Known as one of Australia’s oldest sports car makers, Elfin Sports Cars is already had by Tom Walkinshaw, the same guy who owns Holden Special Vehicles and Holden tuning firm, Walkinshaw Performance. Styled by HSV designers Julian Quincy and Adam Dean Smith, Walkinshaw is obtaining anticipated to launch an all new Elfin example imagine named ‘Type 5’ in roughly one month.

Building off of the contemporary V8 powered MS8 Clubman and MS8 Streamliner, the Type 5 sets out in a faintly multitude of way to vie through the Lotus Elise, Caterham 7 and the Ariel Atom.

Although things are tightly held, PressPortal.com.au who met in on Elfin spokesman, Gary Beer (dig the current the previous name), speculate the present the automobile is able to acquire the GM sourced 260hp 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine at last found in the Pontiac Solstice / Opel GT / Saturn Sky Redline clones. With a weight of virtually 750 kg (1,650 lbs.)

While the generation Kia Soul will not be revealed until then currently year at the Paris Motor Show, the opening of the London provide evidence brings the release of further official images out of the automaker. One thing’s certain: it’ll be hip to be square in 2009, when both the Soul and the Nissan Cube turn up to put up the Scion xB selected company. Kia moreover legally announced the present the car am able to be offered exclusively in a front-engine/front push layout and the present it is 4,105 mm (161 in) long, 1,785 mm (70 in) wide, 1,610 mm (63 in) tall, and has a 2,550 mm (100 in) wheelbase. In state of affairs you got wondering, put against to the xB, it is got a shorter wheelbase and entire length, but is a hair wider and taller. The engine choice in Europe could consist of 1.6L gasoline and diesel four-cylinders. As you can see, the photos demonstrate a neat package that’ll possibly own heaps of buyers embracing the inner geeks when it arrives in U.S. showrooms later April.

We’ve witnessed the spiffy metal wrapper of Kia’s new Forte, the Spectra’s successor, now appear things nearly what is underneath. The Forte is perfect as opposed to the outgoing Spectra, but it furthermore achieves sharper market’s success among a issued total number of liquid hydrocarbon. South Korean people would experience the option between a gasoline or a diesel powertrain. Regardless of fuel, both engines displace 1.6 liters and deliver all but the same horsepower - 124 hp for gasoline, 128 hp for diesel. The gas engine consumes 7.1 liters per 100 kilometers, additonally the diesel can go the same distance on 6.1 liters. We’d desire to see a good amount of frugality out of the diesel, but making use of 1 liter reduced per 100km can compound for the duration of an general reservoir of gas for a decent arena boost. A 2.0 liter engine am able to become on hand soon, and is usual to be the one and only motivator for US-bound Fortes when it arrives in 2009. It could be interesting to contrast the km/liter concentrations against EPA power region forecasts when the Forte becomes to us.

Consumer Reports tested a good amount of of family sedans for its February issue, ranging based on the base four-cylinder patterns and up to the range-topping V6s. The select vehicles, that additionally included the Ford Taurus, Dodge Avenger, Kia Amanti and Subaru Legacy, got broken downhill to 3 categories: “Affordable,” “Mid-priced” and “Large” family sedans.

The four-cylinder Altima took the top spot in the “Affordable” category, most massive by six points during the Accord, in the Kia Optima EX and Passat 2.0T approaching in third and fourth, respectively.

Consumer Reports is quick to rate out the the Accord, that has won the publications Top Pick for one years, outperformed the majority of the players, but in the end, the Altima proved to be the smartest market values overall.

Kia fallen down official images of its Spectra successor, the Forte, on the interwebs, and it is one fantastic small amount car. The styling who the Forte introduces is Kia’s new look, based on what i read in the pen of Peter Schreyer, additionally responsible for the first-gen New Beetle and TT. The have to handle of the Forte combines chunkily-flared front fenders through a new corporate grille, and there is a distinctive depression dropped the reduced half of the flanks too drives greatly amid the prominent swage series to lend a stone-hewn check to the car. The head Forte in musical notation shows “play loud,” but that new Kia is restrained and maturely drawn. Additionally, the two-door variant of the Forte could seem still better.

While there is no new design bottom making broken, the general harm is clean and handsome, reminiscent of numerous a greater number of higher-end vehicles. Check out individuals rear lamps — remind you of any 40-something thousand dollar luxury car? When the Forte hits Korean showrooms in August, a new four-cylinder engine is planning to be underneath the hood, making the most of 1.6 liters of swept volume. A 2.0 liter can mimic on directly, and may be the one and only engine we get in the US when the Forte arrives on North American highways and byways in 2009. Compared to the Spectra, the Forte appears worlds better, and still on its own, we bet it looks like it’s such as a million bucks. Okay, $500,000. Let the endless succession of “it looks like it’s like” comments begin.

Following in the footsteps of its greater number of “sporty” SX models, Kia unveiled its new Rondo SX in Chicago today. Playing up the versatility of the new homeowners hauler, Kia’s VP of Marketing, Ian Beavis, declared the new Rondo SX ought to draw to people who seek to experience a a good deal more aggressive package on a budget. The SX was carried out all in-house by diminishing the suspension, putting in specific ideal rubber, a new mesh grille, rear valance, red trimmed interior accents, and a new cold air intake and cat-back squander to add 10 hp to the Rondo’s 2.7-liter V6. In the SX, it is rated at 192. The 2007 Kia Rondo was intro’d at the Los Angeles Auto Show returning in November, in a slew of “Rondoisms” describing all of the new terms mortgage holders had to invent to paint the new Times their versatile automobile will do. Well, right here in Chi-Town, the Rondoisms paid back and the unveiling of the SX was still accompanied by song as a rainbow-clad chorus sang Let The Sun Shine In. No, really.

One miniature tidbit slipped out of the lips of Len Hunt, executive vice president and COO of KMA, best following the presentation too. He believed the current the enthusiast business is minute but shooting how can be finished on a diminutive budget is how these kinds of special addition cars are all about. Something Kia propietors can replicate rather only on this own. He that much declared in endorsement too a indistinct turbo tool has carried on thought as well. “The Rondo SX Concept is hint the present smart, spacious vehicles do not ask for to be boring, and the borrowers can much be passionate almost a daily driver.” When questioned how he sees the Rondo stacking up against the similar Mazda5, he argued who sliding doors equal minivan in the minds of many families and overly the Rondo is undoubtedly not a minivan. He furthermore claimed the current we are able to see a new part of the Rondo in New York, at which it has continued pitched as a 21st century cab.

Now comes how turns out to be a photograph of the actual car to a multitude of whet our appetites. While we appreciate the Forte is likely to crib lines on the extreme seem to be Koup idea too we saw in New York, we can not blessing but be reminded of the Saturn Ion by now fresh image. Maybe it is the angle, or the lighting, or the order of the headlamps, we do not know. The half profile informs a car that is exponentially a greater amount of awesome as opposed to the melted Studebaker Lark appearing event which Saturn was re&wshyp;selling not too for a while now ago, so we will go among that.

Looking startlingly as a Vans shoe, preproduction versions of Kia’s Soul are able to be working at the roadie usual surrounded by the Vans Warped Tour in the U.S. such summer. The front and rear of the car serves to be hidden below camo tape completed up fancy Vans trademark checkerboard pattern, and dark windows is able to still be prying eyes out, but kids am able to significantly get a wonderful check at what is on offer.

Taking how turns out to be a good amount of as opposed to a few webpages out of the Scion playbook, the Warped Tour sponsorship may in addition insert details such as interactive Soul Lounges amidst dwell DJs, airbrush tattoo artists, and loads of contests. There’s still projected to be a solar powered stage. Kids through personal Kia wristbands would get to Kia VIP sections close to the number one stages, and me can still be up amongst the action at Kia’s concert blog site.

[Source: Kia]

Last Friday, June 6, Kia revealed the sixteen thriving cars at Vienna’s Museumsqartier in the ‘Drive to Glory’, a parade according to Zilina, Slovakia to Vienna. The seventeeth Kia cee’d was discussed provided decals of all the participating countries’ flags. The sixteen winners and the partners got subsequently flown to Geneva to be on the look the equate between Portugal and Turkey, that Portugal won 2-0.
Kia additionally awarded 31 kids amongst the honor to be ‘Official Match Ball Carrier’ at the matches. More as opposed to 500,000 12 to14 year old children entered the competition to win a 3 day package at the European Championship.

Source: Kia

The 2008 Kia Rio5 is the 5 door hatchback version of the sporty yet sensible Kia Rio lineup. A fine 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is standard, as are a multitude of monumental safety features. For the 2008 ideal year, a Rio5 LX trim has kept on to the lineup, submiting people who might relatively own a hatchback/wagon style the option of a come down priced version to decide based on what i read in in addition to the top of the succession SX trim.
The LX parts sport tires, fuel everything, a 60/40-split-folding rear seat, and a premium audio system. The further sport oriented SX version adds leather trim and a comfortable and functional cabin accented among red, brown and metallic. Options key in gas endeavor hardware, as greatly as a keyless entry approach and an more set of speakers for the stereo system. 16 inch rims are too on hand for the SX - 15 inch wheels are standard.
The 2008 Kia Rio5 is equipped amid a 1.6 liter, 4 cylinder engine the delivers 110 horsepower. The normal transmission is a 5 rapidity manual, but for easily a tiny a multitude of cash a 4 promptness automatic can be sold as an option. Both transmissions perform agreeably and come up with quiet, agreeably timed gear changes. This is no skepticism a realistic hatchback, and regardless of acceleration is enough it is by no signals really sporty. Going out of 0 to 60 mpg can be arrived at in regarding 11.5 seconds, but gas mileage is exceptional investing in EPA projections of 27 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway amongst a manual gearbox, additonally folks equipped providing an automatic transmission provided that presume 25 mpg in the city and 35 mpg on the highway.
With the addition of the new Rio5 LX trim, the 2008 Kia Rio5 bids an nonetheless a multitude of affordable way to own the program of a hatchback/wagon such a boasts fashionable European viable looks like it’s and surprisingly nimble handling. The extensively powertrain warranty and abundance of average safety aspects compose the Rio5 the best of a test force by persons who are hunting for an affordable, reliable and good equipped hatchback.