Monroeville Kia Mazda

Thursday, October 27, 2011

Kia teaches EcoDynamics

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 11:00 AM

It's awesome to see how hard Kia is working for environmental innovation.

In 2009 a new word entered the Kia lexicon: EcoDynamics. In just 11 characters it sums up Kia’s intention to continue to make cars which are fun to drive, practical, appealing and good value while reducing their impact on the environment. And with the all-new Rio it will reach a remarkable high.

EcoDynamics is a green umbrella for a wide range of technologies. Ultimately it will lead to alternative-fuel cars with zero tailpipe emissions, a process that is already well advanced. Kias with electrified drive trains will be emerging as early as 2012 and already the company has its first hybrid on sale in some markets, based on the new Optima.

But the biggest impact will come about through radical improvements to the economy and emissions of cars with petrol and diesel engines, which will continue to be the dominant power source for at least the next two decades.

More fuel-efficient cars do not come about by accident. They require huge investment in new engines, transmissions, materials and technologies. Efficiency has to be designed in from the start, so it is with the new Rio featuring an advanced three-cylinder diesel delivering up to 88.3 mpg whilst being the cleanest internal combustion engine in the world, emitting just 85g/km of CO2.

In 2008-09, when the world was reeling in the aftermath of the global banking collapse, Kia made the decision to invest heavily in a range of sleeker, lighter cars with advanced new powertrains and state-of-the-art fuel-saving technologies.

Soon afterwards the revised cee’d appeared with an Intelligent Stop & Go (ISG) system to stop the engine when the car is stationary in traffic and restart it again when the driver is ready to move off. Manual versions also advise the driver of the most fuel-efficient points to upshift. These features have appeared on selected versions of almost every Kia launched since. Together, they can achieve fuel savings of 10-15%.

Every new model seems to be accompanied by the introduction of smaller and more fuel-efficient engines. The 2009 Sorento saw the arrival of the R family of turbo diesels, plus a world-class six-speed automatic transmission; the Venga featured a smaller, 1.4-litre version of Kia’s European-made U2 diesel; for the Sportage, a 1.7-litre U2 diesel was added plus Kia’s first direct-injection petrol engine – a 1.6 belonging to the Gamma family; and the latest Picanto has new 1.0- and 1.25-litre Kappa family engines. A turbocharged version of the 1.0 was displayed at the 2010 Paris Motor Show, and is scheduled to start appearing in various models in 2012. And the all-new Rio has a 1.1 CRDi engine capable of 85g/km CO2. In every case, lower CO2 emissions have been achieved at the same time as greater performance.

Gasoline direct-injection (GDi) petrol engines will continue this process. The recently launched Soul facelift has a 1.6 GDi engine with increased power output and better emissions. The Optima, a car which has yet to come to the UK, was introduced in the USA with a 2.0-litre GDi turbo engine delivering V6 performance without the fuel penalty. It is only a start to what Kia has in mind.

Kia is also working on a double-clutch transmission to deliver the convenience of an automatic with even better fuel economy than a manual. And it has developed its own continuously variable transmission for hybrid vehicles, which is cutting fuel consumption by 7% compared with a conventional automatic.

The company has set itself the target of making its entire range 10% lighter by 2015, which would bring about a 3.2% reduction in fuel consumption. Lightweight materials will replace steel where it is feasible, and the number of parts will be reduced. The kind of detailed thinking that Kia designers are applying is seen to good effect in the case for the air conditioning unit in the Optima. It is made of glass bubbles rather than polypropylene and is therefore 10% lighter.

An Active Eco system that deters unnecessary acceleration by restricting engine torque in certain circumstances is under development, as is a Smart Cruise Control that can brake and accelerate the car as well as maintain a set speed. Both are showing promising fuel consumption improvements.

And just to show that fuel-saving need not be po-faced, Kia’s engineers have developed a system that rates how efficiently you are driving on a scale of zero to eight. Reach eight and a flower symbol appears on the dashboard. Maintain that over a period of time and the flower becomes a bouquet.

Photo from http://www.kiamotors.com/experience-kia/environment/eco-dynamics.aspx

Fact or Fiction? 10 Car Myths Debunked

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:30 PM

Does turning on your car’s heater really lower engine temperature? Do you really save fuel by letting your engine idle? Read on for the answers to these questions and more!

“Automotive myths have been around since the days of Henry Ford and the Model T. Some have a splinter of truth in them, but most are pure nonsense. The editors of MSN Autos have assembled 10 gems and shot them down like clay pigeons at a professional skeet-shooting exhibition.

Myth 1: Red cars get more speeding tickets.

Debunked: While they're radiant and retina-shocking, red cars are not more likely to get a speeding ticket, according to the Insurance Information Institute and Insurance Trade Association. This myth is based on an optical illusion: a red car looks as if it is going faster than it is because red is an aggressive color. But a radar gun is color-blind. The only way to avoid a speeding ticket is not to speed. If you have no self-control (we don't either), here are a couple of nifty tips to avoid being nailed by Smokey on your next trip: (1) Travel in a pack of cars to avoid being singled out — let a rabbit speed ahead of you and get the ticket instead; (2) Stay in the right lane whenever possible, because many officers look to the fast lane for speeders.

Myth 2: Driving with the windows open to stay cool saves gas.

Debunked: According to Ford's Driving Skills for Life Web site, the power-robbing effect of air-conditioning compressors is less hurtful than the aerodynamic drag created by speeding down the road with the windows open, especially at highway speeds. Running the air conditioner will sacrifice a few ponies, but the turbulence caused by open windows will require more horsepower, and thus cause the vehicle to consume more fuel to maintain a steady speed. Ford's Web site recommends using the recirculation feature because it is more efficient to cool already cool air from the cabin than outside air. Another nifty tip is to run the vent/fan setting once the cabin cools down.

Myth 3: Letting an engine idle saves fuel.

Debunked: This one may have rung true when carburetors ruled the roost, but not now that fuel injection is the norm. Start-up in most modern vehicles is lean and efficient, and the longer the interval between shutdown and start-up, the greater the fuel savings. Engine-off strategies are prevalent in hybrids for a reason: they improve mileage. Even the all-gasoline 2012 Maserati Quattroporte will be using start-stop technology to improve its fuel efficiency.

Myth 4: Hybrid batteries won’t last.

Debunked: Doubters were quick to question the longevity of hybrid battery cells and cite their substantial replacement cost to scare people away from these green machines. Check the warranty card. Manufacturers are offering warranties that start at 80,000 miles and go up from there. Furthermore, the federal government tested battery packs up to 160,000 miles and experienced no issues. Hybrid taxicabs have reported 200,000-plus miles without the need for a battery replacement.

Myth 5: Engine warm-up is important to longevity.

Debunked: There is no need to sit in the garage or driveway and let your engine warm to normal operating temperature before venturing on your way. Sure, a short warm-up period is smart — about as long as it takes to secure your seat belt, check your mirrors and adjust the stereo — then put it in gear and go. The idea is to warm up the engine on the road by driving conservatively until the temperature dial is in the normal range; then you can lean on the throttle as needed.”

Read about the other 5 myths at http://editorial.autos.msn.com/listarticle.aspx?cp-documentid=1155168

Market Analysis Shows Hyundai, Kia Lead in Brand Loyalty

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 10:13 AM

Thank you to all of our great customers for choosing Kia! We wouldn’t be here without you!

“Auto market analyst group Experian Automotive released its second-quarter 2011 market analysis report, and the results show Hyundai Motor America came out on top in corporate loyalty – a U.S.-market first for the Korean company. Experian reports that Hyundai’s corporate loyalty rate held steady at 49.6 percent, enough to oust General Motors and Ford from the top spots, which scored 48.1 percent and 47.6 percent, respectively.

Hyundai Motor America’s Kia brand had the highest brand loyalty ranking of any individual marque, at 47.9 percent. The Hyundai brand also performed well in brand loyalty, and was fourth highest in the rankings at 40.5 percent. In addition to being among the top brands in corporate loyalty, Kia had three models in Experian’s top 10 vehicles. According to Experian, the Kia Forte was the top model for customer loyalty at 68 percent, while the Kia Soul ranked fifth at 59 percent and the Forte Koup eighth at 57 percent. GM had the second best-performing model in brand loyalty, with the Chevy Cruze coming in a number two with 64 percent. Ford models rounded out the remainder of the top 10, with the Fiesta coming in third at 63 percent and the Fusion right behind in fourth at 57 percent.

“…Hyundai has been making strides in customer loyalty for several years,” said Jeffrey Anderson, director of consulting and analytics for Experian automotive. “The company’s innovation, 100,000-mile warranty program, and improvements in vehicle styling and quality among both brands have clearly helped them gain and maintain a strong and loyal customer base.”

According to Experian, Hyundai’s increase in corporate loyalty is also helping it gain market share. Experian reports that Hyundai saw the greatest year-to-date percentage increase of any brand, with the Korean automaker shooting from 7.9 percent in Q2 2010 to 9.2 percent in Q2 2011 for a gain of 1.3 percent. To put that in perspective, GM experienced the second largest market share gain with an increase of 0.5 percent in the same period, rising from 19.1 percent in Q2 2010 to 19.6 percent in Q2 2011.”

2012 Kia Soul from $16,595

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 6:00 AM

Looking for a good car for city driving? The 2012 Kia Soul may be for you!

“For the 2012 model year, Kia decided to add a couple horses to the Soul’s stable, increase its fuel efficiency and to add even more doo-dads to the already generous list of equipment.

Great news if you’re looking for a city roundabout, as you’ll get even more bang for your buck. As before, two four-cylinder mills will be in charge of hustling the Soul along.

The 2.0-litre, 164-hp (up 22 hp) engine will sip 7.9 litres per 100 km in town and 5.8 litres on the highway, while the 1.6-litre, direct injection power plant will generate 138 hp (up 16) and burn 7.4 and 5.6 litres per 100 clicks in town and on the highway, respectively.

A six-speed manual or automatic transmission will be available in both cases.

The Soul will now feature a standard start/stop system that temporarily shuts the engine down when the car comes to a full stop, such as at a red light or in a traffic jam. That little extra ensures even greater fuel economy and eco-friendliness than the outgoing model.

Style-wise, the 2012 Soul will be tweaked in front and back for a more muscular stance.

Inside, all versions benefit from a redesigned, modernized and quieter cabin and offer a more refined driving experience.

Kia is dropping several new standard features into the mix this time around, including a tilt and telescopic steering wheel, Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) and Hillstart Assist Control (HAC).

Buyers will have a choice between seven variants: 1.6. 1.6 ECO, 2U, 4U, 4U Retro, 4U Burner and 4U Luxury.

The base Soul will start at $16,595 and include power locks and windows, heated front seats, air conditioning and 15-inch steel wheels. The 4U Luxury will pamper its occupants with such refinements as leather seats, automatic climate control, navigation, push-button start and a smart key.”

2012 Kia Rio brings 'start-stop' technology to masses

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 9:30 AM

Ready for a wave of start-stop engine technology? Kia’s on the ball.

“The drumbeat of idling engines at stoplights is starting to be replaced by dead silence.

It's the result of more use of "start-stop" engine technology that shuts off the engine when the car is stopped for more than few seconds, then restarts it, in most systems, when the driver releases the brake.

Commonly used in hybrids, it's just now coming to conventional vehicles in the U.S. market -- mostly high-end vehicles. Though it requires some tricky electronic controls, in a conventional car, a start-stop system requires only a beefed-up battery and starter and a few other parts.

Enter the 2012 Kia Rio subcompact, due in showrooms next month. The most inexpensive car in Kia's lineup -- today, Kia will announce a Rio starting price of $14,350 with shipping -- will offer start-stop as the centerpiece of a $400 "Eco" option on the redesigned 2012.

Kia -- at a price for the masses -- joins BMW and Porsche, which offer start-stop in the U.S. on several new models.

“This could be the start of a start-stop wave,” says John O'Dell, a senior editor Edmunds.com, who sees it on more than half of all models within five years. "It's going to be very popular. It's a fairly inexpensive way to get a 3% to 5% fuel-economy increase."

That's a big deal as automakers race to find the cost-effective technology to raise average fuel economy to the required 35.5 miles per gallon by 2016.

Why don't more cars have it? It's partly because of how the Environmental Protection Agency conducts its tests.

With only about six parts, start-stop was a fairly simple addition to save gas in the Rio, says Kia product planner Steve Kosowski. He says Rio owners will gain, even though they won't see it reflected in the window-sticker mileage rating because of the EPA's test procedures.

The non-start-stop Rio will be rated the same as its sibling, the 2012 Hyundai Accent, which doesn't have stop-start. But because the EPA test cycle used few stops long enough for the engine to shut off, Kia estimates that a Rio with start-stop would rate just .1 or .2 mpg higher for city driving, But Kia says it will have much more impact in the real world for owners who choose the option.”

Kia to build the GT sports sedan?

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 6:30 AM

Thanks to the strong public approval expressed at the Frankfurt Auto Show last week, it looks like Kia may be moving forward with producing their stylish GT concept car.

“While not officially confirming it, Kia's European boss Paul Philpott, during an interview with Autocar, said: "Almost everyone has accepted the GT as being the right kind of car for Kia, and that says we're ready to stretch the brand further. If we can get the same reaction globally as we did in Frankfurt then the GT can play a key role in moving the whole brand forward."

Autocar also stated that the GT is expected to see the light of day in 2013, after the brand has finished renewing its normal range of cars. Our bet is that a somewhat more subtle looking large sedan, with styling elements influenced by the GT concept, will be what Kia finally builds for the public.

The company already has the technical ingredients to produce such a car without incurring huge costs if it uses the rear-wheel drive platform of the Hyundai Genesis sedan and its range of V6 and V8 petrol engines.

The concept itself is powered by a 294kW 3.3-litre turbocharged direct injection V6 linked to an eight-speed automatic transmission. If Hyundai invests in producing such an engine by the time the GT is due for production then perhaps a V8 would not even be necessary.

Regardless of what happens, it seems Kia is at least intent on building more desirable, high-end cars to supplement its increasingly appealing range of budget beaters.”

Mazda set to unveil Skyactiv technology

Posted by Monroeville Kia Mazda on 4:00 PM

Greater torque? Increased fuel economy? Yes, please!

“Mazda has often thought outside of the box when it comes to power.

Consider its adaptation of the Wankel rotary engine. Designed by German engineer Felix Wankel, Mazda began experimenting with Wankel-style rotary engines in 1961, finally offering a rotary equipped vehicle in 1967.

Throughout the 1970s and 1980s Mazda stuck with the more conventional internal combustion piston engine in the bulk of its vehicles, but it did continue with the rotary in the legendary RX-7 sports car. By 1993, in Canada the rotary-powered RX-7 had been dropped, but the company came back in 2003 with the Renesis rotary in the RX-8.

As mentioned, though, the bulk of Mazda's powerplants were and still are internal combustion piston units - and will continue to be for the foreseeable future.

However, Mazda has been hard at work developing a more efficient kind of internal combustion engine. What it has arrived at is its brand new Skyactiv technology.

According to Mazda, even though the internal combustion engine has been undergoing constant development for more than 120 years, the units are ineffectively using a large amount of the volatile energy found in fuel.

In a recently published technology paper regarding the new Skyactiv technology, Mazda wrote that most of the energy loss in an internal combustion engine is primarily thermal in nature. The losses could be attributed to the exhaust, cooling system, and engine and transmission surfaces.

To rectify the situation, Mazda's research and development team focused on improving the engine's thermal efficiency, and also worked to reduce internal engine friction and overall weight.

Mazda set out to optimize six engine factors, including compression ratio, air-to-fuel ratio and combustion timing. Mazda decided that compression ratio would be the most important factor of all - and with Skyactiv developed an engine to run with a much higher 14: 1 compression ratio (in North America, where it has been tuned to run on 87 octane fuel, it's 13: 1) than would normally be found in an everyday automobile.

How Mazda has effectively engineered a high-compression engine intended for the daily grind becomes a slightly technical discussion. Basically, Mazda reduced combustion duration, reduced weight and internal engine friction and designed pistons with special crowns.

Those initiatives, together with an intriguing new 4-2-1 exhaust manifold designed to quickly move hot waste gases away from the engine - preventing it from being forced back into the combustion chamber - greatly increase thermal efficiency.

What does this mean for drivers? There will be greater torque over a wide range of revs, and fuel economy should improve by 15 per cent.

In the technology paper, Mazda Motor Corporation's executive vice-president Seita Kanai said: "Our mass production development division worked together to engineer the best possible architecture with incredible efficiency, dramatic performance and the best quality we've ever had.

"We could then, for example, make the cylinder larger, smaller, multiply it by three, four, six, etc. (and) create a range of engines for any future application."

In Canada, the newest Skyactiv-G (G is for gasoline, there is also a D for a diesel) engine will debut in the refreshed 2012 Mazda3, arriving here in October.

Mazda has designed all new lightweight bodies and chassis to accommodate the new and larger 4-2-1 manifold, but in the 2012 Mazda3, the Skyactiv-G engine will only have a compression ratio of 12: 1 - and not the touted 13: 1.

Mazda Canada's national manager of public relations Sandra Lemaitre said in an e-mail to me: "The reason for this is due to packaging constraints on the exhaust manifold when this engine is used in the Mazda3 legacy platform (and not with the new Skyactiv body and chassis).

"The 2012 Mazda3 will have the Skyactiv-G 2.0-litre gasoline engine with the Skyactiv-Drive six-speed automatic transmission (or) the Skyactiv-MT six-speed manual transmission mounted onto a current vehicle platform in order to make Mazda's latest technologies available to customers as quickly as possible."

The next vehicle to get Skyactiv will be the all-new 2013 CX-5, which will be launched in the first quarter of 2012. Lemaitre confirmed the Mazda CX-5 will be the first of Mazda's new generation of vehicles to adopt the full range of Skyactiv technologies, including the new platform.”