Explore Your Car - 2018 Updates in Popular KIA Models

KIA is constantly making upgrades and improvements to its range of cars, whether it be added features, additions, design improvements or engine specifications. It’s always interesting to see how these changes develop over time, as they are often made as a response to feedback from the previous year and to ensure various models are appropriate for their target market. While 2018 has seen fewer changes than last year, there has been some addition to some of KIA’s biggest car models. This article will have a look at a few of the changes, updates and improvements that we saw between last year’s and 2018’s KIA cars.

KIA Soul

The 2018 KIA Soul was actually very similar to last year’s model, with only a few minor changes being added. This followed the transition between the 2016 and 2017 models, which included the lower price-tag, a bigger engine and various other refinements. Sales numbers improved significantly and KIA has decided to stick with what works in the case of its funky, small SUV. The 2018 model has been highly reviewed, with critics often remarking that it has incredible value for its price. 

One of the biggest changes in 2018 is the additional colour offered, which is called Wild Orange. Always an option if you’re feeling adventurous! Some of the additional gadgets packed into the 2018 Soul include an upgraded infotainment system, which caters to both Apple and Android devices - automatic climate control is also included in this. Some of the other features include heated back seats and steering wheel, and LED lighting on the outside of the vehicle.

KIA Sportage

Again, the Sportage saw big changes from 2016 to 2017, mainly in terms of its appearance. It was made longer, making the interior more spacious. There were also a bunch of improvements made to handling, suspension and steering, with software and infotainment upgrades included to boot.

This time around, the changes have been less dramatic. The 2018 Sportage resembles the 2017 model with the same long body and styling. However, this model has added safety features and introduced lower trims, as well as improving on various standard features. This has had the effect of bumping up the base prices slightly, although the consumer has more choice in terms of options packages.

KIA Optima

KIA’s award-winning midsize sedan, the Optima, remains one of the most competitive models in the segment. The 2018 version has seen various improvements and has largely been rejuvenated, with technology and safety upgrades coming without a significant bump in the price.

The five trim levels on offer include the stylish, all-new KIA Optima S, which was not present in the 2017 line-up. It comes with a sports bumper, spoiler, LED tail and fog lights, with a panoramic moonroof to top it off. The 2018 Optima improves on its predecessor’s safety and entertainment features. Added to the long list of features are Rear parking assist, Blind Spot Detection and a Cross Traffic Alert system, all included as standard. Add to that Kia UVO eServices technology as standard - with a touchscreen and Apple/Android connectivity for all your infotainment needs.

Come down to Chadstone KIA and check out the all-new Optima, Soul and Sportage today! You can browse through our website or get in touch with us directly for more information. 

Valuable Things You Need To Keep in Mind When Buying A Used Car

When you’re buying a car, whether used or new, it’s important to do your homework and be prepared. There are a number of considerations you need to make before getting out there and prospecting for your vehicle. Ideally, you’ll want to have some idea of what you want, your price range and a general time frame of when you’d like to officially take ownership. It can be an exciting and often frustrating process, but it’s usually all worth it in the end! Let’s take a look at the checklist of things you need to think about before buying a used car.

Decide on A Budget

Your budget is a very important part of the equation. If you have an idea of what you’re willing to spend, you’re one step closer to finding the used car you want. There are obviously various that you need to consider here including your current income, how long you intend to own the car, how often you’ll use it and the potential for resale. Obviously, no one knows your financial situation better than you so it’s really a decision you have to make alone. What are the available car finance deals or solutions? Will you need to take out a loan to afford it? Can you afford monthly repayments? How long will it take you to pay off the loan? What about insurance? These are questions you need to be asking yourself.

Get A Good Sense of The Market

Arguably the most important aspect of buying a used car for the budget conscious shopper is having a general understanding of how far your dollar goes in the market. The way to do this is quite simply to shop around. Check multiple websites and even car dealers to get an idea of what kind of car you can afford with your budget. This obviously includes the type of car - whether that be sedan, SUV, hatchback, truck, etc. - the year, model, mileage and condition. If you have a general idea of what your money gets you, you’ll be in a much better position to bargain with sellers and get a better deal.

Establish What Car You’re Looking For

When it comes to buying a used car, indecision is never your friend. Do your research, figure out what you’re after according to your price range, tastes and reviews online, which can be a very helpful resource.

That said, the used car market can be a cruel mistress; often the model and make that you’re after won’t be easy to find, may be out of your budget or you might just not find a good deal on it.

That’s why often times it’s a good idea to be open to a few different options, rather than having your heart set on just one. You might, for example, be open to checking out Toyota, Mitsubishi or Kia used cars of a certain make, and if you find one for a good price, you can bargain and buy with confidence that you’re getting what you want.

Test Driving and Checking Vehicle History is Crucial

It goes without saying that you need to test drive the car, if possible in various conditions before making the purchase. Don’t be afraid to request to the seller if you can take the car around the block on numerous days before making your decision, and remember to test it at different speeds and road conditions and under several criteria if you can. Before making the purchase. You should also check the vehicle history and maintenance records, which the seller should be able to provide. If they are unable to provide this, be very aware!  Lastly, searching online can provide you with other details on the vehicle that the seller - in rare cases - may be trying to keep hidden, including major accidents.

Keep these things in mind when shopping for a used car and you’ll be well on your way to making a great purchase that is right for you. Remember that there are a number of additional considerations you need to make when going through the process, always be careful and practice common sense! We’d highly recommend having a third party professional check over any used car you’re looking to purchase, for example. Good luck out there!

The Boost of Kia Car Sales in Australia

Kia Cars - Big on Style and Big on Standard Features

If there is one brand of car right now that has seen an incredible turn of fortune over the past few years in terms of popularity, that award goes hands down to Kia. This modern car manufacturer company seems to have tapped into a booming market of people wishing for an affordable, modern and simple vehicle that also comes with all the bells and whistles. But how did this relatively small car company become one of the most in-demand car brands in Australia today? Why is Kia so popular? Here’s why.

Kia didn’t get off to the best of the starts when it started importing vehicles into Australia; there was huge competition from other brands that had already established themselves in the country for their particular classes. Kia had the right ideas when it came to producing a relatively cheap vehicle when they manufactured a few entry-level budget cars for Ford to be sold in Australia, but it wasn’t until roughly 10 years ago when Kia started to produce their own vehicles to sale abroad.

The Korean car manufacturer produced a number of cars such as the Kia Rio that was positioned in a market filled with similar cars that didn’t really stand out from the crowd. Being a bit more inexpensive that its rivals, the Rio was a popular car for what it was, and allowed Kia to hone their skills in creating a full line-up of vehicles that fits for a relative newcomer to the market.

Bold Design, Reliable Functionality

Everything changed in recent years when the Kia Soul was launched that was packed with features as cool as its exterior look. We all knew then that Kia was going to a different direction from the already over-crowded market and would have a hit-or-miss effect on its customers. Thankfully for Kia, the Soul took off big time and with a number of interesting and funny commercials backing the launch, Kia had finally come into form as one of the small car manufacturers to watch, and respect.

The Kia Cee’d was always known as a positive little car that had huge ambitions to become one of the best little run-arounds you could get for your money, and the newer models bear that fruit of the company's design and research. The Pro C’eed 2015 and 2016 models are well respected as functional and fun vehicles that put up a mighty fine challenge to other vehicles in its class from the likes of VW.

A Modern Range of Vehicles

The Kia Rondo, Kia Optima and Kia Sportage models offer a glimpse into what makes this South Korean car manufacturer's vehicles so appealing. The form and function of the vehicles often is on par or sometimes outperforms much more expensive rivals, as well as the reliability that we have come to expect from Kia.

The Optima GT Turbo is Australia’s Best Medium Sedan under $50K – As judged by Australia’s Best Cars. 

Making fun, sporty, modern and reliable vehicles is the key ingredient in achieving a larger customer base that now swears by their cars as the vehicles of choice to recommend others. Kia has focused its efforts on providing everyday drivers the best feel for the road, as well as all of the little fun features that make driving a little more pleasurable.

New Kia Picanto with Auto is now Good To Go, with five doors and Rear Parking Sensors

Having a car made by a manufacturer that excels in making vehicles, even for other manufacturers, means that you will have a thriving parts and serving base that will pay dividends if you ever find your vehicle in trouble. You may find a Kia service centre in your town, as well as a number of places in larger cities such as the well-known Kia services Melbourne provides.

Over the year 2014-15 Kia has seen a surge in sales of 21% increase, thanks in part to a number of exciting new models that have launched such as the new Sorento and the latest Cerato, Picanto models. Passenger and utility vehicles (Ute) made by Kia have improved so dramatically that the 29% increase has led them to break into the top ten car manufacturers in terms of sales.

An Award-Winning Formula

One of the big reasons why Kia has seen such a dramatic increase in sales could mainly be down to the amount of awards that Kia vehicles have won over the past two years. The Sorento and Carnival have both won Drive Car of the Year awards for 2015, with the Sorento going on to win a whole host of important awards to break through into the public perception.

The All-New Sorento has won two Australia’s Best Cars awards in two categories! 

Kia continues to make headway in the vehicle market across all of its vehicle classes, and today stands as one of the most trusted and reliable car brands on the market. The company continues to provide fantastic Kia service centres in important locations around the country, with Kia dealers Melbourne making huge enhancements to their stock and servicing abilities.

Images Source: facebook.com/KiaAustralia

Drive Wise: Kia’s Response to Autonomous Car Race

Image: www.kia.com

We’ve all thought about how amazing it would be to have a car that drove itself, meaning you could just sit back and enjoy the ride, rather than worrying about getting yourself to your destination safely. While science fiction has always pushed the idea that flying cars are the next frontier, the fully autonomous automobile seems to be the next step.

And it sounds like this is soon to become a reality as it’s really only a matter of time before this technology comes to fruition. Kia has recently announced its plan to build fully self-driving cars and have them released as soon as 2030. Yes, the future is here! Let’s take a look at some of the details of this announcement and what we can expect.

Kia’s Plan: Up to 2020

Kia’s ‘Drive Wise’ campaign was announced in January this year, one of many initiatives on the part of car industry players to allocate more funding to autonomous driving technology. The figure being thrown around is a massive $2 billion in the next couple of years Kia, which will go towards moving developing various technologies to reduce the reliance on human drivers.

Image: www.kia.com

Other automotive companies including Tesla, Volvo, Volkswagen and BMW are also going down this path and improving this technology is seen to be the next big step in creating a competitive advantage in the industry.

How Autonomous Will These Cars Be?

The progress toward completely autonomous cars will take place over a number of years, as do most technological advancements. But very soon we’re looking at the possibility of incorporating emergency braking, automatic cruise control, self-parking and highway driving in Kia cars. Reports suggest that this could happen as soon 2020.

By 2030 however, the plan is to have a fully autonomous car, meaning your vehicle can pick drop you off wherever you need to go, drive itself home (meaning you don’t have to worry about parking fees) and come back when you’re ready to be picked up. It’s really quite amazing that this sort of technology is just around the corner.

The Future: Beyond 2020

Though it’s certainly decades away, the potential for the autonomous car is huge. Who knows, down the line w, could be talking about completely automatic flying cars - it’s possible people won’t have any idea how to drive and AI will take cars to all the destinations.

Image: www.kia.com

Kia is also looking at improving and developing other technological aspects of owning and operating a car, including fingerprint scanning being required to access the cars functions and driver preferences. In addition, videos screened by KIA also suggested that technology will be developed where car owners have watches from which they can summon their vehicle, from wherever they are.

Kia prototype autonomous car will soon be tested in Nevada, one of the few US states that is offering licenses for such development and hopefully will be released in the market by 2030. We’re very excited about these developments and hope to bring more news to our blog on the progress soon!

A Simple Guide to Understand the Classification of Cars

When it comes to purchasing your first vehicle, or upgrading to something bigger and better, understanding the car classification system in place will point you in the right direction to getting the perfect car. Many people like the idea of owning a certain type of car, such as a sports hatchback or SUV, but the more you understand about why these different classifications exit, and how they can have an impact on your insurance policies, you may think differently.

To help with tax duties, insurance fees and safety regulations, both governments and private organisations have created a long list of different sorts of vehicles and have put them into different classifications. Whilst different types of classification occur abroad, in Australia, the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries carries its own car classification system, which we will look at today.

In this classification system, vehicles are classed by size, vehicle use and engine size to determine which category the vehicles fall into. The three main groups of car classification are:

A. Passenger Cars
B. SUVs and people-movers
C. Commercial vehicles

Within these three groups, there are separate subgroups within the classification, as there are a huge number of different sorts of a vehicle each with its own purpose. These subcategories are as follows:

A. Passenger Cars

• Light
• Small
• Medium
• Large
• Sports
• Hybrid
• Luxury

Let’s look at the different sorts of car allocated to each subgroup. A small car is a vehicle that is often referred to as a C Segment or a hatch. These vehicles often contain a small engine with great fuel economy and come in 2-door and sometimes 4-door variants. They have their own tax and insurance class as determined by the government.

The Kia Cerato Hatch is a great example of a small car that is positioned perfectly in this category. The Kia Cerato hatch has a number of different engine options including greater performance but still resides in this class due to other factors such as size and form factor.

B. SUVs and People-Movers

• Small SUV (Compact)
• Medium SUV
• Large SUV
• Luxury SUV
• People Movers

Within this category, we have a whole range of budget and luxury KIA cars that encompass the sports utility vehicle classification. Unlike the Kia Cerato hatch, these vehicles are often 4-wheel-drive vehicles that are built for rugged terrain, that often include much larger engines than the first classification of vehicles.The Kia Sportage is a great example of this classification as it sits within the Medium SUV category, making it a great choice between choosing an SUV or a sedan.

C. Commercial Vehicles

• Vans
• Buses
• Trucks
• Utes (4wd)
• Utes (2WD)

In this category, we find the vehicles used for everyday commercial business such as courier vans, buses and utility trucks used in farming and other industries. As the vehicles are designed for commercial purposes you can find a wide range of upgrades and custom fittings for each vehicle, depending on your commercial venture.

Vehicle classification is a great way for you to choose a vehicle based on its purpose, its suitability for everyday use and the overall costs that will impact on its upkeep. Many new crossover vehicles that take advantage of larger engines, better fuel economy and still remain in the same category such as the Kia Cerato hatch are a great way to find better performance and bang for your buck.