Kia to Unveil KV7 Concept at Detroit Auto Show

The North American International Auto Show in Detroit is less than two weeks away, and the leaks about what cars will be there are starting to come out. This week, Kia gave us the heads up on its crossover concept vehicle, the KV7.

The concept features rear gullwing doors, second-row swivel captain's chairs and an exterior design that resembles the Ford Flex. The concepts that preceded the Soul, Forte Koupe and Sportage looked a lot like the production vehicles, so expect the same thing to happen here, according to Kia.

This concept could point toward the automaker’s intention of adding a larger family crossover to its fleet. Kia dropped the Borrego last year, and the automaker is missing a large crossover that can compete with the Chevrolet Traverse or Ford Flex. The Sorrento, which can seat five or seven passengers, is significantly smaller than those competitors.

Kia will have more information on the KV7 in the coming weeks.

Kia Pushes Incentives on Old Models

Kia seems to be playing second fiddle in the U.S. to its Korean cousin, Hyundai, which sells nearly 50% more vehicles in America than Kia, and the automaker is growing more quickly. So it’s not surprising to see Kia offer plenty of incentives compared with Hyundai’s offers, which we detailed Tuesday.

Kia is offering either big cash or low financing deals across its entire lineup. New vehicles — like the Forte and the Soul, two relatively affordable compacts we’ve praised — see a combination of both. There’s $1,000 cash back on the 2010 Forte, which hasn’t been a sales success. The 2010 Sedona has $3,000 cash back, the largest discount for any minivan right now. Even the revised 2011 Sedona gets up to $2,500 cash back.

Borrego Dropped for '10 but Loaded With Incentives

Kia will drop the Borrego for the 2010 model year after only a brief stint on the scene beginning in late 2008, according to The Car Connection.

Introduced just as the auto industry began its longest winter in the wilderness (which actually began in the summer with a gas price spike and continued into fall’s financial crisis), the Borrego has had a rough go.

Kia moved only 9,510 units through November, less than half of what it expected in 2009 sales. It’s unclear if the Borrego will find life again after 2010, but the good news for consumers is that the ’09 model comes with incentives practically spilling from the trunk.

This includes $3,000 cash back on all trim levels, $1,500 for trading in a competitor’s vehicle (Buick Enclave, Pontiac Aztek, the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited and other SUVs all qualify), $1,500 for owner loyalty, $400 for recent college grads and $500 for military service, just to name the most relevant.

Kia Drops 2010 Borrego From Lineup, Fate TBD (The Car Connection via Autoblog)

NBA MVP LeBron James Gives Away His Kia

When Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James won his first NBA Most Valuable Player award this season, he also won a free Kia Borrego. This is somewhat akin to the local Subway offering you free sandwiches for a month after being elected president of the United States.

Not to knock Kia, but its cars are more likely to be the vehicles of NBA fans than of NBA players, who are well known for their extravagant taste in cars. Perhaps that’s why Kia, the sponsor of the award and an NBA partner, usually gives the vehicle directly to a charity of the award winner’s choice.

Last year’s MVP, Kobe Bryant, donated his brand-new Kia Borrego to the East L.A. Boys and Girls Club. This year’s Defensive Player of the Year, Dwight Howard of the Orlando Magic, has already announced that his Kia will go to the Orlando Day Nursery. James will give his SUV to the Akron Urban League.

Even though Kia would certainly love to see James behind the wheel of a Borrego, giving the car directly to charity avoids headaches for sports agents because of possible conflicting endorsement deals. We’d also guess the Borrego would cramp his style a bit. James arrived at the MVP award ceremony driving a Ferrari amid a police escort. We assume this is his Ferrari 430 Spyder, which cost more than $200,000 before it was customized to fit the NBA player’s tall frame. Check out the video of him taking delivery of it below.

NBA MVPs Don’t Keep Cars (CNBC.com)