Kia releases teaser image of its latest concept vehicle that will debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show while we also look at the vehicles on display at the 2010 Detroit Auto Show.
The view from the Summit
At Summit Place Kia in metro Detroit, we’ve just completed our annual visit to the 2010 Detroit Auto Show. Among the many models on display at the Kia exhibit was the recently-introduced special edition Kia Soul Shadow Dragon.
2010 Kia Soul Shadow Dragon
The third of four special edition models Kia plans for its urban crossover passenger car, the Shadow Dragon Soul sports a design theme that is very similar to the “Soul Burner” concept vehicle that debuted at the 2008 Geneva Car Show.
The Shadow Dragon joins the Denim Soul, which was introduced in June of 2009, and the Ignition Soul that first made its appearance in late December of 2009, as factory-customized versions of the Soul. The Soul Shadow Dragon, just like its two predecessors, is a limited-edition model. At Summit Place Kia, we sold out of the Denim edition very quickly and we have, as of this writing, just three Ignition Souls left in stock.
Also on display at the Detroit Auto Show was the 2011 Kia Sorento, all-new for 2011 and the first vehicle to be built by Kia Motors at the company’s new stat-of-the-art manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia.
We recently began receiving our first shipments of the new Sorento to both our Canton, Michigan dealership as well as our Waterford, Michigan store. Available in base, LX and EX trim levels, all new Sorento models will offer 17-inch alloy wheels with 18-inch wheels standard on the EX. In addition, all but the base edition will also offer the option of a third row seating package that is, incidentally, standard on V-6-equipped EX models.
2011 Kia Sorento pricing begins at a very affordable $19,999 (plus transportation) for the manually-equipped base model and all models qualify for $1,000 cash back through February 1st.
Kia Ray Hybrid Concept teaser image
And although the 2010 Detroit Auto Show is now history, Kia Motors has announced that as part of the 2010 Chicago Auto Show, due to open to the public on February 12th, it will unveil a new hybrid concept car called the Kia Ray.
As part of the advanced publicity surrounding the unveiling of the Ray to the press on February 11th, Kia Motors released a teaser image to the press last week.
According to sources at Kia, the Ray was drawn up at Kia’s Design Center America and is intended to show off the company’s “evolving design direction.”
For motive power, the Ray will highlight a plug-in hybrid powertrain similar to that of the Hyundai Blue-Will, which was unveiled at this year’s Detroit Auto Show and featured a 152 hp 1.6-liter direct-injection four-cylinder mated to a 100 kW electric motor powered by a lithium polymer battery pack, giving it a 40 mile all-electric range and 60 mpg in regular driving.
From the teaser image, the Ray also appears to have some type of solar array attached to its roof which, most likely, would be used to power either an accessory fan a’la the Toyota Prius, or possibly additional cockpit accessories.
