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2008
KIA NEW VEHICLE MODEL GUIDE
 Kia
of South Korea constructs a diverse product
line of value-priced vehicles extending
from economical small cars like the Rio,
to premium luxury sedans such as the Amanti.
It also offers multiple wagons including
the Sedona and Rondo minivans and the
Sorento and Sportage sport utility vehicles.
 Optima
Kia's mid-size sedan scored a new platform
in 2007, with a longer wheelbase and wider
track, making more room in the five-seat
cabin. OFor 2008 the Optima continues
in trims of LX and EX, with powertrains
of a 2.4-liter, in-line-four for 161 horsepower
and a 2.7-liter V6 with 185 horsepower.
A five-speed Sportmatic automatic is optional
with the four-pack, and comes standard
with the V6. Other gear includes curtain-style
air bags, active front headrests and a
tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).
Other available features are anti-lock
brakes, electronic stability control (ESC)
on the V6.
 Sportage
Kia's versatile, small-class wagon is
a crossover utility vehicle (CUV) with
a front-wheel-drive (FWD) platform and
the smooth ride quality of a sedan. There
are FWD and all-wheel-drive (AWD) traction
options and two tiers of trim, the base
LX and deluxe EX, each with different
powertrain choices. A bargain-priced Sportage
LX entry edition packs a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder
engine for 140 horsepower with a manual
five-speed shifter. The Sportage LX V6
and upgraded EX V6 use a twin-cam, 2.7-liter
V6 worth 173 horsepower as linked to a
four-speed automatic with Sportmatic manual
shift mode.
 Sorento
Kia's mid-size SUV looks keen, carrying
a spacious passenger compartment with
room for five. For 2008, the Sorento presents
a new V6 engine option for its base LX
trim. The new 3.3-liter V6 achieves 242
horsepower. The Sorento EX stocks a 3.8-liter
V6 boosted to 262 horsepower and tied
to a five-speed Sportmatic automatic shifter.
The SUV also offers two-wheel-drive (2WD)
or four-wheel-drive (4WD) traction. A
comfortable cabin with seating for five
contains standard safety items like curtain-style
side air bags, ESC, a traction control
system (TCS), TPMS, active front headrests
and a driver's knee air bag.
 Sedona
Kia's minivan appears in two body lengths
— the short wheelbase (SWB) edition
at 113.8 inches and the long wheelbase
(LWB) version at 118.9 inches. Those extra
inches for the LWB Sedona bring about
15 percent more space in the seven-seat
passenger compartment. The cabin has front
bucket seats, flip-and-fold second-row
seats and a rear bench that folds into
the floor. Kia laces the Sedona with safety
features including lots of air bags. Also,
the Kia Sedona packs a forceful engine
with the 3.8-liter V6 netting 250 horsepower
and linking to a five-speed Sportmatic
automatic.
 Amanti
Long and elegant with a sculptured style
drawn from Europe's classic luxury touring
sedans, the Amanti measures up to its
large-car status by carrying the trappings
of a premium luxury model. Conformed as
a notchback four-door sedan with seats
for up to five, the Amanti looks substantial
with a bold prow displaying a prominent
chrome, egg-crate grille tucked between
flanking pairs of oval articulated headlamps.
Go-power stems from its 3.8-liter aluminum
V6 rated at 264 horsepower. Amanti's optional
premium package adds Supervision gauges,
aluminum trim in the cabin and chrome-coated
wheels.
 Rondo
Kia's miniature minivan/wagon rolled out
in 2007 model and is back yet again in
2008. It's a five-door, hatchback-styled
wagon sized for the compact class and
constructed on the FWD platform of a car.
Its body styling is slick and streamlined,
with the option of an accessory kit including
chrome trim and front fascia and side
sills extensions. The Rondo's cabin makes
room for up to seven riders. Lots of safety
equipment goes into the model including
six air bags and ESC. Its engine choices
are a 2.4-liter in-line-four worth 162
horsepower or a 2.7-liter V6 for 182 horsepower.
 Spectra
Spectra is a shapely four-door sedan for
the compact class stocking a respectable
powerplant with FWD traction and ample
safety systems. Layout of the cabin seems
conventional with two buckets in front
of a bench for three. However, personal
space is definitely not conventional for
a compact — the cabin seems tall
and broad with generous room to stretch
out. Model grades are the EX, LX and sporty
SX, all stocking curtain-style air bags.
Power flows from a 2.0-liter, four-pack
with continuously variable valve timing
(CVVT) and 138 horsepower through a five-speed
manual transmission or optional four-speed
automatic.
 Spectra5
A five-door hatchback, fuel-effcient variation
of the Spectra sedan mixes the spry road
manners of a small FWD sports sedan with
the cargo capacity of a pint-size SUV.
It's partly a sporty car styled like a
street-racer hatchback and partly a small
wagon and thrifty runabout that's practical
and fun to drive. The Spectra5 holds the
same engine and running gear as the four-door
Spectra. However, it gets a strut tower
brace in front for improved torsional
rigidity, stabilizer bars and taut tuning
for the four-wheel independent suspension.
 Rio
Kia's subcompact four-door sedan draws
class-capping strength from its zippy
engine. The 1.6-liter, four-cylinder CVVT
plant produces 110 horsepower and employs
a five-speed manual transmission or optional
electronically controlled four-speed automatic.
The sedan brings three trims — base,
upgraded LX and sporty SX. All models
stock six standard air bags including
dual advanced frontal and front seat-mounted
side air bags and full-length, curtain-style
air bags above the front and back side
windows. The Rio SX adds chrome accents
to the instrument panel, special fabric
inserts on seats and a leather-wrapped
steering wheel with red stitching.
 Rio5
The number attached to the nameplate denotes
a tail-side, fifth door perfect for accessing
the aft cargo compartment on the hatchback
variation of Kia's Rio sedan. The sporty
hatchback edition uses the same engine
and equipment as the Rio, but gets its
own SX trim. Styling for the exterior
package on Rio5 features a raked windshield,
pronounced wheel arches, an aggressive
prow with corner headlamps and a grille
with black mesh insert.
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