Car Throttle

I'll be honest, my original interest in the Kia Optima SX 2.0T was the engine.  Plain and simple, I was curious about it.  They're claiming some stuff that to me seems impossible, and I wanted to plant my foot to the carpet in one and see if they were phoning it in, or if it was the real deal.  Turns out there's more to the Optima SX 2.0T than just a cool engine.  I was, if not shocked, then at least pleasantly surprised by this car on a lot of levels.  Read on to find out why. The Optima is not a new model; it's been around in the US since 2000.  Until it's most recent redesign last year, it never entered the conscious of people

Kia has a sports theme going on with their SEMA cars.  Well that, and race cars.  I showed you the Rio Surf concept and the Forte Hockey concept in the first preview post, and there's also a basketball-themed Optima and a Golf-themed Soul.

Of all the sports-themed Kias, the "Slam Dunk" Blake Griffin Optima Hybrid (pictured top) is... the weirdest.  Blake Griffin has been bouncing around (pun intended) in Kia ads for a bit now, so the tie-in isn't surprising.  Most obvious on this Hybrid Optima would be the basketball-looking paint job, although it strikes me as looking a bit like snake skin.  The custom paint was done by West Coast Customs, and a set of 20" matte black wheels spruce

Hyundai and Kia are both experiencing a product renaissance, with all-new models that offer strong competition in their respective categories. There is no doubt the star of Hyundai's current lineup is the mid-size 2011 Sonata. It has received a disproportionate amount of the attention compared with its Kia sibling, the Optima. But the Optima was also redesigned for 2011, with a bold and tech-focused look that differs from the CLS-inspired Sonata. While the Sonata has been the big seller, many critics have actually rated the Optima higher than the Sonata. With a driver-focused cabin it also seems to be the enthusiasts choice. Cars.com agrees, awarding the Optima its "Best of 2011" award. It had this to say about the award: "With its value, sharp packaging,

Hyundai/Kia is definitely the talk of the New York International Auto Show. Usually the automotive press declares a show "winner" and in New York, that would definitely have to be Hyundai/Kia. New introductions have included the Hyundai Sonata Turbo, Sonata Hybrid, Equus and the Kia Forte 5-door as well as the official pictures and information drop on the Kia Optima. The Optima is one handsome mid-size sedan - and expensive looking too. Kia has clearly settled on a design language with its newest products, and it is one we really like. It looks solid and technologically-oriented. One thing is clear, that while the Sonata and the Optima share platforms, the two are nothing alike. This is platform sharing done right. Our favorite view is of the rear. It looks really different and is

Hyundai and Kia have come a long way - never is that more evident than in our recent review of the Hyundai Genesis Coupe. While Hyundai has gone and is going far upmarket with cars like the Genesis and Equus, Kia is moving up but not quite as far (for now, at least). Vehicles like the Soul have shown a fun, sporty side of the brand that we really like. The Cadenza was recently introduced and looks to be a strong contender in the segment. One vehicle that we never have been particularly impressed with from Kia though is the current Optima, but Kia is looking to change that in a very big way for 2011. For one, the car is bigger, whereas the

The Kia Cadenza recently got its name announced officially, as well as some new live images of the car that appeared on the internet. Until now, we've just seen the live and computer-generated Kia studio pictures, but along with the Cadenza's official release in South Korea, new press photography has appeared. Perhaps most importantly, they show the interior better than we have ever seen it before. The Cadenza really illustrates how far Kia has come. Reports are pegging this car as being the replacement for the Amanti - something that has been heard since Kia first announced the car. Up to now though, the word was that another model, based on the Genesis platform, was being developed as Kia's flagship. It appears that the Cadenza is indeed