kia

The London Motor Show, held in 2019 at the ExCeL London was a huge event which attracted over 30,000 visitors in its 4-day run. For the first two days we took some time out to listen to informative panels about the future of electric, women the motor industry and had a chance to see a possible future for James Bond! Of course, it wasn't all about the panels, we saw stunt shows, supercars and brand new cars from Hyundai, Isuzu and MG. To find out more about what we saw, keep reading.

Stick with us as we keep you up to date on all the Geneva Motor Show announcements before, during and after the event.

In the first article in a series about electric cars we look at the cars that are currently available to drive on British roads, some of the cars that are coming in the next 12 months and also some of the benefits to purchasing an electric car.

Two facts: Estate cars have never looked so good, and Kia’s have never looked so good. The new Kia Optima Diesel Sportswagon is stylish, smooth, and cheap to run. What more can you want from Kia’s first foray into the family car class? The Estate car is largely dying, but the SUV hasn’t stomped it to death just yet. And gunning for one last hurrah is the Optima Sportswagon. It’s not as practical as an SUV, and hardly as versatile. But if lengthy, spacious family cars are your thing, it’s gotta be well worth a look. Kia don’t really do fun. They never have, and unless you can afford the range-topping GT models, they probably never will. Instead, they’re a brand focused on delivering comfortable and capable family cars. And this is something they do well.

The new Kia Optima Plugin Hybrid Saloon costs more to buy outright than the petrol and diesel models. But it’s cheap to run, comes with the brand’s excellent 7-year warranty, and contributes to what is otherwise a suave-looking large family car. The hybrid model is a new addition to the Optima family. It’s improved both emissions and economy significantly, and therefore makes sense to anyone who is either on a budget, or who cares about the environment. You get the Optima’s other great qualities too, including fantastic value and a roomy cabin.

Some say that electric-powered cars are the future, but until we’ve got rechargeable vehicles capable of long-range, we’ve got motors like this - the Kia Optima PHEV. Part petrol, part plug-in electric, the South Korean hybrid is aiming to impress - backed up by that famous Kia warranty. Go back 20 years or so, and the Kia stable looked much different to how it does today. Uninspiring, low-tech, poorly made machines seduced nobody in the car market, but everything’s different now. The new Kia Optima PHEV shows how far Kia has moved on. A stylish, modern saloon rammed with all the gadgets you need and utilising a powertrain that is famously difficult to configure. It’s very much the face of modern Kia, but is there a place for it on the motoring market?

The Kia Motors Corporation is the number two car manufacturer in South Korea, second only to long-time competitor Hyundai. Hyundai, by the way, owns 32.8% of Kia. The name Kia is derived from the Korean and Chinese word “ki”, meaning to rise or come out and “a” for Asia. This is because since 1944, Kia Motors has been steadily rising out of Asia. OSV take a look at the history of the Korean marque. The firm began as a simple producer of handmade tubing and bicycle parts. By 1951, Kia had moved on to making complete bicycles and was manufacturing motorcycles by 1957...

The Kia Cee’d Sportswagon is ideal if you’re on the lookout for an Estate that is well-equipped, usable, and sensibly-sized. It comes with the brand’s outstanding warranty, and gives rivals such as the Ford Focus Estate a very good run for their money.Indeed, standing out in the impressive mid-sized family Estate sector is not easy. Quality cars here are plentiful. But among the Kia’s strengths are its handsome looks, and that seven-year/100-000 mile warranty which no other vehicle gets close to. It’s also pleasingly affordable. OSV takes a closer look with our Kia Cee’d Sportswagon review.