Sorento, Optima Sustain Kia's Steady Growth

As bigger brother Hyundai takes center stage with the media and the public, Kia's blossoming is just as impressive, if not as acclaimed. Kia — which, in Korean, means "to arise or come up out of Asia" — is a dark horse in the auto industry. The carmaker was one of the fastest-growing brands in 2011, and its market share has grown for 17 straight years. "Our goal is to make 2012 our 18th consecutive year," says Tom Loveless, chief of sales at Kia.

The driving forces behind the company's growth are the Kia Sorento, Soul and Optima, according to Loveless. The pace has only picked up in recent years since the Korean automaker built its first U.S plant in 2009.

The Georgia assembly plant builds the latest generation of the Sorento, currently the carmaker's best-seller. Late last year, a $100 million expansion allowed the plant to build 360,000 vehicles a year. That will allow Kia to build 50% of the cars it sells in the United States domestically by the end of 2012, according to Michael Sprague, chief of marketing at Kia.

2012 Dodge Charger, Kia Sportage Earn Five-Star Safety Rating

The 2012 Dodge Charger and 2012 Kia Sportage garnered the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's top safety rating. Dodge's midsize sedan and Kia’s compact SUV are the latest vehicles to earn an overall five stars out of five in NHTSA's crash tests. 

Extreme Commuting Mileage Report

Hybrid buyers are generally looking for high mileage over all else unless they're shopping in the luxury space. Still, the 2011 Lexus CT 200h is rated at an impressive 42 mpg for combined city/highway driving. We took it to task along with the 2011 Chevrolet Camaro convertible and 2011 Kia Sportage SX in our latest extreme commuting challenge.

The Lexus CT 200h hybrid has a sweet spot for gridlock traffic with the ability to drive short distances using electric power only. In switchable EV mode, the CT 200h can drive up to one mile at speeds less than 28 mph. I didn’t need the feature to crack off better mileage than its city ratings. The Camaro convertible handled traffic congestion like a champ, offering a comfortable ride and better over-the-shoulder visibility with the top up than the coupe. The Sportage SX is turbocharged and takes a gas-mileage hit for the additional 84 horsepower, though only for highway ratings. EPA-estimated fuel-economy ratings drop from 21/28 mpg city/highway with all-wheel drive on non-turbo models to 21/26 mpg for the all-wheel-drive SX.

Reader Review of the Week: 2011 Kia Sportage

“Carman” from Oregon recently traded his Audi A4 for a brand-new 2011 Kia Sportage. You couldn’t find a pair of vehicles that are more different, but Carman is still enamored with his Sportage. The car is stylish, fuel efficient and has room for Carman’s kids. Read the full review below for more details.  Once you’re done, you can share your comments about your own car with us here.

2011 Kia Sportage SX Gets Turbo Engine

If you liked the sporty looks of the Kia Sportage but weren’t impressed with the just-average power of the base model, Kia has corrected that problem.

The 2011 Sportage SX will go on sale later this month with a 256-horsepower, turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine that puts out 264 pounds-feet of torque. All this power still returns 27 mpg highway. City mileage is rated at 22 mpg. Kia has confirmed it will have the same six-speed automatic found in the Optima sedan equipped with the same power plant. The sedan also has more power at 274 hp, but it’s slightly heavier.

Kia has also adjusted the suspension to actually be firmer than the current non-SX trim levels of the Sportage. We’ve tested those versions over hundreds of miles and found the suspension to be extremely firm as-is, and it’s one of the vehicle’s few drawbacks.

Read our review of the standard four-cylinder 2011 Kia Sportage

Pricing will start at $25,795 for front-wheel drive and $27,295 for all-wheel drive. That's a $2,500 bump in price from the top of the line EX trim.

Hopefully for Kia, the allure of so much power in a compact SUV will draw enthusiast drivers who can overlook the firm ride in exchange for the performance. There truly isn’t a competitor for it out there with this much space. The closest performance crossover on the market in this price range is the Mini Cooper S Countryman, which is priced at $25,250 for front-wheel drive and $26,950 for all-wheel drive. The Acura RDX has a turbo engine, too, and starts just over $30,000, but it isn’t made for performance aficionados.

The SX will also have some unique features, including its own specific style of 18-inch alloy wheels, unique grille, dual exhaust and a revised gauge cluster. There will also be some SX-specific interior color combinations, including orange and blue.

More photos are below.

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.

Cars.com Podcast: 2011 Kia Optima and 2011 Kia Sportage

This week, editors Kelsey Mays and David Thomas tackle the two newest entries from Korean automaker Kia. The new Optima isn’t on sale yet, but Mays thinks it’s a stunning entry in a competitive field. The Sportage’s looks also won over Thomas. Find out their thoughts about what was under the skin of these two Kias in this week’s podcast.

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Cars.com Reviews 2011 Kia Sportage

For 2011, the completely redesigned Kia Sportage is equipped to compete with the finest offerings from the ultracompetitive compact-crossover segment, including the Honda CR-V, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape and Chevrolet Equinox. Compared to its rivals, the Sportage has head-snapping styling and a best-in-segment interior in terms of quality, design and materials, according to Cars.com senior editor David Thomas. Click the link below to read the full review, and you can check out his video review here.

2011 Kia Sportage Review

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2011 Kia Sportage EX AWD Video

Like the outgoing model, the new Kia Sportage is one of the most affordable competitors in the compact crossover segment. But unlike the forbearer, the 2011 Kia Sportage has one of the best interiors in its class, and its exterior styling is edgy enough to garner looks from passers-by. The Sportage isn’t perfect, though. According to Cars.com senior editor David Thomas, the compact CUV has a very rough ride. Would that be enough to stop you from considering the Sportage? Watch the video to find out.

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2011 Kia Sportage Named IIHS Top Safety Pick

The 2011 Kia Sportage won the honor of Top Safety Pick in the small SUV category by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Since the Sportage is a twin of the 2010 Hyundai Tucson (also a Top Safety Pick), the Kia SUV wasn’t physically tested; instead, the same ratings from the Tuscon were applied to the Sportage, according to IIHS sources. 

To earn the award, a vehicle must receive the top rating of Good in front, side, rear and rollover crash tests. The vehicle also must have electronic stability control, which is standard on the Sportage. 

Earning the award became tougher this year when IIHS added the rollover crash test, which measures roof strength and is twice as stringent as the federal requirement. To pass this test, a vehicle’s roof must be able to withstand the force of four times the vehicle’s weight. The federal standard requires a roof to hold 1.5 times the vehicle’s weight. 

The Sportage and Tucson can withstand 4.43 times their weight. The Honda Element, Jeep Patriot, Subaru Forester and Volkswagen Tiguan are also 2010 Top Safety Picks in this segment. 

For more information about other IIHS Top Safety Picks, click here.