Live Photos of Kia's KND-5 Mid-Size Sedan Concept from Seoul Show

This near-production concept car is the Kia KND-5 and it made its world premiere alongside the new 7-seater Sorento CUV at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. Boasting an aggressive four-door coupe styling in the likes of Volkswagen's Passat CC (the reference to VW's model was not by chance...), the KND-5 give us a pretty good idea of what the production version that's scheduled to debut in Korea in late 2009, and most likely, in other markets including North America and Europe, in 2010, will look like.

The KND-5 measures 4,945mm long, 1,850mm wide and 1,475mm high with a wheelbase of 2,845mm, meaning that it is roughly the same size as the firm's Amanti sedan which is known in many markets as the Opirus. Power is provided by Hyundai group's 3.5-liter V6 Lambda gasoline engine that produces, depending on the model, between 275 and 310HP.

Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President & COO, International Business Division, said, "The aggressive and sophisticated KND-5 exemplifies Kia's futuristic design and values. As a concept car that presents the new direction of luxury sedan design, KND-5 will likely generate a lot of buzz at the Seoul Motor Show."

Our take? It appears that Kia has began reaping fruits of Peter Schreyers labor as the company's head designer.

Live pics courtesy of Kia World










https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/live-photos-of-kia-knd-5-mid-size-sedan.html

New VW Golf Plus: UK Pricing Announced

The facelifted Golf Plus that was revealed last December at the Bologna Motor Show is available for order at Volkswagen retailers across the UK with prices starting from £14,410 for the entry-level S model with a 1.4-litre 80HP petrol unit. Buyers can also opt for a 1.4-liter TSI with 122HP plus two common rail turbo diesels producing 110 and 140HP. Two trim levels are offered –S and SE – with first deliveries expected to arrive at the end of April.

Standard equipment on the entry-level S specification includes air conditioning, a CD player, multi-function computer, electric windows and mirrors, ABS, ESP, driver and front passenger's whiplash-optimised head restraints and six airbags. Moving up to SE trim will get you Park Assist, cruise control, a front centre armrest, leather steering wheel and 16-inch 'Atlanta' alloy wheels.

New Golf Plus

Combined mpg

Price, £
(OTR)

S



1.4-litre 80 PS 5-spd manual

42.8

14,410

1.4-litre TSI 122 PS 6-spd manual

43.5

16,510

1.4-litre TSI 122 PS 7-spd DSG auto

44.8

17,835

2.0-litre TDI 110 PS 5-spd manual

55.4

17,285




SE



1.4-litre TSI 122 PS 6-spd manual

43.5

17,860

1.4-litre TSI 122 PS 7-spd DSG auto

44.8

19,185

2.0-litre TDI 110 PS 5-spd manual

55.4

18,635

2.0-litre TDI 140 PS 6-spd manual

55.4

19,835

2.0-litre TDI 140 PS 6-spd DSG auto

50.4

21,185

https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/new-vw-golf-plus-uk-pricing-announced.html

2010 Kia Sorento: High-Res Gallery and Details on New 7-Seater CUV

Kia took the wraps off its second generation Sorento today at the opening of the 2009 Seoul Motor Show in Korea (April 3 - 12). Partially inspired from the KND-4 concept, the new Sorento is bigger than the model it replaces with seating for up to seven occupants but also less capable off road as the Korean automaker ditched the body-on-frame structure and designed an all-new unitary (monocoque) bodyshell - hence the CUV (Crossover Utility Vehicle) moniker.

"The dynamic design of new Sorento adopts simple, linear lines to create a powerful, yet polished appearance. Sporty and striking, the new Sorento represents a new breed of vehicle," commented Kia's chief designer, Peter Schreyer.

Longer and lower, the new Sorento measures 4.7 meters or 185-in. in length and can accommodate seven passengers in three rows of seats. Kia claims that interior headroom is increased by 64 mm (to 906 mm) and legroom by 102 mm (to 795 mm) while luggage space has been increased by 15 percent (258lt behind the 3rd row and 1,047 behind the 2nd row), thanks to moving the tailgate back by almost 70 mm.

Depending on the model and the market, the new Sorento will be equipped with keyless entry, engine start button, reversing safety camera, built-in sat-nav and panoramic glass sunroof and a six, eight or 10-speaker audio system, with MP3 and iPod connectivity.

Kia's all-new Sorento will be offered with up to four different engines. In Korea, buyers will able to choose between three engines, including a 2.7-litre V6 unit running on LPG (liquefied petroleum gas) that delivers 165HP and 244 Nm of torque, a four-cylinder 2.4-litre Theta II petrol engine with 175HP and 225 Nm, as well as a new four-cylinder 2.2-liter diesel producing 197HP and 435 Nm.

Aside from the 2.4-liter petrol unit, in North America, the new Sorento will also be offered with a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 277HP and 335 Nm. Depending on the engine, the Sorento can be equipped with five-speed and six-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

Sorento buyers will be able to select between two-wheel and four-wheel drive layouts. The 4WD versions can tow trailers weighing up to 2,500 kg or 5,511 lbs.

"With the new Sorento, we have created an all-new, seven-seater CUV that will soon be recognized as an 'exciting all-rounder' with a much broader customer appeal," commented Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division. "Despite the current economic uncertainties, we are confident that the new Sorento will significantly increase Kia's share of the CUV market, achieving annual global sales of 140,000 units from 2010," he added.

Worldwide sales of the new Sorento are expected to begin towards the end of the year.


https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/2010-kia-sorento-high-res-gallery-and.html

Carscoop's April Foolery

Here's the round up with our April Fool's Day automotive hoaxes. We hope you enjoyed all of them and we promise to come up with even better ones next year.

https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/carscoop-april-foolery.html

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https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/carscoop-privacy-policy.html

Made in China: Nissan 300ZX - Lamborghini Murcielago Hybrid

It appears that the popularity of automotive crossbreeding in China has spread out to domestic tuning companies like Max Power Sports (MPS) which has created the above Frankensteinian hybrid of a Nissan 300ZX and a Lamborghini Murcielago. The four-wheel abomination is based on the early-mid 90s 300ZX 2+2 with MPS adding a Murcielago inspired rear-end compartment and front bumper complemented with side air-vents and Lamborghini-style scissor doors. Something tells us that we've yet to see the worst from China...

Via: thetycho






https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/made-in-china-nissan-300zx-lamborghini.html

Bertone, Zagato and Morgan to Reveal New Concepts at Concorso d’Eleganza Villa d’Este

This year's Concorso d'Eleganza Villa d'Este's to be held at the end of April near the Lake Como in northern Italy will see the world debut of three brand new concept cars by Stile Bertone, Morgan and Zagato. A further five design studies including BMW's Gina, Infiniti's Essence GT, Aston Martin's One-77, Fisker's Karma S and Rinspeed's i-Change will also make their way to the show.

While no details were released for Andrea Zagato's concept, it was revealed that Stilo Bertone's study will be a lightweight sports car powered by a V8 engine while Morgan's prototype model will be a two seater built on the Morgan Aeromax platform.

https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/bertone-zagato-and-morgan-to-reveal-new.html

Detroit's Big Three Post Huge Drops in March U.S. Sales

March didn't bring any good news for the U.S. car market as most major brands recorded steep declines in vehicle sales. General Motors and Ford Motor company were the worst hit as their sales were down 44.7% and 42.1% respectively compared to March 2008. Chrysler LLC didn't manage any better with a 39.0% decrease while the same goes for Toyota (-33.6%), Lexus (-40.6%), Mitsubishi (-57.0%), VW (-19.7%), Mercedes-Benz (-25.0%), BMW & MINI (-22.9%), Audi (-19.4%), Honda (-34.2%) and Acura (-29.5%).

Subaru and Hyundai managed to keep their sales somewhat steady reporting a 3.0% and 5.0% decline respectively over March 2008 volumes. On the other hand, Kia saw its sales increase by 0.6% in March '08.

https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/detroit-big-three-post-huge-drops-in.html

Scion Badged iQ Concept Snapped Ahead of NY Show Debut

Unless this is some sort of extremely well executed April Fool's Day chop, these are the first photos of the Scion-badged iQ Concept that is bound to break cover at next week's New York Auto Show. The spy shots reveal a dramatic interpretation of Toyota's iQ minicar with a wide bodykit and cool multipsoke alloy wheels in dark finish. For more details we'll have to wait for the opening of the NY Show.

Photo Courtesy: Brenda Priddy , Via: LLN

https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/scion-badged-iq-concept-snapped-ahead.html

Last Volvo S60 Rolls Off Assembly Line

On Tuesday, March 31, the last S60 sedan rolled off Volvo's Ghent plant in Belgium as the automaker is getting ready to create space and capacity for the model's successor that is scheduled to be launched in 2010. Volvo's new executive sport sedan will be based on the S60 Concept shown in Detroit earlier this year. The first-generation S60 was introduced in 2000 and during its 9-year run, Volvo built 578,292 S60 units of the car, with the best year being 2001 with 108,906 units and the worst, 2008 when a mere 6,205 S60s were produced.

"The Volvo S60 was an important model for Volvo Cars Gent," said managing director of Volvo Cars Ghent Derek Jessiman. "Now we will focus on a flawless launch of the new S60."

Production of Volvo S60 at Volvo Cars Ghent:

Year - Volume / Units

2000 - 26 051

2001 - 108 906

2002 - 104 484

2003 - 84 908

2004 - 67 929

2005 - 61 838

2006 - 53 188

2007 - 39 347

2008 - 25 436

2008 - 6 205




https://carscoopcar.blogspot.com/2009/04/last-volvo-s60-rolls-off-assembly-line.html