2011 Kia Sportage safety: Top Safety Pick by IIHS!

To receive an award from IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) is a pretty big thing! So, when we at Superior Kia found out that the 2011 Kia Sportage received an award from IIHS for Top Safety pick we were ecstatic!! Check out the press release below from Kia World!

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety Picks 2011 Kia Sportage crossover vehicle as the 2010 Top Safety Pick!

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety or IIHS, has chosen the 2011 Kia Sportage crossover vehicle -CUV as the 2010 Top Safety Pick in the category of small crossover vehicles. The ratings were based on side, frontal, rear, and rollover-including roof strength, tests for safety in an impact crash. The rating of “Good” is the highest rating achievable and the 2011 Kia Sportage safety record proves this.

Ratings from the Institute are based on results from frontal, side and rear impact crash tests, and for 2010 a good performance in a roof strength test – to measure protection in a rollover – also was required to win. Each vehicle’s overall evaluation was based on various measurements specific to each crash angle, and overall impact on crash test dummies inside the vehicle at the time of collision. All vehicles must have electronic stability control available to be eligible.

The 2011 Kia Sportage has joined the Soul crossover, Forte compact sedan, 2011 Sorento compact crossover utility vehicle and Sedona minivan which have all been named a “Top Safety Pick” by the US-based IIHS before. Kia Sedona minivan was the very first Kia vehicle in the States that won prestigious IIHS Top Safety Pick award. This was achieved back in 2006.

Like any other Kia car, the 2011 Sportage crossover is also equipped with a large number of standard safety features. Both trims () come outfitted with driver and passenger advanced front airbags, front seat-mounted side airbags and side-curtain airbags.

The 2011 Sportage is also equipped with front active headrests, four-wheel Antilock Brake System ABS,  ESC system, Electronic Brake Distribution -EBD, Tire Pressure Monitoring System -TPMS and Brake Assist System -BAS. There are also Downhill Brake Control -DBC and Hill Start Assist Control -HAC available on both Sportage trims.

Interested in taking a look at the new 2011 Kia Sportage? Head on over to your local Cincinnati new Kia dealer and we would be happy to take you for a test drive!

The video has not be released yet of them testing the new Sportage but check out the IIHS testing the latest Sorento!

A look at the new 2011 Kia Optima!

Superior Kia in Cincinnati is very excited about the arrival of the all-new 2011 Kia Optima. So much in face that when I happened across this review by AutoBlog I knew I just had to share it with you. It’s not only funny but you can get a clear view that these guys are ready to see what the new Kia Optima is made of. When this car finally starts arriving in a Cincinnati Kia Dealership near you, you will most definitely want to take it for a test drive. Let us know what you think about the new design! I think it’s pretty stylish, sleek, and very easy on the eyes!

We admit it – we’re genetically preprogrammed to be shallow creatures. Despite our moms’ best efforts, recognizing inner beauty is all well and good, but it’s physical beauty that first puts both people and consumables on our radar.

Exhibit A? The 2011 Kia Optima. You see, while exactly nobody was paying attention, the outgoing Optima actually became a reasonably competitive mid-size sedan. But with the lackluster reputation of its predecessor compounded by styling so banal that it might as well have had “John Doe” as a model designation, the Optima was seemingly forgotten by everyone but fleet managers.

That’s not going to be a problem any more.

If someone had told us even five years ago that Kia would be brassy enough to provide any of its products to test at Road ‘Hallowed-Be-Thy-Name’ Atlanta, we’d have had a good laugh. If that same person told us we’d be looking at the segment’s style leader and possibly the best model in the sector, we’d take their temperature before damning them to a year behind the wheel of a marshmallow white Amanti. And yet, after an all-too-brief first taste, there’s good reason to believe the Optima may finally live up to its name.

Click here to read the full article.

 

Get The First Look At The All New Kia Optima!

At Superior Kia we are very excited about getting the all new 2011 Kia Optima. This car will blow you away! It’s sleek, stylish and one of a kind. I came across a Consumer Reports story on the all new Optima today and I thought that you would like to get a first look at the Kia Optima. Check it out! You won’t be disappointed. When these new cars start arriving in your local Cincinnati Kia dealers lot you cab be rest assured we will let you know so you can come test drive one.

Mechanical sibling to the laudable 2011 Hyundai Sonata, the redesigned 2011 Kia Optima seeks to offer more room, equipment, and power than before, and do so at an aggressive price.

Compared to the 2010 model, the Optima wheelbase is three inches longer, the cabin is wider and more spacious, and the new 2.4-liter, direct-injected four-cylinder engine provides 200 hp, more than the previous car’s optional V6. The styling is bolder and less bland, and distinctly different from the Sonata. The Optima now looks more coupe-like, with a sloping roof and a wide rear roof pillar. From some angles, especially the rear, it looks like a modern Jaguar. Like the Sonata, the Optima looks a lot more expensive than it actually is.

Instead of a V6, the up-level engine is a turbocharged version of the 2.4-liter four-cylinder, good for 274 hp. A hybrid version of the Optima will come next year.

Anxious to get seat time in this promising new model, we recently borrowed one.

Our first impressions, as you can see in the video, are that this car unsurprisingly drives much like the Sonata. Handling is responsive and the ride is controlled. The base four-cylinder motivates the car well.

The interior is very well-trimmed, with lots of soft-touch and stitched details. Most controls are simple, but the touch-screen navigation radio adds some complication. Driver visibility to the sides and rear is compromised, a trade-off for the coupe-like styling.

We plan to purchase an Optima when it goes on sale this fall.

All though they were a little touchy on the navigation system I think this was all in all a really good review. What do you guys think?

How Much Stuff Can You Fit Into Your Honda Fit?

A new promotional campaign has launched in Australia for the Honda Jazz (Fit) that’s pretty funny. I thought you might like to see some of these cute videos. Here’s what AutoBlog had to say about them. Also if you would like to test drive the new Fit be sure to stop by your local Cincinnati Honda dealer and give it a try!

It’s no secret that the Honda Fit is one of our favorite small cars. It blends nimble handling, good fuel efficiency and an amazing interior package. Few cars with such a small footprint can accommodate four adult passengers and their stuff in such comfort. Now the folks at Honda Australia have launched a new promotional campaign and contest they’ve dubbed Jazz-packing (remember, the Fit is marketed as the Jazz in numerous other global markets).

Just as college students back in the 1960s and 1970s used to stuff phone booths (you do remember what those are, right?) and Volkswagen Beetles, a particularly nerdy looking “scientist” named Rodney oversees the packing of a Honda Jazz with everything from hipsters to ninjas, rappers, and even strongmen and women – you can see all of the clever videos after the jump.

If you’ve got an idea of what to pack in a Jazz and you live in Australia, just upload a photo to the site where visitors can vote and the entries that get the most votes will get produced into a video like the ones you see after the jump. Whoever suggests the most popular entry will win the car used in the making of the ad.

[Source: Honda Australia]

Well, what do you think?


The Dangers Of An Auto-Induced Hyperthermia.

I can not even begin to explain how dangerous it is to leave your kids or pets in the car for any given amount of time. It’s just stupid and reckless. You have no idea what could happen in 60 seconds. Not only could your car be stolen with your child in it, but in these hot summer months you could kill your child or pet before you know it. I was really impressed with this story fromConsumer Reports and felt compared to share it with you as it is something that is very close to my heart. It just breaks my heart to watch the news and hear that a mother left their child in the car in this summer heat only to lose that child.

Summer can be a fun time of year with warm weather, school is out, and everyone heads outdoors. But it also means that parents need to be extra vigilant to keep tabs on their children and help keep them safe. The child safety group Kids and Cars have documented 100 non-traffic fatalities so far this year–35 frontovers, 32 backovers, and 18 related to heat. Sadly, we can expect more tragic accidents as injuries and deaths peak in the summer months. Just last week seven children died from heat stroke after being left in the car.

Here are some tips that everyone can do to help prevent such tragedies.

  • Never leave a kid alone in a car. In the summer, there are significant risks, with the interior temperature rising quickly, and children being particularly vulnerable to temperature changes. Beyond temperature, there are security concerns and risk that a child could disengage a parking brake or otherwise move the vehicle.
  • Check your car before you leave, especially if you have a change in your normal routine. To avoid accidentally leaving a child in the car, some people use a stuffed animal in the front seat as a reminder that a child is in the rear. You can also put an essential item like your purse or briefcase in the back seat, so you know you have to open the back door.
  • Before you pull in or out of a driveway, check all around to make sure no children are in the way and proceed slowly, with music off. A backup camera can help if you have a large vehicle.
  • Lock up your car. To avoid children playing in the car when it is unattended, keep it locked with the windows up when you are not using it.
  • Look around. If you are in a parking lot, casually look around to see if any children are left in their vehicles. If so, take action and call 911 immediately.

For more on child safety, see our kids and cars safety section.

—Liza Barth

Please please be safe out there parents, the loss of your child is not worth the time you save leaving them in the car.

The 2011 Honda Odyssey Says Don’t Mess With My MPG!

Who’s excited about the new Honda Odyssey? Well I am!! And so is Superior Honda!  We just read an article on USA Today and it gets us even more excited! The new Honda Odyssey will have an amazing MPG which could send everyone into a frenzy.

Check this out:

Honda says it recently got the good word from the feds that at least one version of its 2011 Odyssey minivan will be rated a remarkable 28 miles per gallon on the highway, just what Honda had predicted.

That makes the 2011 Odyssey, a major overhaul due in showrooms this fall, three mpg better than the current champ, Kia Sedona, and four mpg better than the four-cylinder version of the 2011 Toyota Sienna, a model Toyota launched to have a lower-price, higher-mpg model. – USA Today

Have you been over to your Cincinnati Honda dealer lately and seen the new cars? I know you want to test drive this new Odyssey, i’ve already shown you how awesome the interior is and all the new features. Well, what do you think? 28 MPG HWY is pretty great for a minivan!

A New Automotive Black Box In The Works?

Well it seems like we are getting closer and closer to manufacturer’s putting black boxes in our new vehicles. What are your thoughts on this? Do you think it’s to big brotherish or do you think it’s for the better of the community? Well here’s the latest report from AutoBlog.

Intel is currently hard at work on the next generation of vehicle event data recorders, the infamous black boxes that Congress has clamored for since Toyota’s unintended acceleration problems dominated headlines earlier this year. According to The New York Times, these new black boxes may do a lot more than just record things like vehicle speed and whether you’re wearing your seatbelt. Intel’s prototype will incorporate GPS and all of a vehicle’s onboard cameras for real-time mapping of the road conditions.

As if that’s not intrusive enough, Intel proposes that the EDRs record up to 30 seconds of interior video as well. While this level of information would likely prove helpful in determining who’s at fault in an accident, there’s the prickly question of who owns that information once it’s stored in the vehicle. Does it belong to vehicle manufacturers as it does now? Should the government be able to lay claim to it without a warrant? Will insurance companies be able to use EDR data any way they see fit, or does it belong to the owner of the vehicle? This could get ugly, and it probably will before all’s said and done.

[Source: The New York Times]

Seriously what are your thoughts on this? I think this could be a very good discussion.

In Car Alcohol Detectors? See this report!

I came across this article the other day and it got me thinking. It’s not that it’s not a bad idea but is it a good idea? I wanted to hear your thoughts on what congress is thinking about. Is this too big brotherish or is this the smartest thing ever? What are your thoughts? Yes you should NEVER drink and drive in your new or used car but could this be too far? Let’s discuss.

The New York Times reports that the U.S. Congress is considering a six-fold increase in the annual funding of in-car devices to detect drunk drivers. The Driver Alcohol Detection System for Safety program’s budget would increase from $2 million per year to $12 million for the next five years, likely expediting the development of an effective device.

296diggsdiggHistory suggests that such a device would save thousands of lives. In 2008 alone, nearly 12,000 people died in alcohol-impaired car crashes. Many of those deaths would likely be preventable if there were a way for a vehicle system to seamlessly detect elevated alcohol levels in drivers. Scientists are working on a device that could instantly detect a driver’s blood alcohol level by reading alcohol levels on the breath or use a light beam to assess alcohol levels on the skin.

Program Director Susan Ferguson says that said device should be “very fast, very accurate, highly reliable and precise,” adding that achieving a high level of precision is going to take a lot of money. Ferguson feels that the alcohol detection system could be the safety equivalent of the next seatbelt, suggesting that it could save 8,000 to 9,000 lives per year.

A total of 13 automakers are behind the project as well, and the goal is for drivers to voluntarily add the mechanism to their vehicles as an added safety measure. We’re guessing that adding such a system could greatly reduce the cost to insure the vehicle, giving drivers a financial incentive to add the device. Of course, adding the cost of the device to new cars will likely cost automakers (and in turn, consumers) a fair bit of money, but the hope is that reduced insurance costs could cover the difference. – AutoBlog

Let us know what you think. Leave a comment. We’re taking a poll. Is this good? Or bad?

Check Out The 2011 Kia Sportage!

Thanks to Car Of The Future for letting us know we won’t be getting this new Kia early :) ha. You better know that your Cincinnati Kia dealer will keep you posted on it’s anticipated arrival date!

Kia’s all-new Sportage SUV is scheduled to go on sale 1st August.

At first, the Sportage will be offered with the 2.0 litre CRDi engine; each of the first all wheel drive Sportages in the UK will be badged First Edition. The 2.0 CRDi will average 47.1mpg and emit 156g/km of CO2. The First Edition models will feature leather interior w/ heated front seats, dual zone climate control, automatic wipers & headlamps, 18” alloy wheels and LED daytime running lights. Upto 5 exterior colours will be available, along with a choice of an automatic or manual transmission.

What are you looking forward to with this new Kia Sportage? Is it the sleek new design? Is it the interior that will compete with any SUV on the market? All I know is I can’t wait to get behind the wheel of this thing!

The 2011 Honda Odyssey! Check it out!

Going on sale this fall the 2011 Honda Odyssey is one minivan force to be reckoned with! Since the Honda Odyssey has been a long time favorite of Car and Driver it’s only fitting that you read their story on the all new 2011 Honda Odyssey cause they are almost as excited as we are about it! When you are ready to see this new Honda with your own eyes make sure you visit your local Cincinnati Honda dealer.

We first saw the 2011 Odyssey in concept form at this year’s Chicago auto show; as is the case with most Honda concepts, the production version differs little. A grille that’s nothing less than garish on the Accord Crosstour actually looks decent here, and the “lightning-bolt” window line breaks up what would otherwise be a lot of bland sheetmetal.

But styling takes a back seat to utility for minivan buyers. Honda added 1.4 inches of track versus the outgoing model, which it touts as increasing stability and space. Up front, the new Odyssey boasts a “media tray” that slides out from the lower dash to hold cell phones and other electronics. Below the tray sits a “cool box” that can store up to six beverage cans or four 20-ounce bottles. The removable center console, which Honda says is commodious enough to swallow purses, has cup holders designed to secure anything from a Red Bull can to an extra-large fountain drink. There are also newly padded door panels and armrests.

Moving to the second row, the two captain’s chairs have a so-called “wide mode” whereby they each move two inches toward the doors, creating four additional inches of shoulder room for the foldable seat between. Wide mode also allows three full-size infant seats to be anchored across the second row, while that middle position can slide forward for easier access to a child from the front seats. A new entertainment system is available with a 16.2-inch widescreen display with split-screen, two-source capability, similar to the Toyota Sienna’s.

The back of the bus is roomier, too, and Honda says three adults will fit comfortably. We’ll believe it when we sit in it; while the van is wider and third-row legroom has increased by an inch, it’s hard to imagine three adults remaining content for longer than it takes to make a Slurpee run. While they’re back there, though, they’ll have access to HDMI and RCA inputs, and a 110-volt outlet. The third row remains stowable, of course, and the overall cup-holder count sits at 15.

The Honda Odyssey has long been our favorite minivan, going beyond utility and practicality to inject a semblance of driving enjoyment into the segment. We’re eager to see if the love affair continues, but bigger brakes and the increase in stability we expect from a shorter (by 1.6 inches) and wider vehicle can’t hurt. The engine will again be a 3.5-liter V-6 with three-mode cylinder deactivation, and Honda says it expects the EPA to return 19-mpg city and 28-mpg highway ratings. Further details—including other trims; Honda only revealed the top-spec Touring Elite model—will follow soon.

Well… Are you drooling yet? I can not wait to see this new Honda Odyssey!