Cycle & Carriage Kia has announced that the all-new Kia Sportage has arrived in Singapore and is slated for an official launch in late August. The new Sportage which looks so much better than the model it replaces is offered with a single engine option, which is the 2.0 liter Theta II petrol unit.

It’s power is figured at 166 PS while offering 197Nm of torque peaking at 4,600 RPM. Only the 2WD option is available and the sole transmission option is taken up by 6-speed automatic. It comes with two operating modes including fully automatic or Sport, which simply means it allows manual shifting. 0 – 100km/h takes 10.6 seconds while top speed is set at 182km/h. Combined fuel economy on the other hand is figured at 8.7 liters per 100 kilometers.

The new Sportage which grows in size all round (except for height), comes in two trim level configurations. The base EX gives you 17-inch alloys, projector headlights, LED taillights, cruise control, audio with AUX, USB, MP3 and iPod compatibility, ABS and two airbags, just to name a few.

The range-topping SX adds an engine Start/Stop function, LED daytime running lights, dual-zone automatic climate control, panoramic roof, ESC (Electronic Stability Control), power seat for the driver, ECM (Electro-Chronic Mirror) as well as a 6-disc audio. 18-inch wheels replace the 17-inch ones and the interior sports a tan leather, compared to black leather for the EX. Pricing details for both models will be announced soon.

An image gallery can be found after the jump.

Kia has officially added a 5-door hatch variant into the Forte range that also includes a sedan and a sporty 2-door. The hatchback was introduced at the New York Auto Show and just like the sedan and coupe variants, this hatchback looks pretty good as well.

According to Kia, the hatchback introduces a new front grille, alloy wheels, lower valence design, center console, paddle shifters as well as push-button start and navigation. The Forte 5-door is offered with two engine options including a 2.0 liter and 2.4 liter. There are new 6-speed manual and automatic transmissions.

More images are available after the jump.

This is the very sharp-looking 2011 Optima by Kia. The Optima which is also known as the Magentis in other markets now carries a skin that owners can be very proud of. The new Korean sedan which sits on an all-new platform is available with three power options including a hybrid.

The base model gets a 2.4 liter GDI 4-cylinder engine that makes 200hp. Next up is a turbocharged 2.0 liter GDI that pumps out a healthy 274hp. Transmission wise there is a 6-speed manual for the LX trim level. The automatic option is made up by a 6-speed slush box that features Sportmatic clutches shifting. The hybrid model will make its debut sometime in 2011. This ‘greener’ Optima will use a 2.4 liter engine.

Inside you would find paddle shifters, a panoramic sunroof, 6-way adjustable driver’s seat with power lumbar support, auxiliary and USB audio input jacks, Bluetooth connectivity, an air-conditioned glove box, memory driver’s seat with heating and cooling for the front seats and more. Some of these features are of course optional.

Safety features are mostly made up by six airbags, front active headrests, side-impact door beams, a Tire Pressure Monitoring System, ABS, Electronic Stability Control, Brake Assist System as well as Hill Assist Control. As always more images can be found after the jump!

This is a teaser sketch of the 2011 Kia Magentis’ interior. It looks pretty good and it complements the Magentis’ exterior good looks, if the final product looks anything like this in the first place. From the sketch we can tell that the Magentis offers air conditioning vents for the rear passengers and the centre console is angled towards the driver.

There is also an instrument panel with three clusters. Images of the 2011 Magentis was revealed ahead of its debut at the New York Auto Show. It is expected to go on sale in the UK next year and in the US this fall. The mid-sized sedan from Kia is expected to be offered with the company’s 2.4 liter Theta II GDI unit with a 198hp output.

There may also be a 2.0 liter 4-cylinder along with a turbocharged variant and a hybrid that is expected to be revealed in 2011. The new Magentis which is simply known as the K5 in South Korea is expected to go on sale in its native country in May this year. A high-res version of the image can be found after the jump.

Kia has officially unveiled the 2011 Magentis (or Optima in other markets) ahead of its world debut at the New York Auto Show this April. This new Magentis which looks really good if you ask me is expected to go on sale in the UK next year while US buyers can expect it this fall.

This new Magentis mid-sized sedan which should go head to head with Ford’s very impressive Mondeo sits on a platform that is being used on the new Hyundai Sonata. Kia claims that the new model is longer, wider and lower compared to the outgoing model.

Unfortunately the company has not revealed technical specifications but you can safely expect 2.0 liter engines from both the petrol and diesel families. A hybrid variant is expected as well. Continue reading to view the images above in high-res glory.

Singapore’s official distributor of Kia cars, Cycle & Carriage Kia has officially unveiled the facelifted versions of the Picanto and Rio. Major change on the outside is the incorporation of the company’s Schreyer grille.

The new Picanto is now offered with 15-inch Black Flower wheels, black bezel headlamps, rear combination lamps, tinted glass, front fog lamps as well as a sports fuel lid. Inside you will find updates including new sports pedals, semi-leather upholstery with yellow piping, leather wrapped steering wheel and gear shift knob, rearseat headrests, driver seat height adjuster, rear seat split folding, front and rear power windows. There is also keyless entry.

The Rio on the other hand is now fitted with a new front bumper, rear diffuser with muffler, body-coloured side moulding, new fog lamps as well as darkened headlamps and tail lamps. Interior features are made up by a new instrument cluster, new steering wheel, new gear stick, chrome pedals, 2-tone designer seats along with auxiliary and USB connectivity.

Pricing wise the Kia Picanto can be yours for S$42,499 while pricing for the Rio starts from S$48,499.

Kia is at the Geneva Motor Show right now and the company brought along the Venga EV concept car. It is Kia’s first all-electric plug-in concept car and it features an 80 kW electric motor that can also churn out 280Nm of torque. It allows the Venga to hit the 100 km/h mark in 11.8 seconds and a top speed of 140 km/h, which is pretty low.

The concept can deliver 180 kilometers over a single charge and a quick recharged would take 20 minutes (for 80% of power). Unfortunately the company did not mention anything about the concept making it into production.

Kia has announced that it will launch the all new Optima (also known as the Magentis in certain markets) at the New York Auto Show which starts on April 2nd. According to the company the new Optima is longer, wider and lower compared to the model it replaces.

The press release also mentioned that it has a “significantly longer” wheelbase. The new mid-size sedan will go on sale in the US and in non-European markets by fall this year while sales in Europe will start by spring.

From the design sketches released by Kia we can see that the new Optima has the Schreyer grille, a slopping roof line, wrap around taillights as well as two exhaust tail pipes. Continue reading to view more images.

You can also click here to view the launch story.

Kia has unwrapped the Ray Concept at the Chicago Auto Show. The concept is a 4-seater plug-in hybrid which is able to offer a fuel economy rating of 1.2 liter per 100 kilometers. Overall the driving range is figured at 1,200 kilometers and it can run for 80.5 kilometers with electric power alone.

The Ray’s hybrid powertrain is made up by a 1.4 liter direct injection engine that pumps out 153hp and a 78kw electric motor. It also has a continuously variable transmission. The concept is build on the Forte platform and features among others, drive-by-wire steering, solar glass, touch-screen controls and Kia’s UVO voice and touch-activated controls. More images can be found after the jump.

Previously we showed you a design sketch of the Kia Ray concept, which hinted at a low-roof coupe style four-door body with a glass roof and prominent wheel arches. Now, Kia has released a teaser image which partially shows the car’s front end. We can see that it has no grille, long headlamps that stretch into the front fender and very little front overhang. The Ray will debut at the Chicago motor show next week.

So far, we only know that it is a plug-in hybrid concept. Styled at the Kia Design Centre in the US, the Ray is also meant to show off “Kia’s evolving design direction”. We like the fact that Kia is increasingly becoming car company that focuses on design – it has a “celebrity” design boss in Peter Schreyer and the Korean brand’s current family of cars look really good – the Cerato Forte, Sorento and new Sportage (of which pictures were just released) feature bold but clean styling that’s consistent across the range.