Archive for the ‘Soul’ Category

Korean automaker Kia seems to be on a roll these days -- at least on the design front. Its boxy Scion xB/Nissan Cube competitor, the Kia Soul, has held its own in the face of discerning auto journalists, and the sporty Kia Forte Koup looks to do similarly well. Now the company has shared renderings of its new premium model, the VG, which will arrive in Korean showrooms later this year.

The VG debuted at the Seoul Motor Show last spring as a front-wheel-drive concept dubbed "KMD-5", and rumor has it that the VG will remain a FWD when it makes its first American appearance at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Depending on public and press reaction...

The Volkswagen Passat CC (called the Volkswagen CC in the U.S.) is by nearly all accounts a great-looking car. And now the smooth four-door coupe has won a prestigious red dot design award.

The top award for vehicles, officially "red dot Design Award 2009 – Best of the Best," in the product design category for 2009, is shared with the Seat Ibiza, from Volkswagen AG's Spanish affiliate.

Other vehicles to achieve a red dot design award—but not be called Best of the Best—include the 2009 BMW Z4, 2010 Honda Insight, upcoming 2010 Volkswagen Golf, and the European-market-only Ford Fiesta and Opel Insignia, with honorable mentions going to the...

As other automakers agonize over idled plants and tough choices, things are looking good for Kia—both overseas and for its rapidly growing operations in the U.S.  Overall, Kia sales are down 6.8 percent versus last year; but that's one of the smallest drops in sales of any brand, second only to Subaru.

Since last year, sales have been quite steady for Kia, which boosted its market share by 47 percent versus last year, to 3.1 percent of the U.S. market. And there will probably be more of a spike from the stylish Soul, which was introduced earlier this spring, and the 2010 Kia Forte sedan that bows this month. Regionally, Kia is growing the...