Tag Archives: Kia

2014 Kia Soul Priced Under $15,000

2014 Kia SoulBuying a new car on a budget can be tough, but Kia is making it a little bit easier with a price tag under $15,000 on the 2014 Soul.

Yesterday, Kia announced that the 2014 Kia Soul, their crossover “urban passenger vehicle,” will be starting at $14,700 MSRP plus $795 in destination charges. Sales for the Soul in the United States have gone steadily up each year. Back in 2009, Kia sold 31,621 units in the United States, and last year, Kia sold 115,778 units. So far in 2013, Kia is looking to surpass their 2012 sales number with 73,191 recorded sales at the end of July.

The new Soul is a bit of an upgrade and will offer some solid standard features considering the low price. Standard features on the base model include 4-wheel antilock braking system, a 1.6-liter inline-four engine, Sirius XM audio system with 6 speakers, Bluetooth wireless connectivity, six-way adjustable driver’s seat, and trip computer. Car buyers can also spring for the Kia Soul Plus or Exclaim which come with additional features starting at $18,200 and $20,300 respectively.

Are you looking to get into a Kia Soul? How about a Dodge, a Hyundai, or a BMW? No matter what you are looking for, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Nominees for North American Car and Truck of the Year Announced

North American Car of the YearIt is that time of the year again. The long list for the 2014 North American Car and Truck of the Year awards have been released, and GM should be feeling pretty good right now.

29 cars and 18 truck/utility vehicles are being considered for the awards. At the end of the year, 50 automotive journalists will vote on 5 cars and 4 trucks to go on to the semi-finals, and the numbers will be trimmed down to 3 cars and trucks/utilities for the final round.

Winners won’t be announced until the 2014 North American International Auto Show next January, nearly half a year from now, which gives plenty of time for speculation. Last year, the Cadillac ATS and Ram 1500 took home the top prizes, and GM is looking pretty good this year with 2 Cadillacs, 5 Chevrolets, and 1 GMC on the list. Still, there are 29 cars and 18 truck/utility vehicles battling it out for the top honors, and the winners have to survive 3 rounds of voting. There is a definite possibility for a few surprises before next January.

Check out the full list below.

2014 Car of the Year

  1. 2014 Acura RLX
  2. 2014 BMW 4 Series
  3. 2014 Cadillac CTS
  4. 2014 Cadillac ELR
  5. 2014 Chevrolet Corvette
  6. 2014 Chevrolet Impala
  7. 2014 Chevrolet Spark EV
  8. 2014 Chevy SS
  9. 2014 Fiat 500L and E
  10. 2014 Honda Fit EV
  11. 2014 Infiniti Q50
  12. 2014 Jaguar F-Type
  13. 2014 Kia Cadenza
  14. 2014 Kia Forte, 5-door, Koup
  15. 2014 Kia Soul
  16. 2014 Lexus IS
  17. 2014 Maserati Ghibli
  18. 2014 Mazda3
  19. 2014 Mazda6
  20. 2014 Mercedes-Benz B-Class
  21. 2014 Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
  22. 2014 Mercedes-Benz E-Class
  23. 2014 Mercedes-Benz S-Class
  24. 2014 Mini Paceman
  25. 2014 Mitsubishi Mirage
  26. 2014 Nissan Versa Note
  27. 2014 Porsche Cayman/Cayman S
  28. 2014 Smart fortwo electric
  29. 2014 Toyota Corolla

2014 Truck/Utility of the Year

  1. 2014 Acura MDX
  2. 2014 BMW X5
  3. 2014 Buick Encore
  4. 2014 Chevrolet Silverado
  5. 2014 Ford Transit Connect / Wagon
  6. 2014 GMC Sierra
  7. 2014 Hyundai Santa Fe LWB
  8. 2014 Jeep Cherokee
  9. 2014 Kia Sorento
  10. 2014 Land Rover Range Rover Sport
  11. 2014 Mitsubishi Outlander
  12. 2014 Nissan Rogue
  13. 2014 Nissan NV200 Compact
  14. 2014 Ram 2500/3500
  15. 2014 Subaru Forester
  16. 2014 Toyota Tundra
  17. 2014 Toyota RAV4

From Toyotas to Kias, Chevys, and more, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Kia Reveals Final Justice League-Themed Sorento

Justice League Kia SorentoFor the past year, Kia has been auctioning off Justice League-themed vehicles to benefit the DC Entertainment’s charity We Can Be Heroes. These specialty vehicles have included a Batman Kia Optima as part of New York Comic Con, a Wonder Woman Sportage, and five other vehicles based on Green Lantern, The Flash, Aquaman, and Cyborg.

Bringing the project full circle, Kia revealed the final Justice League vehicle at the San Diego Comic Con last week. The final vehicle was a Kia Sorento with all seven members of the Justice League featured prominently on the side of the vehicle and “Justice League” printed across the hood of the car. Inside, each seat is themed around a Justice League member with Superman in the driver’s seat. Famed comic book writer and artist Jim Lee designed the vehicle.

Bidding for the Sorento ends today, and with 18 bids, the Sorento is currently going for $38,100. To bid on the Sorento or any of the other auction items, go to http://stores.ebay.com/we-can-be-heroes.

From Kias to Chryslers, Mazdas, and more, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Georgia Plant Assembles One-Millionth Kia Vehicle in U.S.

Kia_Oval_4C_XLKia is still considered an up-and-coming car brand in the United States, but the Korean automaker hit a major milestone this week, producing their one-millionth vehicle in the United States.

The one-millionth vehicle was a snow white pearl 2014 Sorento SXL assembled at Kia’s manufacturing plant in West Point, Ga. Since the plant opened in 2009, it has created more than 11,000 jobs for the region, and today the plant produces the Kia Optima and the Kia Sorento for hundreds of dealerships across the country.

Byung Mo Ahn, Group president and CEO for Kia Motors America and Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia, had nothing but praise for the West Point workers, stating, “People are the heart and soul of this company, and our team members’ commitment to world class quality is one of the major driving forces behind Kia’s unprecedented sales and market share growth in the U.S. over the last few years.” He also called the one-millionth vehicle milestone “a tremendous achievement” which Kia “can take great pride in.”

From Kias to Chryslers, Mazdas, and more, Approved Loan Store wants to find you the car you want at terms you can afford! Are you finally ready to get into a great new or used car? Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

WardsAuto Announces 10 Best Interiors of 2013

Yesterday, WardsAuto announced the winners of their 10 Best Interiors of 2013, one of the year’s most highly anticipated awards, and surprisingly no single automaker walked away with a majority of the list.

Toyota Motor Corp and General Motors Co took home the most awards with 2 spots each, and the rest of the spots went to vehicles from Honda, Hyundai, Kia, Mazda, Nissan, and Chrysler.

In a press release from WardsAuto, WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief Drew Winter spoke about the importance of a vehicle’s interior and how they are “vital” in winning over drivers’ “hearts and minds.”

“It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program,” explained Winter. “They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their vehicle than outside.

The winners are as follows, in alphabetical order:

Acura RDX (Honda Motor Co. Ltd.)
Cadillac XTS (General Motors Co.)
Chevrolet Spark (General Motors Co.)
Hyundai Santa Fe Sport (Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.)
Kia Forte (Kia Motors Corp.)
Lexus GS 450h (Toyota Motor Corp.)
Mazda6 (Mazda Motor Corp.)
Nissan Pathfinder (Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.)
Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn (Chrysler Group LLC)
Toyota Avalon (Toyota Motor Corp)

Winners will be honored at a ceremony during the WardsAuto Interiors Conference on May 22 in Dearborn, MI.

Readers, we want to hear from you! What do you think of the 2013 winners? Are you happy with the list, or did you notice any snubs? Leave a comment below, and let us know what you think!

Are you ready to get into a new or used vehicle today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Kia Reveals Wonder Woman Sportage at New York Auto Show

This week, the New York Auto Show has taken over the city with James Bond driving the new Range Rover Sport through downtown Manhattan and over 40 vehicles making their New York show debuts. Every auto maker is trying to catch the public’s attention and keep it throughout the show. Kia’s Wonder Woman Sportage is not only bringing attention to the brand but also to a greater cause, Kia’s “We Can Be Heroes” initiative.

Last year, Kia kicked off its “We Can Be Heroes” initiative with a Batman-themed Optima and announced plans to unveil custom cars based on DC characters The Flash, Cyborg, Aquaman, Superman, Green Lantern, and Wonder Woman. The Wonder Woman Sportage is the latest in the series to be revealed. All seven vehicles will be auctioned off, and funds will go towards Save the Children, International Rescue Committee, and Mercy Corps, specifically their work in the Horn of Africa.

So far, I’ve liked the looks of the Batman and Superman-themed Kias, but the Wonder Woman is easily the best design so far. The red and blue color combination pops, and the “W” grille looks fantastic. Time Magazine writer Brad Tuttle had predicted the Wonder Woman car would be the “girliest” of the bunch, but this is a car that anyone would want to drive.

Stay tuned to the Approved Loan Store blog for more updates and news from the New York Auto Show!

Are you ready to get into a new or used car today? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get you the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Kia Hits 18 Consecutive Years of Market Gains

For a long time, Kia has been considered a scrappy underdog in the U.S. auto market. The brand is known for value rather than flashy designs, and looking over the top selling cars of the past few years, it would seem that flash is winning out. Kia didn’t break the top 10 best-selling cars for 2010, 2011, or 2012, and while Kia won a decent number of design awards in 2012, it isn’t a brand that typically makes headlines.

So why can’t the Kia leadership stop smiling?

Last week, Kia announced that the end of 2012 marked 18 consecutive years of market share growth in the United States. In 1994, Kia started selling in the United States, and they only sold 692 cars that year. Like the tortoise in the classic fable, though, Kia has slowly and steadily built their sales year after year. 100,000 units were sold in 1999, and by 2007, they had tripled that number. They shot past the 500,000 mark in 2012 with sales of 557,599, 15 percent higher sales than the year before.

Though Kia’s sales are impressive, they are still years away from competing with the big dogs. The Ford F-Series, the top selling vehicle of 2012, sold 645,316 units, more than Kia sold overall. Still, other automakers should take lessons from Kia such as their “flexible factories” and model redesigns that sparked a new interest in the brand. Hopefully Kia’s success will push other auto makers to step up their game and produce better and more affordable cars.

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store wants to help YOU! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work with you to get a car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Auto Loan: EPA Promises More Fuel Economy Audits

In recent months, some automakers have been criticized for exaggerating the fuel economy of their newer models, and in response, the EPA will be auditing more fuel economy tests.

Ford, Hyundai, and Kia have been accused of overstating the fuel economy of their vehicles. As a result, Hyundai and Kia have had to adjust the ratings on some of their 2011, 2012, and 2013 models, and the EPA has promised to be more vigilant in checking these fuel economy claims.

At first glance, it doesn’t look too good for automakers. They said that their vehicles could achieve a fuel economy when it turned out that they could not. The truth of the matter, however, is much more complicated. Weather can affect the mpg of hybrid and electric cars, and different drivers can achieve different fuel economies. These automakers weren’t necessarily misrepresenting their fuel economy to the public but rather the average consumer misunderstood the mpg rating and thought it was a guarantee.

Even with the rating adjustments, the fuel economy on new vehicles is better than ever, and with gas prices today, consumers can save a lot of money on gas by trading in their older, less fuel-efficient model for a newer vehicle. Approved Loan Store can help you whether if you’re going for a trade in or just looking for a good deal on a new or used car. Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here.

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New Car Financing: 2013’s Cheapest Cars

As auto makers release their new models for 2013, car shoppers on a budget should be very pleased. Among the new 2013 models, there are a lot of great cars with top-of-the-line features now included with no extra cost. At the Approved Loan Store, we want you to get the best value for your dollar, so we’ve compiled a list of the least expensive 2013 vehicles and some of their standard features. These vehicles range in price from $12,780 up to $15,515.

Bottom line? If you thought you couldn’t afford a new car, you thought wrong.

Nissan Versa – $12,780
Features: 31 city/40 highway mpg, Push Button Ignition, hands-free cell phone calling, Nissan Navigation System with 5-inch touch-screen, USB iPod input, and rear-view camera

Chevrolet Spark LS – $12,995
Features: 32 city/38 highways mpg, 5-speed manual transmission, 4-speaker audio system, 4-wheel antilock front disc/rear drum brakes, and StabiliTrak stability control system

Smart ForTwo Pure – $13,240
Features: 34 city/38 highway mpg, 5-speed automated manual transmission, leather steering wheel and gearshift knob, electronic stability program (ESP) with hill start assist, aux audio input jack, and antilock braking system

Ford Fiesta S – $13,995
Features: 29 city/39 highway mpg, 1.6L Duratec I-4 engine, Electric Power-Assisted Steering (EPAS), AdvanceTrac Stability Control, six-speed automatic transmission, aux audio input jack, 4-inch LCD display screen, 4-wheel antilock brake system, and SecuriLock passive anti-theft ignition system

Kia Rio LX – $14,350
Features: 29 city/37 highway mpg, 1.6L I-4 engine, 4 speakers audio system, USB/aux audio input jack, antilock brakes, 15” tires with steel wheel covers, and electronic stability program (ESP) with hill start assist

Chevrolet Sonic LS – $14,995
Features: 26 city/35 highways mpg, 1.8L 4-cylinder engine, 4 speakers audio system, aux audio input jack, OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, remote keyless entry, and engine immobilizer, theft-deterrent system

Toyota Yaris L – $15,130
Features: 30 city/37 highway mpg, 1.5L 4-cylinder engine,6 speakers audio system, CD player, aux audio input jack, on-board computer, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, 4-wheel antilock brakes, and stability control

Kia Soul Base – $15,175
Features: 25 city/30 highway mpg, 1.6L 4-cylinder engine, AM/FM/CD/MP3/SiriusXM audio system with 4 speakers, Bluetooth hands-free phone system, power door locks, and remote keyless entry with Folding Key

Hyundai Accent GLS – $15,320
Features: 28 city/37 highways mpg, 1.6L 4-cylinder engine, antilock braking system, 172-watt AM/FM/SiriusXM/CD/MP3 audio system with 6 speakers, power door locks, and remote keyless entry with panic alert

Mazda2 Sport – $15,515
Features: 29 city/35 highway mpg, 1.5L 4-cylinder engine, antilock braking system, AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system with 4 speakers, remote keyless entry, and engine immobilizer, theft-deterrent system

Are you ready to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store can help you! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, we will work hard to get you the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started today by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!

Image courtesy of digitalart / FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Kia Teases Sporty Concept Before Chicago Auto Show

In the last few years, Kia has been making a concerted effort to appeal to a wider range of drivers. Besides vehicle value, they want to offer minivans, crossovers, and fuel-efficient compacts as well. Next month at the Chicago Auto Show, Kia will be unveiling its latest endeavor into luxury with their concept car, the Kia Cross GT.

Kia just released a teaser of the Cross GT which will premiere at the Chicago Auto Show February 7th thru 18th, and car enthusiasts are starting to see what Kia meant by “tiger nose.” Its copper-toned color, sleek build, and narrow headlights remind one of a vicious tiger. Kia has never looked so good.

Unfortunately, this picture is all that has been revealed about the Cross GT. Kia hasn’t released any more specs or details yet. Besides that, it isn’t known if the Cross GT will move past being a concept car and whether it will be available for sale in the next year or so. Still, this teaser does exactly what it is meant to do, and our interest is piqued. We will be looking forward to seeing more of the Kia Cross GT next month and hope the rest of the car lives up to the anticipation.

Are you looking to get into a new or used car? Approved Loan Store can help! Good credit, bad credit, no credit, luxury or minivan, we will work to get you into the car you want at terms you can afford! Get started by filling out our secure online auto loan application here, and for more auto news and buying tips, like Approved Loan Store on Facebook, follow Approved Loan Store on Twitter, and subscribe to Approved Loan Store on YouTube!