Kia making commercial out of Blake Griffin's weak sauce dunk [w/video]

The NBA All-Star Weekend has come and gone. As usual, there is the big story of basketball All-Star break out of the dunk contest. Depending on who you talk, it was either a showcase of creative new stuff or an overload of the weak-sauce prop dunks. Regardless, Kia is certainly the attention they are enthusiastic all-star Optima received. In fact, the automaker is so thrilled that recordings of the Dunk in a future commercial use.

Extraordinaire for those readers not to the NBA, Blake Griffin, and LA Clipper jumper, a 2011 Kia Optima went to the court for his final dunk. Hiding in the cabin was Baron Davis, who provided an alley-oop pass through the open sunroof. Griffin lept over the bonnet caught the ball and brought the existing audience to a new level of excitement.

The first consideration of the dunk, it seemed pretty amazing. But in a later review, we find to be fairly tame dunk. We have a clip of the dunk, so you can check after the jump, sound off on his services to the comments.

Spy Shots: Kia mystery box spotted testing

Every once in a while, comes a set of spy photos from our screens makes us, as we search for the secret image in a Magic Eye stereogram image stare. This is one of those cases, we are just not sure what to make of this diminutive Kia prototype.
Our best guess is that this is a new kei car for the Japanese market, like the uber-boxy dimensions and tiny wheels mounting the small MPV, are roaming the streets of Japan. Since we do not, however, get a good feel for how big the car is really, there's a chance that might work on a sub-Kia Soul two field. But from where we sit, look, the wheels simply too small for consumption here in the United States (imagine hitting a Detroit-spec pothole with the tiny tires), think this way that we, regardless of this prototype flowers in, we'll likely won 't it to our shores.
Protect our notice that the rear doors from side to side different, with the left side offers a conventional front-hinged door and the right side of the decision for a slider, making it a quality MPV. Either way, this mystery box looks pretty far along in development, so we would expect that in the production sooner rather than later, perhaps with a 2013 model year.
Take a look at the spy shots in our high-res gallery bet down, and you guess at best, what lurks beneath the camouflage in comments.

Kia Sportage tops small CUVs in Consumer Reports test

The 2011 Kia Sportage hit in which both the Nissan and Mitsubishi Outlander Sport Juke recently carried out in a CUV shooting from Consumer Reports. After CR, Kia has managed to effectively straddle the line between a full-on SUV and a civilian sedan with its offer. This is mainly due to the fact that the Sportage is a lot to the interior without falling on her face in the fun-to-drive department. While the Juke provides unique styling and plenty of performance, buyers are forced to make major sacrifices in the hold section.

Meanwhile, Consumer Reports found the Outlander sport too much DNA with the standard Outlander take on the title to share.

Everything was not all rosy and sunny but with the Sportage. CR noted that the vehicle has planted drive a highway, but that the acceleration was "comfortable". In addition, the Korean CUV a stiff ride and lots of road noise at speed. The tester for this particular competition was wearing a $ 23,790 MSRP and the company's 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with 176 hp. CR says that the vehicle 22 miles per gallon combined managed in his tests. Hit the jump for the press release.

2012 Kia Rio looks sharp ahead of Geneva rollout

Kia has the first pictures of its investment program to 2012 Rio Hatchback published before its official debut in Geneva Motor Show, and we could say it's a real eye-catcher. The Korean automaker has done some fantastic things with style in recent years - thanks in part to strong leadership from design director Peter Schreyer - and now the smaller Rio gets a healthy dose of modernity. It looks fantastic in these photos, and we are excited about the new angles and curves live in the metal.
The Rio comes with a number of petrol and diesel units in other markets, including a 1.1-liter diesel, produced only 85 g / km CO2 will be offered. We are curious to most new 1.2-liter turbocharged direct injection engine - we have heard about this three-cylinder engine before - and if it proves to be well received in Europe, Kia will probably offer it here in the United States the first start of the Rio's.
Look for the Rio, go on sale in Britain in September, expected to start with a three-door version in early 2012. We do not have any official word about when we see the facelifted Rio here in the United States, but we would suspect that it will get around about the same time as the Euro-spec version. Hit the jump for Kia official release. Thank you to everyone for the tips!

Chicago 2011: Kia Optima Turbo SX Kinetic Race Car

Kia is considering following the example set by Toyota crafted an entry in NASCAR? No - at least not as we know. But it turns out, the Korean car manufacturer has an interest in racing but, as you made the 2011 Kia Optima SX Turbo Kinetic Motorsports seen above can see built.

According to Kia was this race car as a prototype for the presentation of performance and racing capabilites of Optima built. Performance aside, this machine, shown currently disabled in the 2011 Chicago Auto Show, certainly looks the part of a credible Racer.

It is worth noting that the Kia Forte race cars, and racing partner of Kia Kinetic built, finished second in the Grand-Am race at Daytona a few weeks ago. If the optima are following suit? It would certainly not be a complete surprise ...

Spy Shots: Facelifted Kia Soul hanging out in the cold

Kia is hard at work crafting an update for its funky little soul. Our spy photographers in Germany have discovered a camo-clad as hiding an updated look.

Kia apparently planning to keep pace with current trends automotive industry, so that the next generation carry Soul LED daytime running lights and turn signal indicators sport in the mirror (which are hidden under the amber strip on the photo above).

Front and rear, the Kia Soul get revised bumper. According to our sources, the soul were revised in the mouth style is reproduced on the Kia Picanto, while the rear bumper are expected to seee cap for the front and continuing to advance around the outer edges of € models.

There is no word yet when we see these Soul sans camo, but anything can happen when the car show is in full swing. In the meantime, we must use our imagination to figure out what's going on under this disguise, and you can try to do the same thing by clicking through the gallery.

Kia Sportage with turbo engine debuts in Canada

The 2011 International Truck of the Year has a new engine available under the hood. Kia Canadian fans can now head over to the dealers and get the 2011 Kia Sportage SX that has a direct-injected 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. We would expect to follow the U.S. to suit in a very short time.

Coupled with a six-speed automatic transmission, the turbo-mill has a relatively flat torque curve with peak power rpm 1800-3000 rpm. When screwed in the 2011 Sonata, the 2.0T with 274 hp and 269 pound-feet of torque is designed. We expect the Sportage SX to produce similar numbers, including the 30 + miles per gallon highway fuel economy numbers.

The car shown in Canadian dealer showrooms by the end of winter. At a price of $ 36,995, it comes with standard features including the new UVO entertainment system, similar to the Ford Sync is loaded. Check out the full press release after the break.

Marchionne: Chrysler planning hybrid minivan for 2013

Chrysler, the automaker to the top of the minivan movement in the 1980s, is seriously thinking about his family tractor business. As we reported earlier, the Chrysler is scrapping one of the two twins minivan by 2013, making room for a small micro-van within the next few years to start - a vehicle that compete with the likes of the Ford C-Max and Mazda5 . Now, Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne, reports confirmed that a hybrid version of the company's next-generation minivan on the way, should be up to 2013 debut.

Which is for use in hybrid minivans use the same drive technology, we shall see in the gasoline-electric version of the Chrysler 300 sedan, will also be set to start in 2013 planned the drive train. The factory, where both the Chrysler Town & Country and Dodge Grand Caravan are built today - The new van will be built at the automobile manufacturer Windsor Assembly Plant in Canada.