KIA CUV coming in 2013! Butler KIA News

Reuters has been talking to KIA's parent company about plans for the future and it turns out that KIA is expecting to have an electric CUV in the U.S. by 2013. We've all seen our fair share of Toyota, Honda, Chevy, and Ford hybrids rolling around St. Louis, and with vehicles like the 2011 Chevy Volt coming shortly, we will need an alternative fuel powered vehicle to stay competitive. Check out the rest of the report from Autoblog.com and keep checking back for more Butler KIA News. www.JimButlerKia.com

"According to Reuters, Kia is looking to jump into the EV fight with an electrified CUV. Parent company Hyundai said that it's planning to turn out a total of 2,500 battery-operated vehicles by 2012. A total of 500 of those will be Hyundai BlueOn models, but the rest of the fleet will be made up of the new Kia-badged creation. The early fleet will be sold to Korean government agencies as a large-scale test, but commercial sales are supposed to start shortly thereafter. Reuters quotes Hong John-hee, the director of the company's electric vehicle development group, as saying that the cost of battery-electric vehicles will fall off much quicker than most analysts are anticipating. 

Like the BlueOn, the CUV-based EV will store its power in an SK Energy battery pack, though there was no mention as to whether the cells would be lithium-ion or traditional nickel-metal hydride. 

The electric crossover is likely to show up on the market in 2013 and will be capable of covering around 80 miles on a single charge. Both Hyundai and Kia are part of an effort by the Korean government to replace up to 20 percent of the nation's passenger vehicles with EVs by 2020." - -- - Autoblog.com

[Source: Autoblog]

Spied--KIA SOUL Tiger Edition-Will it make it to Jim Butler KIA?

As some of you probably already know, there are people who dedicate their lives to driving around the world stalking vehicle manufacturers to find out what they have up their sleeves. They literally drive through company parking lots and hide in bushes around vehicle test tracks just to get a glimpse of what vehicles will be coming out next.

The latest spy on a KIA model is a possible "Tiger Edition" KIA Soul. We don't know any more specifics but we aren't surprised. The KIA Soul is a great vehicle, we have a hard time keeping them on the showroom floor here at Jim Butler KIA. The next thing is that we noticed everyone loves to make their KIA just a little bit different than the other guy, so a limited production Tiger Edition might be showing up here in Saint Louis. The expected debut for the special edition is at the 2010 SEMA Show in Las Vegas this November.

So will it make it to Jim Butler KIA? I guess we'll see what KIA brings to SEMA in November, then we'll really know. Either way, Jim Butler KIA has a great selection of 2010 and 2011 KIAs, especially KIA Souls. The great thing about buying a KIA Soul from Jim Butler Kia is that we'll use our aftermarket connections to hook you up with one cool looking Soul whether it is pinstripes, racing stripes, window tint, or some cool looking wheels, we got you covered!

[Source: Autoblog.com]

Kia Soul Named "2010 Top 10 Back to School Cars" list by Kelley Blue Book

Urban Passenger Vehicle Honored for its Affordability, Versatility, Reliability and Fun

• Funky hatchback is an eye-catching way to roll for students headed back to school
• Soul's value driven packaging makes it an attractive ride for students

IRVINE, Calif., Aug. 9 -- The 2010 Kia Soul urban passenger vehicle was recently named to the "2010 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars" list for the second year in a row by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, a leading provider of new car and used car information. The highly personalizable vehicle was praised for its modern styling, generous interior space and long-list of modern technology features.

"With its unique styling and personalization options and outstanding safety and reliability ratings, the Soul appeals to both younger buyers and their parents," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "The award-winning five-door urban passenger vehicle, along with the 2011 Sorento and Sportage, reflects Kia Motors' design-led transformation and continues to attract new buyers to Kia showrooms."

Compiled by editors at Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com, all vehicles selected offer reliability, safety, affordability, practicality as well as the latest and greatest safety and technology advancements. Editors considered all new cars with a New Car Blue Book Value less than $18,000 and all used cars 2005 model year and newer with a Kelley Blue Book Suggested Retail Value of less than $12,000.

A 2010 Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Soul has a trophy case full of awards and accolades, including: "Best Family Cars for 2010" by Edmunds.com and Parents Magazine, "Best Hatchback of 2010" by Cars.com, "2010 Top Cars for Families" by Motherproof.com, and 2010 "Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000" from Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com. Soul is available in four trims – Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport. Pricing for the versatile five-door begins under $14,000(1).

Soul stands out from the crowd with modern, unique styling aimed toward the young and young-at-heart and offers a distinctive combination of style, value and personalization options. An available Audio Upgrade Package includes speaker lights that can pulse to the beat of the music or add mood lighting to the interior cabin, enhancing the overall personal lounge feeling. The Soul+ offers funky black cloth seats with "glowing" Soul logo inserts while the Soul! trim comes with a distinctive sand-black interior with houndstooth-patterned inserts, and the Soul sport presents a bold red-black interior trim with red-trimmed cloth seats and metal-finish interior accents.

Kia Motors America in 2010

Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand's continued gains in U.S. market share. With three new vehicle introductions and several other key initiatives planned for 2010, Kia is poised to continue its momentum and build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, safety features and with new technology such as UVO powered by Microsoft®(2), an advanced hands-free in-car communication and entertainment system (expected to be available in select Kia models in the U.S. later this year).

For more information about the 2010 Top 10 Back-to-School Cars list by Kelley Blue Book's kbb.com please visit http://kbb.us/back2school2010.

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America (KMA) is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 700 dealers throughout the United States. For 2009, KMA recorded its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share. Kia Motors subscribes to a philosophy of building high value, high quality, safe and dynamic vehicles. Kia Motors prides itself on producing vehicles that are exciting and enabling and evoke the Kia tagline "The Power to Surprise."

Kia Motors America is the "Official Automotive Partner of the NBA." Information about Kia Motors America and its full vehicle line-up is available at its Web site – www.kia.com. For media information, including photography, visit www.kiamedia.com.

(1)Starting MSRP for base Soul excludes $695 destination and handling fee, and title, taxes, license, options and dealer charges. Actual prices set by dealer and may vary.

(2)Microsoft is a registered trademark of Microsoft Corporation in the United States and/or other countries.

[Source: Kia Motors America]

2010 KIA Soul - Cool Kid of Cars under $18k- Jim Butler KIA

The 2010 Kia Soul is one of the “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000″ according to Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com.

Isn’t it cool to be one of the coolest cars around? Ask Kia’s 2010 Soul. Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com just named the Soul urban passenger vehicle as one of the “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000″.

Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com is a popular and respected site for the information it gives out on new cars and used cars in the market. Kia Motors America (KMA) recognizes the significance of kbb.com’s citation. Michael Sprague, KMA’s vice president of marketing said, “It’s reassuring to know one of the largest and most credible automotive consumer sites recognizes Soul for all it has to offer to a wide array of consumers, including design, practicality, technology features, fuel economy and the Kia brand’s core, standard value package.”

The Soul has caught people’s attention for its fun and funky design. It has personality, versatility, and techno-savvy, as it is affordable. Mr. Sprague also said, “Soul continues to draw more customers into Kia showrooms because of its cool factor and overall value package.”

The criteria to be included in the list of Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000 are the same things that people look for when purchasing a car. These are safety, interior size, comfort, fuel economy, technology, and the X-factor, something that cannot quite be quantified but sets a car apart from the rest.

The 2010 Kia Soul has all of the above, according to the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com who did the selection.

Checkout our great selection at www.KIASTL.com

[Source: KBB.com, Kia-world.net]