BMW Voted Best Performance Brand and Coolest Brand in 2011 KBB Awards

BMW Voted Best Performance Brand and Coolest Brand in 2011 KBB Awards

Kia adding Optima production line to Georgia plant

The Kia Optima has been a resounding success from the minute the midsize sedan's redesigned 2011 model hit dealer showrooms. Optima sales have nearly doubled since its November introduction, which has helped the automaker claim a 36 percent sales increase on the year.The Korean automaker seems to think the good times will continue into the future, announcing a third hiring wave at the Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia plant. The additional employees will help increase Optima output when the 2012 model arrives in the third quarter. This is good news for the red-hot Kia brand, and those looking for work in Georgia are likely excited as well. Kia says in the post-jump press release that its hiring spree will increase the workforce at the facility to 3,000 workers.

Volkswagen gives price points for 2012 Beetle, targets Mini

Elaborating on our previous details from the New York unveiling of the 2012 much-altered Beetle, Volkswagen North America CEO Jonathan Browning has told Autoblog, "We're aiming to essentially go after the Mini so far as market positioning and price offerings."That means a price range from $20,000 to $24,000 when the coupe launches worldwide in late September, and between $25,000 and $29,000 for the 2013 convertible. These price ranges take into account the three engines on offer at the start of deliveries: the 2.5-liter five-cylinder, 2.0-liter TDI diesel, and 200-hp 2.0-liter TFSI. There's no telling what the price will be on the hot Beetle R foreseen for mid-2013 with the newest 261-hp 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four from the Scirocco R, much less the rumored 337-hp Beetle RS with turbo inline five "W28" engine for 2014.Wheels available at launch will range from a standard 17-inch set to optional 18-inch and 19-inch, the latter set being the size shown on all of the Beetles that you'll see in our photos from the 2011 New York Auto Show.VW global branding boss Luca De Meo tells us, "We want to avoid the almost total lack of rollout planning that the former New Beetle suffered. That car had a couple of pretty good years and then it fell dramatically. We want to keep offering new things that are significant this time around so as to keep the car fresh."Though Volkswagen could rely on its vast worldwide manufacturing network to build the Beetle for Western Europe, China, and North America, bosses in New York say that all Beetle manufacturing will remain exclusively at the Puebla, Mexico plant.

2012 Subaru Impreza: Deep Dive

The fourth generation 2012 Subaru Impreza has arrived, and to paraphrase Huey Lewis, the first thing you might notice is that it's hip to be square... er. Underneath its skin, the new Impreza says a few things that Americans aren't so used to – nor so fond of – hearing, like the fact that it has a smaller-displacement engine with less horsepower.If that's the step backward, though, there are more than two steps forward: It's lighter, faster, more frugal, stiffer, nicer inside, has a better suspension and more interior room, all the while being the same size as the previous generation. Said Subaru Production Line Manager Todd Hill, "it's all upside."- Autoblog

Kia Hampsters win Nielsen's Top Auto Ad Award for second year in a row

Kia has taken home the top honors in the Nielsen Automotive Ad of the Year awards for the second year in a row. The company's troupe of dancing hamsters managed to make the biggest impression on viewers in the "A New Way To Roll" spot in 2009 and the rodents managed to pull off a similar stunt in 2010 with the automaker's "This or That" ad. Nielsen hands out the awards based on response information collected from 2.5 million viewers across 24 networks, and according to Kia, the hamster spots have helped increase Soul sales in a big way. The boxy compact saw its sales figures increase by 50.8 percent last month compared to March 2010.

New York 2011: Subaru shows off 2012 Impreza with lighter figure, impressive fuel economy

We just gave you a deep dive look at the 2012 Subaru Impreza. Now, we get to see the fourth-generation Subaru in its four and five-door flesh on the floor of the 2011 New York Auto Show. The new car is lighter and more fuel efficient, boasting a very impressive 36 mile per gallon highway fuel-economy rating. How is the new 2012 Impreza able to claim the title of most fuel-efficient all-wheel-drive car in the United States? Dropping a few pounds doesn't hurt but there's a bit more to it than that.Beneath the hood lies a brand-new 2.0-liter horizontally-opposed four-cylinder engine, which produces 148 horsepower and 145 pound-feet of torque. When paired with Subaru's new CVT, the Impreza achieves the aforementioned 36 mile per gallon highway fuel-economy rating, and also returns 27 mpg in the city. And though the 2012 Impreza occupies the same footprint as the model it replaces, the wheelbase has been pushed out an extra inch, which allows for more interior space yet no trunk room was compromised.The lightened-up Subaru Impreza sedan and five-door hatchback are scheduled to arrive at your local dealership later this summer. - Autoblog

New York 2011: Kia debuts all-new 2012 Rio with start-stop, good for 40 MPG

The 2012 Kia Rio debuts at the 2011 New York Auto Show today, sporting brand new bodywork, Kia's new direct-injected four-cylinder and the company's Idle Stop and Go, or stop-start technology. Kia claims the combination of direct fuel injection and stop-start means the 2012 Rio will pull down 30 miles per gallon around town and 40 mpg on the highway.On top of that, the new Rio should be a peppy little beast, knocking down 138 horsepower from its 1.6-liter four cylinder. Switching the ratios will be either a six-speed manual or six-speed automatic. Idle Stop and Go is an all-new feature for any Kia – when the car is stopped and the brake depressed, the computer kills the engine to save gas. When the brake pedal is released, the engine fires back up and away you go.Outside, the Rio has been treated to a full re-skinning, taking on the high-shouldered, wedge-shaped look of the rest of the Korean automaker's lineup. Out front, the Rio gets a slightly slimmer version of the company's familiar grille, re-shaped to better integrate with the car's headlights. The 2012 Rio has also grown to 171.9 inches in length and 67.7 inches in width, but sits lower than the outgoing model. Kia claims that, despite its increased dimensions, the widened stance and use of high-tensile steel in the car's construction makes for significantly better ride and handling over the old Rio.The 2012 Kia Rio will be available in three trim packages, starting with the LX, which gets 15-inch steel wheels, body-color door handles and side mirrors. Above that, the EX model rides on the same wheels as the LX, but gets power mirrors and locks and keyless entry. The top-level trim will be the SX, which sports 17-inch wheels, fog lamps, LED daytime running lights, a dual-tip exhaust and heated mirrors sporting turn signal repeaters. The five-door Rio5 SX, meanwhile, will be upgraded to projector headlights. - Autoblog