2006) production lines.
Kia customers are being targetted by internet hoaxers who claim that former purchasers have won a prize in a competition.
Unfortunately, the email is a con to persuade recipients to give away personal information, such as bank account details.
Stephen Kitson, communications director of Kia Motors (UK) Limited, said: "We have never run an e-mail lottery, we are not running an e-mail lottery and we are unlikely ever to run an e-mail lottery, pure and simple.
"It is clear from the language used in the e-mails that although the contact details suggest they are based in the UK that may not be the case. We are currently working with various authorities to try and trace these people and to stop this scam, but members of the public receiving these e-mails should be aware of this practice and should not provide any personal details under any circumstances."
Customers who suspect that their bank account details have been compromised should forward the email to the ‘phishing’ department of their bank immediately.
Kia has added advanced fuel injection and Variable Geometry Turbocharger
(VGT) technology, transferred from the 1.6-litre CRDi engine to produce
the 2.0 CRDi unit, previously only offered on the pro_cee’d Sport.
The 2.0 CRDi is Euro IV compliant and produces 138bhp.
Sara Drummond-Bell, product manager for the cee’d range, comments: "The
inclusion of the 2.0 CRDi Sport gives the cee’d range unrivalled appeal
to a larger audience.
"Offering three body styles and a choice of five engines, outstanding
specifications and an industry leading seven-year warranty, each cee’d
model brings an outstanding offering to the C-segment."
The sport versions of the cee’d can be recognised by having 17-inch
alloys, black bezel headlights and rear privacy glass, as well as
featuring an interior with partial leather seats and an
specially-designed tyre tread cloth with silver stitching highlights.
The Kia Koup has made its debut at the New York Motor show.
Its stunning design begs drivers and passengers to "look up" – as the
glass windscreen extends along the roof to join the rear window, leaving just a narrow interior pillar.
The design also includes 19-inch chrome wheels, also featuring carbon
fibre inserts, with the open-faced design providing extra brake cooling.
The two-door body actually seats four adults comfortably and the inside
details include a six-speed sequential transmission with steering
column-mounted gear-shift paddles. The in-car ‘infotainment’ system
features an eight speaker system and a built-in bluetooth-enabled
navigation system with a map on demand (MOD).
To improve combustion and reduce the temperature of the intake charge,
fuel is directly injected into the cylinders of the 2.0-litre Theta II
turbocharged engine under high pressure using Kia’s GDI system. This
results in improved fuel economy and low emissions while providing
commendable torque – the Koup produces 289 lb/ft of torque from 2000
rpm, sustained to 4000 rpm. Meanwhile, the grille intakes help to
provide cooling.
Standard safety features are six airbags, a tyre pressure monitoring
system (TPMS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), traction control and CDC.
Kia is having a "mad March" and is offering 17 inch alloy wheels, instead of 16 inch, on its 1.6 CRDi LS cee’d five-door and cee’d SW models.
This is an offer to publicise the ‘Design My Kia’ online service available at kia.co.uk.
Ian Mathews, head of Product Planning and Marketing programmes at Kia Motors (UK) Limited, commented: "The high specifications offered across the Kia range mean that most customers do not need to add accessories in order to get the package they want.
"However, this latest offer helps to make customers aware of additions they can make to their car to match their lifestyle and personal choice."
This offer applies to three paint colours – Silver Storm, Phantom Black and Abyss (blue).
The Kia Sportage has been hailed as the best value SUV on the market for the second year running, it has been claimed.
Planet 4×4 handed out the gong at its annual awards ceremony, where the Kia Sorento also picked up a prize for being 2007′s best medium off-roader.
Managing director of the automobile manufacturer Paul Philpott was delighted with the result, adding that the class of the model has never been in doubt as far as he is concerned.
"We know that the Sportage is a quality offering in this marketplace, but to win for a second year when there are newer models out there, is really the icing on the cake," said the official.
Planet 4×4 is a publication dedicated to off-road driving and the four wheel drive vehicle.
Its website offers reviews and articles on the industry and also features a message board where members can exchange opinion.
South Korean automobile manufacturer Kia has opened its second vehicle plant in China.
The firm hopes that the facility will help it surpass its plans to increase overseas productivity to more than one million units per year by 2009.
Mong-Koo Chung, Kia Motors chairman and chief executive officer, commented on the importance of the opening.
He said: "[It] signifies a very important milestone in the evolution of the Kia brand in the increasingly competitive Chinese market."
The official added that the $800 million (£400 million) factory is indicative of the company’s plans to be "among the top makers in China market by the end of the decade".
Kia Motors is part of the Hyundai Kia Automotive Group and is the second-largest South Korean automaker.
Among its model line-up are the Avella, Pride and Concord vehicles, as well as the popular Cee’d car.
Automobile manufacturer Kia has released details on its new 2008 Picanto vehicle.
The firm has commented that the model has been influenced by its popular cee’d range, taking on its dial illumination as well as the same grille.
Punters can pick up the Picanto in one of two forms. The Ice comes with air conditioning while the more expensive Picanto 3 can be hooked up to an iPod to allow drivers to listen to their favourite music on the move.
Kia commented that it has concentrated on how the model looks and protects motorists with the new update.
"The major changes all happen externally with new front and rear bumpers, new headlights, rear clusters, bonnet and wing mirrors," it said.
Earlier this week, Kia announced that it has revised its Sportage SUV for 2008.
The car has been updated in order to make it more attractive to European consumers.
The Sportage model from Kia has been made the subject of a Euro make-over in an attempt to enhance its driving dynamics.
Retuned power steering is now more responsive than before, while motorists will also benefit from 16-inch brake discs.
In addition, the towing capability of the SUV has gone up to 1,800 kg and transmission ratios have been adjusted.
Customers operating on a budget may be pleased to hear that the Korean motor manufacturer has brought the price of the vehicle down, meaning motorists can now get their hands on a two-wheel drive version of the car for £13,995 on the road.
"The 2008 Sportage has changed only the front bumper, grille, wing mirrors and headlights on the outside. Under the skin are a number of significant improvements to make the Sportage even more appealing to European customers," the company commented.
Kia was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s second-largest car company.
A Kia manufacturing facility in Slovakia has started producing the new Pro-cee’d model six weeks early.
The car will be available to drivers in the UK from February 2008 after a successful debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September.
Some 2,600 employees at the Zilina plant have led to an increase in efficiency, with the company commenting that it will "go forwards to establish new benchmarks for vehicle quality and productivity".
According to Jean-Charles Lievens, senior vice president of Kia Motors Europe, the vehicle’s five-star Euro NCAP safety rating has contributed to the popularity of the Pro-cee’d.
He said: "[The car] will expand our appeal to a different audience and will attract numerous European consumers who find three-door cars particularly attractive and who have not yet considered our products."
Kia is the second-largest automobile manufacturer in South Korea and was established in 1944.
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