Interest in the Kia brand and its highly attractive cars and CUVs is at record highs, and with that in mind, the History Channel show “odern Marvels” decided to visit the plant and a Kia Sorento CUV get built from start to finish; here is what they saw.
Each of the Kia vehicles takes a little over 23 hours to complete, and each one starts life as a 44,000 lb coil of galvanized steel which is passed through an enormous machine which cuts the unrolled coil to size before sending those pieces into the stamping press. In less than an hour, those pieces are transformed into a stack of auto body parts.
The next stop is the welding shop where the robot is king; there are 242 robots as compared to 62 human workers. The 2000 weld performed on each vehicle would take a full day for humans to complete, with that same task finished in less than 90 minutes by the robots.
From there, the floor of the car is sent to the body build line where, once again, it gets the robot treatment, the most important part of which is the roof assembly. Each roof has to be installed and completed in 60 seconds, an impossible task for human hands.
A mere two hours after the unwrapping of the coil, the car frame enters the paint shop where, surprisingly, it will spend almost 30% of its total production time. The paint shop is as sterile as most health care facilities as a single speck of dust could ruin the entire painting process; that process begins with a painstaking pre-wash and chemical dip, and then the frame is dipped in an 86,000 gallon tub of electrically charged paint, a 6 minute process that renders the car virtually rustproof.
The last stop is the paint booth where the cars receive their final coloring, with ID tracking on each unit telling the robots exactly which color that should be.
The last stop before the road is general assembly where the vehicle gets outfitted with electronics, wiring, chassis model, and all the interior pieces and wheels, before taking a shower to test for water tightness. Each car then get a ride on the test track to make sure that everything is working as it should be.
It’s hard to believe that each Kia Sorento CUV can go from a coil of steel to a finished product in just 23 hours, but that’s exactly what happens thanks to a perfect combination of robot precision and human ingenuity.
www.lifetimekia.com
Friday, August 26, 2011
Tuesday, July 19, 2011
Interesting facts about the 2012 Kia Rio:
Interesting facts about the 2012 Kia Rio: First unveiled at Geneva Auto Show earlier this year, the all-new 2012 Kia Rio hatchback joins the carmaker’s product range with striking exterior design, revised interior and impressive performance.
The fourth-generation Rio sub-compact car will be available in two body-styles for the first time. The five-door model is set to go on sale in Europe in several weeks, while the three-door Rio arrives at Kia dealerships in early 2012.
The 2012 Kia Rio is available with a highly efficient 1.1L CRDI diesel engine that emits only 85 grams of CO2 per kilometer. U.S. market Rio is available with a highly-advanced 1.6L GDI four-cylinder engine that churns out 138 horsepower and achieves 40-mpg on highway. Six-speed automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions are available.
The new Rio is noticeably larger than the car it replaces. Its wheelbase is 70mm longer, while the body is 20mm longer and 25mm wider. Inside the Rio offers 45mm more front legroom and seven percent more luggage room than its predecessor.
Safety features available in the 2012 Rio include six airbags, anti-lock brake system -ABS, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, electronic stability control -ESC, hill-start assist control, vehicle stability management system -VSM, active front seat head restraints and emergency stop signal.
The fourth-generation Rio sub-compact car will be available in two body-styles for the first time. The five-door model is set to go on sale in Europe in several weeks, while the three-door Rio arrives at Kia dealerships in early 2012.
The 2012 Kia Rio is available with a highly efficient 1.1L CRDI diesel engine that emits only 85 grams of CO2 per kilometer. U.S. market Rio is available with a highly-advanced 1.6L GDI four-cylinder engine that churns out 138 horsepower and achieves 40-mpg on highway. Six-speed automatic and 6-speed manual transmissions are available.
The new Rio is noticeably larger than the car it replaces. Its wheelbase is 70mm longer, while the body is 20mm longer and 25mm wider. Inside the Rio offers 45mm more front legroom and seven percent more luggage room than its predecessor.
Safety features available in the 2012 Rio include six airbags, anti-lock brake system -ABS, three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, electronic stability control -ESC, hill-start assist control, vehicle stability management system -VSM, active front seat head restraints and emergency stop signal.
Saturday, July 16, 2011
Tuesday, July 12, 2011
Kia Motors’ West Point, Georgia plant reaches a milestone with the production of 300,000th vehicle…
Kia Motors’ West Point, Georgia plant reaches a milestone with the production of 300,000th vehicle…
Kia Motors America has announced that it has produced the 300.000 vehicles in its West Point, Georgia plant. This milestone comes less than two years after production of the Kia Sorento began at the KMMG on Nov 16, 2009.
Since its opening, the KMMG plant has added two shifts, and hired more than 1000 new team members, taking the total number of employed at the plant to more than 3,000. In addition, the plant’s auto parts suppliers have also hired more than 7.500 individuals and added to the local economy.
The plant will start producing the acclaimed 2012 Kia Optima mid-sized sedan later this year. Apart from Optima, there are other projects underway that will increase the annual capacity of the plant to 360.000 vehicles by 2012. Apart from the 2012 Kia Sorento, the plant also produces the Hyundai Santa Fe sport utility vehicle.
Byung Mo Ahn, CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and KMMG, was noted that the addition of two shifts and the plans to produce Optima at the plan underlie the aggressive goals of the company. He acknowledged the contribution of every team member in the achievements of the plant. “The completion of our 300,000th vehicle in less than two years is another historic milestone for KMMG, and the success of the plant is attributable to each team members’ commitment to outstanding quality,” he said.
The company had marked the production of its 50.000th vehicle in April 2010, and that of its 100.000th vehicle in last September. That was when it had only a single shift at the plant; with the launch of two more shifts, the production has gone into overdrive. With cars from Kia selling like hot cakes in the dealerships across the country, the plant is now well placed to meet the new demand. [Source: Kia] Find more about 2012 Kia Sorento here…
Kia Motors America has announced that it has produced the 300.000 vehicles in its West Point, Georgia plant. This milestone comes less than two years after production of the Kia Sorento began at the KMMG on Nov 16, 2009.
Since its opening, the KMMG plant has added two shifts, and hired more than 1000 new team members, taking the total number of employed at the plant to more than 3,000. In addition, the plant’s auto parts suppliers have also hired more than 7.500 individuals and added to the local economy.
The plant will start producing the acclaimed 2012 Kia Optima mid-sized sedan later this year. Apart from Optima, there are other projects underway that will increase the annual capacity of the plant to 360.000 vehicles by 2012. Apart from the 2012 Kia Sorento, the plant also produces the Hyundai Santa Fe sport utility vehicle.
Byung Mo Ahn, CEO of Kia Motors America (KMA) and KMMG, was noted that the addition of two shifts and the plans to produce Optima at the plan underlie the aggressive goals of the company. He acknowledged the contribution of every team member in the achievements of the plant. “The completion of our 300,000th vehicle in less than two years is another historic milestone for KMMG, and the success of the plant is attributable to each team members’ commitment to outstanding quality,” he said.
The company had marked the production of its 50.000th vehicle in April 2010, and that of its 100.000th vehicle in last September. That was when it had only a single shift at the plant; with the launch of two more shifts, the production has gone into overdrive. With cars from Kia selling like hot cakes in the dealerships across the country, the plant is now well placed to meet the new demand. [Source: Kia] Find more about 2012 Kia Sorento here…
Friday, July 8, 2011
Congratulations Samuel and Jennifer Peters...
Wednesday, July 6, 2011
Kia and Hyundai are No. 1 in US for mid-size cars
Kia and Hyundai are No. 1 in US for mid-size cars
With their combined sales figures, the South Korean carmakers Kia and Hyundai have topped the mid-size segment in the United States. This milestone was reached this May, when Hyundai and Kia sold 30.155 cars, among which were 22.754 Sonatas from Hyundai and 7.401 Optimas from Kia.
The two companies had topped the sales figures for March too, and with the latest numbers, their dominance in mid-size car segment is pointing at a new trend in the market. Already, the two manufacturers have captured about 19.0 percent of the mid-size sedan market, compared to the second place manufacturer GM, which has 18.8 percent of the market.
Hyundai and Kia have long had a reputation of cheap cars, but with the latest rankings, experts aver that the old attitudes towards the two manufacturers are changing. A company representative noted that, the ranking signifies that U.S. consumers no long consider Hyundai and Kia to be low-end car brands.
The mid-size segment is one of the most important car segments in the industry, trailing only the compact cars segment in sales volume. Local American and Japanese manufacturers such as GM and Toyota, respectively, have long dominated this segment, so the latest dominance of the Korean companies is another new trend.
In the year 2009, Toyota was the biggest seller in the midsize segment, selling a whopping 21.8 percent of all cars sold in the segment. It was followed by Honda at 17.5 percent and Nissan at 12.4 percent. At 9.6%, Hyundai and Kia had a combined share of less than 10%.
Making some fundamental changes in their marketing efforts, Hyundai and Kia promoted their top cars such as Sonata and Optima, with the result that their market share rose to about 13.1 percent in 2010. Toyota’s dominance lessened, with a reduced market share of 19.2%. Honda and Nissan were still selling more cars than Hyundai and Kia, with a market share of 16.6% and 13.4% respectively.
The trend of more sales for the Korean companies continued in 2011 too. One unexpected event that allowed Hyundai and Kia to catch-up in 2011 was the unfortunate March earthquake and Tsunami, which disrupted the supply lines of Japanese car manufacturers, including Honda and Nissan.
Hyundai and Kia expect that their car sales will rise in other segments of the industry too. For the first time ever, Hyundai and Kia share more than 10 percent of the U.S. market, a landmark that was achieved in May. In another interesting news for the group, Hyundai Motor was selected as the best car manufacturer by the British consumer rights group “Which?” by beating Toyota and BMW, among others.
The two companies had topped the sales figures for March too, and with the latest numbers, their dominance in mid-size car segment is pointing at a new trend in the market. Already, the two manufacturers have captured about 19.0 percent of the mid-size sedan market, compared to the second place manufacturer GM, which has 18.8 percent of the market.
Hyundai and Kia have long had a reputation of cheap cars, but with the latest rankings, experts aver that the old attitudes towards the two manufacturers are changing. A company representative noted that, the ranking signifies that U.S. consumers no long consider Hyundai and Kia to be low-end car brands.
The mid-size segment is one of the most important car segments in the industry, trailing only the compact cars segment in sales volume. Local American and Japanese manufacturers such as GM and Toyota, respectively, have long dominated this segment, so the latest dominance of the Korean companies is another new trend.
In the year 2009, Toyota was the biggest seller in the midsize segment, selling a whopping 21.8 percent of all cars sold in the segment. It was followed by Honda at 17.5 percent and Nissan at 12.4 percent. At 9.6%, Hyundai and Kia had a combined share of less than 10%.
Making some fundamental changes in their marketing efforts, Hyundai and Kia promoted their top cars such as Sonata and Optima, with the result that their market share rose to about 13.1 percent in 2010. Toyota’s dominance lessened, with a reduced market share of 19.2%. Honda and Nissan were still selling more cars than Hyundai and Kia, with a market share of 16.6% and 13.4% respectively.
The trend of more sales for the Korean companies continued in 2011 too. One unexpected event that allowed Hyundai and Kia to catch-up in 2011 was the unfortunate March earthquake and Tsunami, which disrupted the supply lines of Japanese car manufacturers, including Honda and Nissan.
Hyundai and Kia expect that their car sales will rise in other segments of the industry too. For the first time ever, Hyundai and Kia share more than 10 percent of the U.S. market, a landmark that was achieved in May. In another interesting news for the group, Hyundai Motor was selected as the best car manufacturer by the British consumer rights group “Which?” by beating Toyota and BMW, among others.
Thursday, June 30, 2011
Congratulations Tony....
You can do this or you can do that? Congrats to Tony Lynch and his family on the purchase of their new 2011 Kia Soul... From your friends at Lifetime Kia..
http://www.lifetimekia.info/
Monday, June 27, 2011
2011 Kia Forte Koup named one of the Top 10 coolest cars under $18.000
The Kia 2011 Forte Koup has been named one of the “Top 10 Coolest Cars Under $18,000″ by Kelley Blue Book’s popular site kbb.com. Kelley Blue Book is the leading and one of the most popular providers of information regarding new and used cars in the USA.
The “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000″ list surveyed the marketplace for new cars that were fun to own, drive and, most importantly, had the “cool factor”. The editors of kbb.com included the cars by checking their Fair Purchase Price from Kelley Blue Book, which accurately reflects the changing prices in a changing marketplace.
The 2011 Forte Koup was selected for the list because of its style, affordability and modern technologies that it provides at the given price range. According to the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, the Kia Forte Koup was also the sportiest looking car in the list.
Those who don’t know much about the stylish sports coupe from Kia, let us reveal you a few important facts about it. The Forte Koup comes in two trims, EX and SX, and is a two-door coupe that come pre-installed with an overabundance of amenities and power.
The 2011 Forte EX model is powered by a 156-horsepower 2.0L four-cylinder engine, whereas the SX model comes with a 2.4L inline four-cylinder that delivers 173 horsepower. The torques delivered by the engines are 144 and 168 pound-feet, respectively. The starting price of the car is under $17.000 (MSRP).
The Forte Koup comes with standard equipment that includes Bluetooth wireless technology, USB/iPod integration, and a satellite ready audio system. It is available with a six speaker MP3 audio system that is outfitted with Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The steering wheel is mounted with voice-activated controls that use Bluetooth for easier functioning.
According to Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia Motors America, the Forte Koup’s recognition by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com as a ‘cool’ vehicle is further validation of the carmakers strategy to provide consumers with a compelling combination of aggressive styling and performance, a long list of standard safety features and strong overall value.
The Forte Koup, like the rest of the Kia lineup, continues to raise the bar in the segment by offering performance and modern technologies that contribute to an outstanding experience for every owner.
The “Top 10 Coolest New Cars Under $18,000″ list surveyed the marketplace for new cars that were fun to own, drive and, most importantly, had the “cool factor”. The editors of kbb.com included the cars by checking their Fair Purchase Price from Kelley Blue Book, which accurately reflects the changing prices in a changing marketplace.
The 2011 Forte Koup was selected for the list because of its style, affordability and modern technologies that it provides at the given price range. According to the editors of Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com, the Kia Forte Koup was also the sportiest looking car in the list.
Those who don’t know much about the stylish sports coupe from Kia, let us reveal you a few important facts about it. The Forte Koup comes in two trims, EX and SX, and is a two-door coupe that come pre-installed with an overabundance of amenities and power.
The 2011 Forte EX model is powered by a 156-horsepower 2.0L four-cylinder engine, whereas the SX model comes with a 2.4L inline four-cylinder that delivers 173 horsepower. The torques delivered by the engines are 144 and 168 pound-feet, respectively. The starting price of the car is under $17.000 (MSRP).
The Forte Koup comes with standard equipment that includes Bluetooth wireless technology, USB/iPod integration, and a satellite ready audio system. It is available with a six speaker MP3 audio system that is outfitted with Sirius XM Satellite Radio. The steering wheel is mounted with voice-activated controls that use Bluetooth for easier functioning.
According to Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications, Kia Motors America, the Forte Koup’s recognition by Kelley Blue Book’s kbb.com as a ‘cool’ vehicle is further validation of the carmakers strategy to provide consumers with a compelling combination of aggressive styling and performance, a long list of standard safety features and strong overall value.
The Forte Koup, like the rest of the Kia lineup, continues to raise the bar in the segment by offering performance and modern technologies that contribute to an outstanding experience for every owner.
Saturday, June 25, 2011
2012 Kia Sorento Joyride2 commercial
Kia Motors is back again with an ad campaign that has the cast of popular children’s characters that were first seen during the 2010 Super Bowl.
Titled Joyride 2, the campaign has different children’s characters, that include Muno (from the award winning series YO GABBA GABBA!, that was created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz), Sock Monkey ( from In My Own Dream Studio), MR. X (BLABLA KIDS) and a teddy bear and vintage robot.
All these characters are shown to go on a summer road trip that has line dancing, skydiving, and a fishing expedition. While on the road trip, the characters are shown to interact with the locals, including a bear that is angry for some reason. They are then shown to take a spin in the 2012 Kia Sorento crossover with class-leading fuel economy and horsepower.
The original Joyride campaign was created by David&Goliath, Kia Motors America’s ad agency of record; and they are also the agency responsible for the Joyride 2. The campaign’s main theme is the adventures that await a young couple with their Sorento. The first unique spot has been aired already, and the second one will be aired in July.
About the 2012 Kia Sorento:
The 2012 Sorento is produced in West Point, Georgia , which is the company’s first motor plant in the U.S. As a crossover it offers class-leading fuel economy of up to 32 miles per gallon on a highway, delivered by its GDI 4-cylinder 191 HP engine, which is again one of the most powerful engines in its class. The 2012 model is the second year model, and also comes with ventilated driver’s seat, memory seat, power folding mirrors, power passenger seat and wood trim steering wheel.
Since its launch in 2010 in the U.S., the Sorento has earned an impressive list of awards and accolades, including: “Top 10 Cars for 2011″ by Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com, “Best Family Cars of 2011″ by Edmunds.com and Parents magazine, “Ten Most Improved Cars of 2011″ by MSNBC.com, and earned a Consumer Guide Automotive “Best Buys” award.
Titled Joyride 2, the campaign has different children’s characters, that include Muno (from the award winning series YO GABBA GABBA!, that was created by Christian Jacobs and Scott Schultz), Sock Monkey ( from In My Own Dream Studio), MR. X (BLABLA KIDS) and a teddy bear and vintage robot.
All these characters are shown to go on a summer road trip that has line dancing, skydiving, and a fishing expedition. While on the road trip, the characters are shown to interact with the locals, including a bear that is angry for some reason. They are then shown to take a spin in the 2012 Kia Sorento crossover with class-leading fuel economy and horsepower.
The original Joyride campaign was created by David&Goliath, Kia Motors America’s ad agency of record; and they are also the agency responsible for the Joyride 2. The campaign’s main theme is the adventures that await a young couple with their Sorento. The first unique spot has been aired already, and the second one will be aired in July.
About the 2012 Kia Sorento:
The 2012 Sorento is produced in West Point, Georgia , which is the company’s first motor plant in the U.S. As a crossover it offers class-leading fuel economy of up to 32 miles per gallon on a highway, delivered by its GDI 4-cylinder 191 HP engine, which is again one of the most powerful engines in its class. The 2012 model is the second year model, and also comes with ventilated driver’s seat, memory seat, power folding mirrors, power passenger seat and wood trim steering wheel.
Since its launch in 2010 in the U.S., the Sorento has earned an impressive list of awards and accolades, including: “Top 10 Cars for 2011″ by Kelly Blue Book’s kbb.com, “Best Family Cars of 2011″ by Edmunds.com and Parents magazine, “Ten Most Improved Cars of 2011″ by MSNBC.com, and earned a Consumer Guide Automotive “Best Buys” award.
Congratulations Donald Carter
Congratulations Donald Carter... Great choice.. 2011 KIA Soul. Have fun hamstering around town. From your friends at Lifetime Kia..
www.lifetimekia.info
www.lifetimekia.info
Monday, June 20, 2011
National Event Rebate Promotion
Introducing - National Summer Event Rebate Promotion... Beginning June 20th - July 31, 2011.. $75 Rebate on Cooper Zeon RS3-A and Discover CTS. $50 Rebate CS4 Touring and Discover H/T.. Also, six FREE tire rotations w/ purchase of any 4 tires..
www.lifetimekia.info
www.lifetimekia.info
Saturday, June 18, 2011
The Hampster ad campaign
The popular hamster ad campaign from Kia Motors has just been awarded one of the most prestigious advertizing awards, the Gold Effie award by the 2011 North American Effie Awards.
The hamster oriented advertizing campaign for the Kia Motors’ Soul urban crossover vehicle was awarded the Effie in the “David vs Goliath” category. This category recognizes campaigns and brands that are punching above their weight in the market – the advertizing David taking on the advertizing Goliaths. The campaign consisted of dancing and singing hamsters, and was called “This or That” campaign.
The “This or That” campaign comes after another successful campaign called “A New Way To Roll”. Both the campaigns have attracted attention from customers, and led to increased sales of the Kia Soul, as well as more awareness of the Kia brand.
It was with help from these campaigns that the Kia Soul became only the second Kia vehicle to sell more than 10,000 cars in a single month in the March of this year. The sales have continued to increase, with the May numbers showing a year on year increase of more than 50 percent.
The latest campaign was created by Kia Motors America’s advertising agency, David&Goliath. The advertisements featured loveable and singing hamsters that poked fun at the boring competitors of Kia Soul in its category. They were seen in different media platforms, including print and billboards, TV spots, a dedicated websites with downloadable games and tracks and even video games.
The hamsters seen in the ads sang Hip Hp, and cruised through the city and compared the Alien Green Soul to a number of other the mundane cars, which were represented by objects such as cardboard boxes and washing machines. The spot was also released in movie theaters across the country in late-May 2010.
The ads feature the Kia Motors‘ Soul hatchback, which comes in four trims: Soul, Soul!, Soul+ and Soul Sport. The 2011 Kia Soul is a five-door crossover vehicle that comes with the low price tag of below $14.000, as well as a style that is utilitarian as well as unique. The vehicle provides a surprisingly spacious interior for its small footprint.
The 2012 Kia Soul will come with even more power and still delivers better fuel economy. It will also have LED lighting, a hands free Kia UVO communications and infotainment system powered by Microsoft and new wheel designs
The hamster oriented advertizing campaign for the Kia Motors’ Soul urban crossover vehicle was awarded the Effie in the “David vs Goliath” category. This category recognizes campaigns and brands that are punching above their weight in the market – the advertizing David taking on the advertizing Goliaths. The campaign consisted of dancing and singing hamsters, and was called “This or That” campaign.
The “This or That” campaign comes after another successful campaign called “A New Way To Roll”. Both the campaigns have attracted attention from customers, and led to increased sales of the Kia Soul, as well as more awareness of the Kia brand.
It was with help from these campaigns that the Kia Soul became only the second Kia vehicle to sell more than 10,000 cars in a single month in the March of this year. The sales have continued to increase, with the May numbers showing a year on year increase of more than 50 percent.
The latest campaign was created by Kia Motors America’s advertising agency, David&Goliath. The advertisements featured loveable and singing hamsters that poked fun at the boring competitors of Kia Soul in its category. They were seen in different media platforms, including print and billboards, TV spots, a dedicated websites with downloadable games and tracks and even video games.
The hamsters seen in the ads sang Hip Hp, and cruised through the city and compared the Alien Green Soul to a number of other the mundane cars, which were represented by objects such as cardboard boxes and washing machines. The spot was also released in movie theaters across the country in late-May 2010.
The ads feature the Kia Motors‘ Soul hatchback, which comes in four trims: Soul, Soul!, Soul+ and Soul Sport. The 2011 Kia Soul is a five-door crossover vehicle that comes with the low price tag of below $14.000, as well as a style that is utilitarian as well as unique. The vehicle provides a surprisingly spacious interior for its small footprint.
The 2012 Kia Soul will come with even more power and still delivers better fuel economy. It will also have LED lighting, a hands free Kia UVO communications and infotainment system powered by Microsoft and new wheel designs
Wednesday, June 15, 2011
Quick Quote
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Congratulations Whitney Tucker...
Like us on FaceBookCongratulations to Whitney Tucker on the purchase of her 2009 Toyota Corolla. Have fun Whitney and enjoy your new car... From your friends at Lifetime Kia...
Saturday, June 11, 2011
Monday, June 6, 2011
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