Warped Word of Steve: The Kia Soul Lounge

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2012 Kia Soul ranked highest in initial quality study by J.D. Power and Associates

IRVINE, Calif., June 20, 2012 - From breakthrough advertising to runaway sales success, the Kia Soul has made quite a splash since entering the marketplace in 2009, and today the J.D. Power and Associates 2012 Initial Quality Study (IQS) ranked the popular urban passenger vehicle highest in initial quality in the compact multi-purpose vehicle segment. The study captures feedback from owners after 90 days of purchase in two distinct categories: quality of design and quality of production. Refreshed for the 2012 model year, the Kia Soul was fine-tuned with a significant number of technological, powertrain and style enhancements, and consumers have responded with sales up more than 22 percent through the first five months of the year.

"Kia Motors is dedicated to building world-class, high quality vehicles, and the Soul's recognition in the automotive industry's authoritative study on quality is the latest example of Kia's maturity and momentum in the U.S. market," said B.M. Ahn, group president and CEO, Kia Motors America (KMA) and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia (KMMG). "The Soul signaled the beginning of Kia's design-led transformation when it launched in 2009, and it continues to be one of our most popular vehicles, attracting new consumers to the Kia brand with its eye-catching design and outstanding record of quality, dependability and reliability and playing a vital role in Kia becoming the fastest-growing automotive brand in the U.S."

In the study, the Kia Soul was honored as the highest-ranking model in the compact multi-purpose vehicle segment, while the Kia brand made significant advancements with gains that outpaced the industry average. The annual report includes 233 vehicle models and measures attributes across eight categories, including the driving experience, engine and transmission, and a broad range of quality problem symptoms reported by vehicle owners.

About the 2012 Soul
Refreshed for the 2012 model year, the Kia Soul has been fine-tuned with a significant number of technological, powertrain and style enhancements. The 2012 Soul delivers class-leading horsepower² and significantly improved fuel efficiency of up to 35 miles per gallon (mpg)³ on the highway. Kia Motors' hatchback remains a class-leading value⁴ with the lowest starting price of its competitive set at $13,900 MSRP⁵.

Courtesy of Kia Media

Blogger Brad McCarty tested out the Kia Soul and has great things to say about it. Check it out!

Sometimes, for reasons that are beyond my comprehension, companies offer to let me use really cool stuff for a few days to see if I’ll want to write about it. So when Kia got in touch to see if I’d like to drive one of their cars for a week, I jumped at the chance. After falling head over heels for its Optima Hybrid during a recent trip to Detroit, I was curious to see what else the company had been up to.

So last Tuesday, a Kia Soul ! (yes, that’s the model, pronounced as “exclaim”) was dropped off in my driveway. Draped in a fire-engine red paint that Kia calls Lava, it’s anything but inconspicuous. The size sits somewhere between an SUV and a large hatchback, so we’ll call it a crossover. The model that they delivered had every available option, including a $2,500 “Premium Package” that includes navigation, leather, heated seats, automatic climate control and a push-button starting system.

Now, TNW is a tech blog, not an auto blog. So I wanted to drive something that would be fitting to our geek culture. The Soul wrapped this up in spades. With 2 power ports and a USB connection in the front dash, plus another power port in the rear there was plenty of juice for our family of 4 to head on a road trip.

The Soul also looks…well…geeky. In a good way. It’s akin to the Scion xB or perhaps the Nissan Cube, though has a bit less cargo space than the former, and more than the latter. But Kia has also managed to make this toaster-on-wheels-machine fun to drive. 18-inch wheels, low-profile tires and a lot of glass around the cabin all add to the overall feel.

As for the rest of the technology-heavy features? While it’s arguable that everything in a modern car is tech-heavy, the driver-focused things consisted of Bluetooth integration, a reverse camera and LED mood lighting around the speakers.

The thing I used the most, bar none, was the Bluetooth. It interfaced directly with my iPhone 4S, pulling in my contacts list, allowing me to stream music and even giving me a readout on the dash display of my current battery life and signal strength. Call quality was stellar and the built-in navigation system of the Soul didn’t clash with the streaming audio at all.

The reverse camera is pretty slick. I’ve driven cars with them before, but not often. It took a few minutes to get used to using it instead of relying solely on mirrors, but the change came rather easily.

I also have to admit to geeking out a bit over the “keyless” system, which uses only a fob. If the fob is in the right proximity of the vehicle, you can lock and unlock the doors from the outside, as well as start it, without ever taking it from your pocket. It’s far from the first car to do this, but it’s the first I’ve driven with the feature.

So it’s a cool car. No doubt. Having sold cars myself, I guesstimated the price to be somewhere in the upper $20k range, and was blown away to find that this fully-loaded model came in at a mere $23,000. You can go much, much lower on price, if you give up features, but there’s almost no reason to do so unless you simply can’t afford the slightly higher payment.

On a 7-hour trip with my family of 4 and our 40-pound dog, the Soul averaged 29 miles per gallon. Mind you, that’s through the rather large hills of Tennessee and Kentucky. If you live somewhere a bit more flat, you’ll do better. The rear cargo area gives my dog more than enough room to walk around comfortably, and my 7 and 9 year old kids enjoyed the 2nd-row bench seat.

I’m a big guy, at least as far as width is concerned. Shoulder room is almost always a concern for me. The Soul was very comfortable, though I’d prefer that the center arm rest was a bit higher. The high ceiling of the Soul makes for great head room. I’m short, so I had no problem with legroom, but it looked like the Soul would be a good fit for almost any reasonable height.

So what’s the verdict? I’m sold. No, really. I’m working with a local dealer to buy a Soul that’s identical in every way save for the color. Am I suggesting that you do so? Not really. But if you’re even moderately in the market for a new car, give the Soul a shot. It’s a lot of fun, has all of the tech stuff that you need and it’s instantly-lovable.

 

Courtesy of Kia Media

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Kia Motors America gets ready to rock this Summer with 2012 Vans Warped Tour

IRVINE, Calif., June 13, 2012 - Kia Motors America (KMA) is hitting the road as the "Official Vehicle of the 2012 Vans Warped Tour^®" and for a fifth straight year will entertain concertgoers in nearly 40 U.S. cities with live music performances from today's biggest rock and indie bands and a variety of interactive activities and events at the Kia Soul Lounge. New for 2012, Kia will be the official sponsor of the tour's two main stages – the Kia Soul Stage and Kia Rio Stage – with a platform set as part of the rigging between the stages to display the Kia Soul urban passenger vehicle.

"Since our wildly popular Soul launched in 2009 with a trio of paw-tapping hamsters, music has helped move the Kia brand into the mainstream and raise consumer awareness amongst a younger, previously untapped demographic," said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing & communications, KMA. "Fresh off the viral sensation "Share Some Soul" campaign featuring LMFAO's hit single 'Party Rock Anthem,' the poll-topping Optima Limited Super Bowl commercial featuring Mötley Crüe's 'Kickstart My Heart' and our partnership with music sharing service Spotify, going back out on the road again with the Vans Warped Tour was an obvious fit as a way to maintain our status as a young, current and engaging brand."

In addition to enjoying hours of live music, including exclusive acoustic sets with top tour bands "Taking Back Sunday" and "All Time Low," fans can visit the Kia Soul Lounge – an interactive tent featuring a DJ, body painting stations and autograph sessions – and obtain information on Kia's lineup of stylish and fuel-efficient vehicles, including the 2013 Soul, which brings unique styling, impressive power, fun-to-drive performance and fuel efficiency to its segment; the 2013 Rio sub-compact that delivers class leading horsepower¹ and fuel economy of 40 mpg²; and the performance-inspired 2012 Forte Koup.

The Kia Soul Lounge also will feature fun activities and giveaways, including an interactive Create Your Own Beat music station and Find Your Tribe bandana station. The music station will offer concertgoers the opportunity to mix their own 15-30 second beat, which will then be mixed into a master beat for that city and loaded onto the Kia Soul Facebook page³ after each stop. For the Find Your Tribe game, attendees can sign-up to receive a unique code along with a bandana that has one of 10 tribal designs on it, and throughout the festival can find other people with the same designs to form a "tribe." Each member texts⁴ each other's codes to a designated number, earning both the tribe and individual members points with the top five of each receiving cool prizes.

Festival participants also may earn Kia VIP passes for exclusive access to a private riser near the main stage or on the two main stages themselves, providing shade and unobstructed views of some of the biggest performances throughout the day. As in previous years, Kia Motors' official Kia Warped Tour blogger, Steve Guttbinder, will provide fans with behind-the-scenes insights, videos and photos as well as answers to fans' questions throughout the tour. Steve's vlog can be accessed at Facebook.com/KiaSoul.

"Kia is an innovative company that understands the culture of Warped and their support allows us to bring back two main stages for the 2012 tour," notes Kevin Lyman, Vans Warped Tour founder and producer. "We are happy to have Kia Motors onboard with us for a fifth summer as the "Official Vehicle of the 2012 Vans Warped Tour^®."

Kicking off June 16 in Salt Lake City, the 2012 Vans Warped Tour will feature more than 90 punk, rock, hip-hop, rap, metal, indie rock and electronic artists including current chart-toppers, long-running legends, and the hottest up-and-comers.

Select tour dates and destinations of the tour include:

6/16 – Salt Lake City	7/6 – Auburn Hills, Mich.	7/30 – Charlotte, NC
6/20 – Las Vegas	7/18 – Scranton, Penn.	8/1 – Milwaukee
6/23 – San Francisco	7/20 – Camden, NJ	8/5 – Portland, Oreg.
6/28 – Glendale, Ariz.	7/22 – Hartford, Conn.
7/1 – Houston	7/26 – Atlanta

For more information on the Vans Warped Tour, including a full list of tour dates⁵ and any updates to the tour schedule, visit vanswarpedtour.com.

Kia's Unprecedented Growth
Kia Motors is one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling. Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand. In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality⁶ and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking⁷. Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia – KMMG – is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds two of the company's best-selling vehicles in the U.S. – the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan*. Kia's value and technology-laden lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

Courtesy of Kia Media

Dave Solon Golf Classic

davesolonclassic.pdf Download this file

Kia Optima Hybrid "World Record" Commercial

2012 Kia Rio Review - Transformed Rio has much to offer and makes sure you take notice.

In its twelfth year as a nameplate, the third generation Kia Rio brings new flair to a car often overlooked in the past. Perhaps tough enough to go up against some compact cars, the Rio starts at just $13,600 and features increased horsepower, impressive fuel economy and quiet comfort.

 

FAST FACTS

1. The 2013 Rio gets a best-in-class 30 mpg city and 40 mpg highway fuel economy rating 2. With 138 hp and 123 lb-ft of torque it’s one of the most powerful sub-compacts available 3. High-grade options include leather, a back-up camera, heated seats, a heated steering wheel and navigation

FUEL ECONOMY OVER HORSEPOWER

New to the Rio is an upgraded engine that makes more horsepower going from its previous 110 to an attractive 138 along with 123 pound-feet of torque. Zero to sixty takes 9.5 seconds but who’s really looking to charge through bumper to bumper rush hour traffic?

Also found in the Hyundai Accent, the 1.6-liter engine with either a 6-speed manual or 6-speed automatic transmission (with manual-shift capability) is a little sluggish, especially when looking for raw power at a moment’s notice for performance. When making lane changes, passing other cars or even climbing hills, power isn’t completely unavailable but more is desired.

The electric-assist steering is light yet reactive. In addition, the EX and SX models have been outfitted with sport-tuned suspension setups. Cornering still feels shaky though, specifically in the rear, due to the rudimentary torsion beam design –common in the sub-compact set. Again, keep in mind, “A to B” and not Formula One.

Along with the entry price, fuel economy is the main reason consumers buy smaller vehicles over stylized gas-thirsty barons and the Rio affords great savings at the pump coasting in at 30 mpg in the city and 40 mpg on the highway.

Exclusive to the automatic transmission and standard on all models is the driver-activated Active ECO System, which optimizes engine and transmission settings to keep the car in a higher gear and thereby maximize fuel economy.

Furthermore, Kia will be offering an extra fuel efficiency feature on automatic transmission models called Idle Stop and Go (ISG). Shutting the engine off at a stop, Kia claims ISG can cut gas consumption and emissions by up to a considerable 15%. Not equipped on our test car, ISG won’t be available until the 2013 model year vehicles arrive this fall.

GAME-CHANGING THREADS

Mirroring the size of the Hyundai Accent the Kia is more angular and masculine yet still round, the work of German designer Peter Schreyer who’s mostly known for his creation of the original Audi TT. Now longer, lower and wider, the newest edition is on the road to make a statement. The aerodynamics of the latest body even reduces drag while cutting sound in the cabin. One look earns the Rio respect.

SIT BACK AND CHILLAX

Despite the petite yet stocky shell of this A to B ride, the interior is spacious and comfortable for passengers of all sizes. There’s plenty of head, shoulder, hip and legroom, while cargo space in the trunk is expansive with 13.7 cu-ft.

Standard trim and amenities are thoughtful, while top-level models like our tester are almost luxurious. On the most basic LX model, drivers can expect air conditioning, a tilt steering wheel with radio controls, a split folding rear seat, heated power mirrors and a digital-media player connection with USB port, just to name a few. On premium models like EX and SX, the cloth and leather interior materials are high-grade and euro-inspired in either black monotone or chocolate and beige two-tone, mirroring European small cars.

TURN ON, TUNE IN, DRIVE OUT

For more comfort and convenience than the base LX, the premium model EX and the energetic SX offer cruise control, power windows, power door locks, remote keyless entry and Bluetooth. Buyers will especially appreciate the optional Smart Key access and Push Button Ignition, eliminating the search for keys and letting you get underway in less time. Another added feature is a Cooling Glove Box that refrigerates cold drinks, desserts or even take-out sushi.

For drivers looking for cheekiness in a small car, the SX model is tuned-up with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a solid quality rearview camera, heated power-folding mirrors with turn signals, Microsoft's UVO infotainment system and automatic headlights. The UVO infotainment and navigation, which is the equivalent of the SYNC system found in Ford vehicles is easy to use, though the GPS component is lacking with dated graphics and a turn-by-turn voice navigation that is painfully robotic with a pesky direction prompt audio signal that is the same tonality used by airlines reminding passengers to ‘fasten their seatbelts’.

THE VERDICT

While some may say that growth and change can hinder a brand, in the case of South Korean automaker Kia and its new Rio, getting bigger, bolder and older just gets better every year. Priced at $13,600 for the 4-cylinder EX, $16,500 for the LX and $17,700 for the SX the new Rio joins the lineup of Kia makeovers that offer solid overall value.

Refreshing and impressive, it is a strong contender in a category where, for the last decade, only fuel economy mattered. If you’re shopping for a new sub-compact cruiser, the Rio is, for the first time, a car we can say is worth enquiring about. In fact, it’s hard to ignore.

 

Courtesy of Kia Media

Dave Solon supported the Troops To Teachers Golf Tournament on Saturday!

Here is a picture of the hole-in-one prize on hole 7 at the Kissing Camels Golf Course.

We ran a contest where we awarded the golfers who made a hole-in-one with the car pictured, and the golfers who made a hole in the pond behind the car got a sock monkey. We gave away 13 sock monkeys and 0 cars! Great attempt though, golfers! :)

Don't forget about the Dave Solon Classic on the 18th of June where we will have 3 hole in one chances.

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Win 4 tickets to the Sky Sox VS Tucson!

Dave Solon will give away 4 tickets to the Sky Sox VS Tucson on Saturday June 2 at 6:05 start time.

Any person with a valid Military ID Card comes into the Dealership, rings the Brass Bell and sings, “Get Rollin With Dave Solon Kia”
gets 4 tickets to the game!