The Kia Pop is a small, two door Smartcar-like electric vehicle. With The Paris Motor Show little more than a month away, Kia has released photos of this new concept, which it will put on display. The Pop shows a type of outrageous design that draws a crowd, but chances of this design entering production is probably slim.

The Kia Pop front end looks like it could come from a small Japanese Kei-class auto, the Pop’s side graphic uses a “lozenge shape” in the door.

The top of the car is constructed entirely out of glass, letting plenty of light into the cabin.

Kia has stated little about the car right now, other than it can hold three passengers and is powered by an electric motor. The cabin configuration is “quite cozy,” with a single bench seat allowing the three passengers to sit side by side.

Source: CNET

The contest coincides with the Black Sheep music video campaign for Soul, which hip hop hamsters sing “You can get with this, or you can get with that” comparing the virtues of the Soul vehicle with rolling appliances.

Participants have to create their own music video using Kia Soul as a thematic idea, and the tag, “A new way to roll.” The contest is on now until the end of September, with the top two finalists going on Kia’s dime to Los Angeles for the announcement of the grand prize winner, who will receive a $10,000 prize.

Michael Sprague, Kia VP of marketing & communications says, “Social media is an important part of the marketing strategy for Soul and engaging passionate enthusiasts in this space creates additional opportunities to build buzz through a new, interactive experience.”

Currently, Kia Soul promotes itself with widespread Yahoo! ads, Facebook applications and their very own Youtube channel.

Check out the Kia Contest Rules and enter at their official website.

The Forte Hatchback will also feature a new front grill, alloy wheels, paddle shifters and navigation. While it sits lower and exudes a performance stance, Kia says it does not compromise on practicality or space.

Kia fans in North America have made it clear they want the Forte, at least based on responses to the Koup at events like 2010′s New York International Auto Show. Kia’s sportier designs and more powerful engines are making it an up-and-coming company that the competition should keep an eye on.

Details are scarce but two engines are available in the form of a 2.0-liter and a 2.4-liter. Power figures were not supplied. Transmission choices are a new 6-speed manual and an automatic.

“Our data show that truly effective advertising starts with a great creative idea,” said Lois Miller, President of Nielsen Automotive. “When you combine that idea with a memorable and unique hook that grabs the viewer’s attention, you are going to get the results that we saw from Kia this year.”

Source: LeftLaneNews

Kia’s Venga EV is able to hit 0-62 mph in 11.8 seconds and a top speed of 87 mph. The electric motor is powered by two 24 kWh lithium ion polymer batteries, which allow the car to travel up to 112 miles (180 km) on a single charge. Once depleted, the batteries can be recharged to 80 percent capacity in 20 minutes with a rapid charger or fully recharged in eight hours with a normal charger.

ELECTRIC VENGA CONCEPT PLUGS IN FOR KIA AT GENEVA MOTOR SHOW

Venga EV represents Kia Motors’ continuing commitment to earth-positive R&D and marks an additional dimension in the company’s development of eco-friendly vehicles.

Looking in part like the Forte met George Jetson’s hovercar, the Ray features a huge four-door design which pops open wide enough to allow easy access to the rear compartment.

Suicide doors on a Kia? We like!

Targeted to the eco-conscious, the Ray Concept has a driving range of 746 miles (1,200 km). It can travel 50 miles (80.5 km) on electric power alone plus a fuel economy rating of more than 202 miles per gallon (1.2 l/100km).

Powering the Ray Concept is a direct injection 153 hp (114 kW) 1.4-litre engine mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) in addition to a 78kw electric motor. Depending on driving conditions, power is routed to the front wheels via the gasoline engine while the electric motor pushes the rear wheels, or both simultaneously.

Based on the Kia Forte platform the Ray Concept features a streamlined body for reduced aerodynamic drag. This is particularly noticeable in the long tail with U-shaped deck lid which extends out from the rear at higher speeds for improved aerodynamics. Despite the “mono-volume shape” the Ray Concept still manages to convey some striking curves topped off by an aggressive snake face front end.

The Source: WorldCarFans

Just how similar are the two small, hatchback-like vehicles? Well, they are both owned, in a sense, by General Motors. But what else? Let’s have a look:

Upon first glance, there are many similar design aspects between Granite and Soul. Of course, Soul has already been in production over a year – where GMC’s “Utility Vehicle” is only in production phase. It’s not uncommon to see different auto makers steal…I mean share designs. Example: Honda Insight, Toyota Prius, and to some extent the upcoming Chevy Volt. But let’s look at the facts: “Prices at $13,300, the Soul base model comes with a 122-horsepower, 1.6-liter four-cyl – no automatic transmission is offered with the base engine. The other three Soul trim levels come with a 142-horsepower, 2.0-liter four cyl and a choice of the five-speed manual or a four-speed automatic. At its highest price ($18,900) you are still under $20K for the total Sports version with all available options.”

As for Granite – “Power for the Granite concept comes from a 1.4L turbocharged engine that is part of GM’s new family of small-displacement, highly efficient four-cylinder engines. It is matched with a six-speed transmission.” No word on pricing, but we are guessing Granite won’t break out of the $20 – 25,000 mark, if it wants to stay competitive anyway.

One major difference with Soul & Granite – Kia hasn’t taken the idea of suicide doors under consideration. But at 2010′s NAIAS rear-hung doors seem to be quite an eye-catcher. Whether or not they will remain in a final, practical, release model you’ll just have to wait and see.

Inside, the Granite concept dash looks more like something Harrison Ford should be piloting. Both Kia and GMC really enhance the appearance and usability of their interior compartments. Even base models of lower-end vehicles retain some sort of classy styling inside – materials cost money, but cool ideas are free flowing. We’ll wait and see what Granite ends up looking like, and how it will truly compare to Kia’s Soul.

At a starting price of $18,195, It comes with rally-inspired skin painted Ignition Orange and wearing offset black racing stripes. There’s also black 18-inch wheels with machined accents, a sunroof, and an alloy fuel-filler door.

Inside, Ignition Soul has black cloth seats with Soul print on the backrests, an upgraded stereo with six speakers, a subwoofer, a 315-watt amp, and seizure-inducing speaker lights that pulse with the beat of the music. An iPod connection cable and Bluetooth round out the stereo upgrades.

All Koups have lots of standard equipment, including six airbags, stability control, power locks and windows, iPod integration, and Sirius satellite radio. Stepping up from the base $17,290 EX to the $18,390 SX yields a larger, 173-hp 2.4-liter that’s far smoother than the base 156-hp 2.0-liter (which gets pretty gritty near its redline) and an additional ratio in each of the available transmissions—a six-speed manual or a five-speed automatic.

With the manual, the SX has class-leading acceleration: 0 to 60 mph in 7.1 seconds. And despite the fact it’s one of the last to retain a torsion-beam rear suspension—along with an extremely disproportionate weight distribution (64 percent of the Koup’s 2933 pounds are on the front wheels)—the Koup is reasonably competent, and understeer at the limit is merely deliberate, not debilitating. Skidpad grip of 0.89 g on all-season Goodyear Eagle LS2s places the Koup solidly ahead of the compact pack, as does a firm brake pedal that produces stops from 70 mph in 171 feet. But after more than a decade of Kia floppiness, the Koup’s ride is too stiff, as if firmness has been confused with sportiness. Similarly, the throttle is jumpy, making smooth starts laborious.

The directness of the six-speed shifter is a big improvement over the Soul’s sloppier five-speed, but its effort is a tad high. The steering has appropriate heft and a solid on-center feel, although it suffers from vicious kickback in bumpy corners and is not as fluid as a Mazda 3’s, a complaint that pretty much applies to the entire driving experience.

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