Recently in Kia Category

Car Magazine have published their review of the 2010 Kia Sportage 2.0 CRDi First Edition. 'Traction is peerless, thanks to Kia's new Intelligent All-Wheel Drive. The Sportage shares the architecture with Hyundai's iX35, but Kia has gone to Magna Steyr to develop this new 4wd that is said to have a much faster response than Hyundai's system. Having not tested the two back to back, we can't vouch for that yet. We can report that you won't get the wheels to slip in the dry, though, and Kia promises that CO2 and mpg are way better than before thanks to more frequent running in FWD model.'

The USA Today have published a review of the 2011 Kia Sorento compact crossover SUV. 'Two well-furnished versions were tested. A V-6, all-wheel-drive, seven-passenger, EX Limited with most options ($34,925) was driven from the New York auto show to Northern Virginia and around the 'burbs. A four-cylinder, front-wheel-drive, five-passenger EX Limited ($29,340) was employed in suburban cut-and-thrust. You could spend much less. Even the $21,000 base model has power accessories and enough features to prevent the "it's all I could afford" blues. Testers had leather, navi, rearview camera -- the premium goods that make the difference.'

The Truth About Cars have published a review of the 2006 Kia Optima. 'The Optima marks the point in Kia's history where interior feel had evolved from Tonka to Tupperware. Everything looks and feels rubbery. But it works... in a purely Walmart goes to China sense. I can easily imagine a Turkish bazaar atmosphere within Hyundai's headquarters as they tried to drive down cost with Kia's suppliers while increasing the quality of this Optima to a Chrysler like level. Did I say Chrysler? Yep. Kia had more or less become the Korean Chrysler at this point with owner reviews that were far worse than anything short of a Dodge Intrepid with a 2.7L engine. But then again there was some non-linearity with that.'

The Truth About Cars have published a review of the 2011 Kia Sorento. 'The Kia is a little wider than the Equinox, and longer as well when compared to the RAV4. And Kia offers the smaller Sportage for people seeking a truly compact SUV. So perhaps Kia is hoping people will cross-shop it with intermediate SUVs like Toyota's Highlander and Honda's Pilot. The price difference in this case--about $4,000--is much more attractive. But the Sorento is closer to the compacts than the intermediates in size.'

A review of the Kia Forte 1.6 has been posted over at Paultan.org. 'Clean it may be, but the Forte is anything but plain. The front wears a distinctve "mask-like" design that reminds us of the European Honda Civic hatchback, while the scuplted bonnet and the signature crease that sprouts from beneath the A-pillar to form the shoulder line is neat. This, and the spoiler style boot edge distracts from the fact that the Forte has tall sides and a high rump. Of course, for the full effect, you've got to opt for the 1.6 SX, which comes with cool 17-inch wheels and low profile rubber. Still, this Kia is the looker of the C-segment - something unthinkable few years ago. Try as we may, photos don't do it justice, so get down to a dealership and have a good look for yourself.'

A review of the Kia Venga has been posted over at The independent. 'The Venga's wedged stance, with rear wheels pushed well back, gives the impression of a car which sits well on the road and might be fun to drive. So it proves, up to a point, but there is a slight disconnect between the various flavours of European thinking. The way the Venga rides over bumps (noisily but with commendable suppleness) and the way it handles corners (capably but with the artificial, glutinous steering typical of an electrically power-assisted system) has been deemed unsuitable for the UK, and our cars will have different suspension settings. They should feel sharper and ride more quietly, but given the industry-wide agreement that if a car works on the UK's crumbling roads it will work anywhere, it's strange the two specifications co-exist.'

The Truth About Cars have published their "Comparison review"of the Kia Soul and Nissan Cube. 'The Soul's handling advantage vis-à-vis direct competitors comes at the evident expense of ride quality. On subpar pavement the busy ride borders on punishing, for the ears even more than the seat of the pants. While the base Soul has 15-inch steelies, and the + has 16-inch alloys, both the ! and the sport are shod with 18s. The Soul's bold fender flares certainly pair best with the large wheels, but the attendant low-profile tires thump loudly across every bump and divot. This sort of ride might be worth paying for sports car handling. But many sports cars these days ride much better, and the Soul certainly doesn't handle like a sports car.

Search Chicago have published their review of the 2011 Kia Sorento LX SUV. 'There isn't a 2010 model Sorento. The 2011 Sorento is available in base, LX and EX trim levels. The base four-cylinder model, with manual transmission, starts at just less than $20,000 and the top-line allwheel-drive EX begins at $28,895. Standard LX equipment includes body-color heated outside mirrors with integrated LED turn signal indicators, air conditioning, steering wheel controls, trip computer, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio with AUX/USB inputs and power windows/locks/mirrors.

CAR And Driver have published their "test driven"review of the 2010 Kia Forte EX. 'The base 2.0-liter four-cylinder--the only engine available in LX and EX trim--is pretty much all a Forte driver needs. It's powerful, particularly at higher rpm, and the exhaust note doesn't turn sloppy as it gets allegro, music-ese for "fast." The 2.0-liter's performance essentially paces that of the uplevel SX trim's 173-hp, 2.4-liter four, as well. Zero to 60 mph in 8.8 seconds and the quarter-mile in 16.6 at 85 mph trail the nearly 100-pounds-heavier SX by only 0.2 second to 60 and match it in the latter measurement.

A review of the 2010 Kia Forte Koup has been posted over at the USATodaycom. 'The test Koup was fitted with the bigger engine, a 2.4-liter four-banger rated 173 horsepower, and a six-speed manual transmission, while the sedan that was tested had the 2-liter, 156-hp engine and an automatic. Even allowing for the obvious fun-factor difference, the Koup felt like an exceptional sling-about. The Koup is sleek to see (though not entirely attractive), tight and snappy - and a relatively light touch to acquire. Nice blend. The test vehicle, a high-end Koup SX, had about everything you need for grins for less than $20,000.