Car X6 Concept

I hope everyone follows us on facebook. If for no other reason than to see the hillarious pictures we post of our sales managers in various costumes.

Here is an example:

I ordered the costumes for the 4th of July alittle early this year, so by doing so we had more time to put them to good use. What good use, you may ask?

A TV COMMERCIAL! Here is alittle preview:


We always get great feedback from our commercials, and we hope ya'll will love it! Of course, the most important part of our commercials are the deals and sales, so we are excited to announce some great specials and sales for the month of July. I can not believe how fast this summer is going, so we want to make sure all of our blog, facebook, and twitter followers are getting the most out of it as well!

Happy Summer & Let us know what you think about the July commercial!

Ps. for all of you Breanna lovers, there may be something in store for you as well in our new commercial!!

We are so excited to be joining Cumulus Broadcasting in participating in What Women Want, an expo here in Tallahassee focusing entirely on women!

What Women Want is Tallahassee's premier women's expo. Since it's launch in 2010, over 2,000 women have attended to view a showcase of various fashion, finance, health and fitness products and services. The expo is hosted by Cumulus Radio Station's 96.1 Jamz and Star 98.9. For vendor information visit

One of our biggest goals at the dealership is to serve our community. During the holidays, we focus our efforts toward the Salvation Army. As if you could not tell from the giant kettle on the top of this blog, we take a kettle everywhere we go: in our showroom, to our FSU game displays, downtown to our Friday Night Blockparty Events, and every Friday to Wal-Mart!

Most recently, we hosted an event at the dealership in an effort to bring out our family members. We offered a 32" Flat Screen TV in an effort to encourage donations. We were blown away by the generosity of our family members! We are still accepting donations; The TV will be given away on the 19th of December; Come by the dealership with a new toy, new piece of clothing, new pair of shoes, or a canned good, and we will enter you to win that TV!

Not only did the radio station give away prizes on Saturday, we hosted Santa! Check out our facebook page for all of our happy family members with Santa!

Since there are over 800 kids in need in Tallahassee, as a dealership, we took over 30 children's names to put on our christmas tree. As of Saturday, all of the children's names have been taken off and accounted for.

On a final note, each of us can attest to asking for a bike for Christmas (and probably recieving it). This year, our General Manager, Melanie Lee purchased 150 bikes for children in need! We are so thanful to have someone so generous as our General Manager! As if Saturday was not successful enough, we had a surprise visit from Dan and Avalon Rocawich! They heard our advertisement and took it upon themselves to donate 25 bikes!

Talk about a change...the 2011 Kia Optima has quickly become one of our favorite vehicles around the dealership. For those who have driven it, no one can deny the amount of horse power this model pocesses. I found a review in the LA Times, and I do not know if I agree with their assessment of the seat cushions, but I wanted to share a review.

Stay tuned for next week, there will be a guest blogger who shares their experience with the 2011 Kia Optima.

2011 Kia Optima drives toward top of its class

From Georgia comes Kia's latest ride

By Dave Hodges
DEMOCRAT BUSINESS EDITOR

January 30, 2010

Bathed in floodlights and adorned with red, white and blue balloons, the car appeared to have celebrity status even before you could get close enough to learn the whole story.

Melanie Lee, general manager of Kia AutoSport on West Tennessee Street, had the open house Thursday night to get that word out. The shiny 2011 Sorrento in "white sand beige" and leather seats came not from South Korea but West Point, Ga.
There, Kia Motors America invested $1 billion at the 2,200-acre site to build a plant that will turn out up to 300,000 vehicles a year, Lee said.
She is particularly excited about the Georgia product — her family also owns the Kia dealerships in Albany and Columbus. Having product made practically in their backyard is no doubt a source of pride and of interest to potential customers as well.
"I know having a vehicle manufactured in the United States will be huge," Lee said, adding that car shoppers often tell her they'd consider a Kia along with the American makes if it, too, were a domestic product.

Kia's California and Michigan centers are devoted to automotive design and research. West Point is the first production facility here, and it has generated about 2,500 jobs, plus another 7,500 for suppliers. Lee says two more models will be produced there as output grows.
For 2009, Kia reported its 15th consecutive year of increased U.S. market share, up 46 percent over 2008. Lee looks ahead with optimism. "We are very positive. We had a great January," she said. "Customers are putting us on their shopping list more and more these days, which is exciting to us."

A few feet from the Sorrento was a bright red Kia Soul, the sporty model that you may have seen four hamsters riding around in on TV. Lee says with a grin that Kia's Super Bowl commercial will follow that same theme, though she wouldn't divulge who'll be driving.
Guess we'll have to watch and find out.

Dave Hodges
Business Editor

IRVINE, Calif., January 19, 2010 /PRNewswire/ — Adding to an already extensive list of prestigious honors and recognitions, the Kia Soul urban passenger vehicle and Sedona minivan each were named as “Top Recommended” vehicles for 2010 while Soul and the Forte compact sedan were listed among the top 10 “Consumers’ Favorite Cars for College Students” list by leading automotive research site Edmunds.com. Soul, Forte and Sedona each were highlighted for their individual abilities to aptly meet consumers’ needs in their respective segments and still offer an outstanding value.

“Soul and Forte provide buyers youthful and dynamically styled vehicles with an impressive array of standard safety features, high-tech features and extensive personalization options while Sedona presents excellent safety features, convenience and comfort,” said Michael Sprague, vice president, marketing of Kia Motors America (KMA). “It is a testament to the Kia brand to have all three vehicles that embody Kia’s core philosophies of quality, value, safety and style honored by a trusted online automotive resource like Edmunds.com.”

Edmunds.com selected the Top Recommended vehicles as part of its 2010 New Car Buying Guide to assist consumers with the new car buying process. The final Top Recommended list was compiled from multiple categories, including Top Recommended Sedans, Trucks, SUVs, Wagons and Minivans, Diesels, Convertibles, Coupes and for Mobility Challenged Drivers.

The “Consumers’ Favorite Cars for College Students” list is part of a monthly initiative where Edmunds.com invites consumers to participate in surveys to vote on their favorite vehicles in different categories, including favorite luxury sedans, midsize family sedans, hybrids, off-roaders, convertibles, family haulers and economy cars. Like the Top Recommended vehicles, the results are published online to help assist car buyers with future purchasing decisions.

Available in four trims, Soul, Soul+, Soul! (exclaim) and Soul sport, Kia Motors’ affordable halo vehicle offers an attractive starting price below $14,0001. Four special edition Souls, based on the Soul+ trim, also are being released throughout the year, including Denim Soul, Ignition Soul and most recently Shadow Dragon Soul. Offering consumers even more ways to personalize Soul, each special edition comes with its own unique exterior color and packaging.

The uniquely styled Soul offers an extensive list of standard safety features, including front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags, an Antilock Brake System (ABS), Electronic Stability Control (ESC), Traction Control System (TCS), Electronic Brake Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist System (BAS) and a Tire Pressure Monitoring System (TPMS). Front and rear crumple zones, side-impact door beams, an impact-absorbing steering column and Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH) system also come standard.

Available in three trims, LX, EX and SX, pricing for the Forte sedan starts at $13,6951 for the LX trim, while the EX begins at $15,9951 and the SX starts at $17,4951. In addition to competitive pricing, Forte comes well-stocked with a long list of standard amenities, starting with a standard AM/FM/CD/MP3 audio system outfitted with SIRIUS Satellite Radio capabilities with three months complimentary service2. Also standard on all models is an auxiliary audio input jack and USB port for connecting personal MP3 players as well as Bluetooth®3 wireless technology and connectivity with steering wheel-mounted controls, which enables hands-free operation for all compatible mobile phones.

The 2010 Sedona is available in three trims, base, LX and EX. Pricing for the Sedona starts at $21,2454, while moving up to the LX trim starts at $22,2454, and the EX models begin at $27,7454. A segment leader in value and safety, Sedona, named the “safest minivan ever tested” by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), offers consumers invaluable protection provided by a wide range of standard safety features, including six standard airbags (dual advanced front and front seat-mounted side air bags, and full-length side curtain air bags for all three seating rows), active front headrests, a four-channel, four-sensor, Antilock Brake System (ABS) with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), which takes into account vehicle load and weight distribution and ensures the appropriate stopping force is used.

Kia Product Line
Kia Motors is in the midst of a dramatic, design-led transformation, which has been delivering dynamically styled vehicles in several important segments at exactly the right time, contributing to the brand’s continued gains in U.S. market share. The vehicle line features the stylish Forte compact sedan and all-new two-door Forte Koup, the highly personalizable Soul, functional Rondo CUV, award-winning Sedona minivan, purposeful Optima midsize sedan and versatile yet fuel-efficient Rio and Rio5 subcompacts. The launch of the all-new 2011 Sorento CUV, the official vehicle of the NBA and the first vehicle to be built at Kia Motors Manufacturing Georgia5, Kia’s first U.S.-based manufacturing facilities in West Point, Georgia, further enhances the lineup.

Greg Kulbick stops to pose with Melanie Lee, General Manager of Kia Autosport. Greg was the winner of a pair of FSU mens basketball season tickets. This is our first of many Facebook fan appreciation contests. Look out for our next one soon!

New Kia plant in Georgia begins production
The Associated Press



WEST POINT, Ga. -- The newly completed Kia Motors plant in West Point is open for business.

Production began at 7:30 a.m. Friday on the first road-ready crossover vehicle. The first shiny new Sorento will be displayed in the factory's lobby.

The plant is the South Korean company's first U.S. manufacturing plant. It cost $1 billion to build and created about 1,200 jobs.


Kia broke ground on the plant, which is near the Alabama state line, and plans to hold a ceremonial first car roll-out on Nov. 16.

Kia has plans to hire 1,200 more workers next year as production increases.

On top of the jobs created at the Kia plant, Georgia Tech estimates 20,000 new job will be created by 2012 at Kia suppliers in a nine-county area that straddles the Georgia-Alabama border.

Hello everyone I just returned from the KIA Motors America Southern Region Dealer Show in Atlanta and I have to tell you it's an exciting time to be a KIA dealer and a KIA Sorento owner!

On Tuesday we took a tour of all new state of the art KIA Motors Manufacturing plant in West Point Georgia. The all new 2011 KIA Sorento will be built for America by Americans at this plant. The plant represents a 1 billion dollar investment in the USA by KIA and also is the largest investment the state of Georgia has ever seen. In addition to this record breaking investment this plant has already created over 1,200 jobs and we haven't even begun to produce vehicles. What an exciting time for neighbors in Georgia! By the time the plant is open and operational with all vendors, the site will employ up to 10,000 people. In an uncertain time where jobs are short the plant couldn't have opened at a better time.

As we toured the plant you would be amazed at the technology that will go into producing the all new Sorento. There is more robotic technology in this facility than any other plant in the United States. It's amazing to see the speed and accuracy of these machines. In the main stamping building where they produce the steel body panels there is one huge press. This thing is enormous and came all the way from Korea. The pieces traveled from Savannah to West Point with special arrangements with Georgia's Highway Patrol. In total the equipment weighed over 3,500 tons. It took the equipment over 3 days to make the journey. I would have hated to be on the road following that equipment around.

It's not all robots and huge machines, as I mentioned earlier there are already 1,200 team members producing test vehicles and more continued to be hired daily. As I walked through on our tour the team members were smiling and excited to be building vehicles. They are so thankful to have jobs and told all of us on the tour how dedicated they are to building quality vehicles. They stressed to us the want and desire to be the best of the best in the United States. As we continued our tour a different team member guided us and showed us each stage of the assembly process they complete. They did this with great pride and made me confident that they will achieve they absolute best quality vehicle for us and our customers.

Each and every Sorento produced in West Point will come off the line be quality tested in several, several different types of test, and go straight to the test track outside. I was most excited to see this track. It's 2 miles long and has several different obstacles that each and every Sorento must pass to be ready for sale. This track had over 6 different driving surfaces to create real road noise and traction. It also had a steep hill and downhill breaking scenarios to test the different breaking functions and a test for the automatic breaking system. I could go on and on about the different testing but just know that every Sorento will go through more quality test than any other vehicle on the market today. This will insure that the vehicle we deliver to you will be the best of the best.

After we had the vehicle test drivers take us on a spin we were able to get behind the wheel and see what the new Sorento could really do. I have to tell you as a 2007 KIA Sorento owner myself, I can't wait to own this vehicle. The fit, style, and performance of this vehicle surpasses every other SUV on the market today. You will definitely see why KIA Motors has the Power to Surprise when you drive this vehicle. It will come standard with blue tooth, satellite radio, and the longest warranty in the business. Not to mention more than this blog can fit of standard options. KIA has also crash tested several vehicles and anticipate a 20 star crash test rating. Along with the best gas mileage in it's class, this vehicle will definitely be on every one's shopping list.

So with all that I also need to share some other great news. In 2010 you will see a new Sportage and a new Optima. These vehicles are amazingly designed and full of equipment. I'll keep you posted as they release more information to us.

Well, I just wanted to let everyone know how exciting it is to know our vehicles will be made just up the road from us. It's also great to know that in a time where auto makers are sending jobs out KIA is bringing jobs in. I couldn't be more excited to share my experience this week with you and invite you to visit http://www.kia.com/#/upcoming/?fvVehicleID=sorento&fvPageID=intro for more information about the all new Sorento.

They told us that probably by April the plant will be open to the public for tours. We will have the all new Sorento in our showrooms by January.

I'll continue to keep you posted on KIA's growth but remember until then I wanna see ya in a KIA!!!

Melanie Lee
General Manager

This Labor Day Kia AutoSport is having a huge clearance sale and offering you the opportunity to "whack" the competition, just like we have been for years. All you Noles fans come out and "whack" the Hurricane mobile. You choose your weapon, baseball bat or hammer, either one will do some crushing! While you are here check out all the "whacked" prices on new and pre-owned vehicles! Come on by and have some fun! We want to see ya in a Kia!

It's better than Cash for Clunkers, it's cash for any trade only at KIA AutoSport. We still want to trade you out of your gas guzzling clunkers even though the government has run out of cash. Bring in your old ride today and we'll give you up to $7,000 minimum trade on select new KIA's. Hurry in this weekend for your end of August savings.

And remember we wanna see ya in a KIA!

Gas Mileage is the fastest concern amongst car shoppers today when purchasing a vehicle. The fact is gas has gone up and it looks like it will stay that way. So, gas mileage is important. I wonder though, who comes up with these ratings on the vehicles and how?

I have been in the car business for many years and I have noticed that most consumers only look at the two numbers in bold on the EPA ratings. If you look closer you will find that there are numbers on the bottom of that BOLD number that tell you the fluctuation in gas mileage on those types of models. I only bring this up because recently on my move to Arizona, I loaded up my 2004 Kia Optima V6 and made the trek 2,000 miles across the country with my dog and a car full of "leftover stuff." Now you would think that with all the added weight and my 85 lb. Lab in the back seat that I would get less than the EPA ratings. On the contrary, I ended the trip with a MPG rating of 31!! The average when I purchased my car was 27. Granted I have had my Kia regularly serviced with Kia AutoSport's award winning service department, but the final number did surprise me.

The moral of this story is don't always trust that sticker on the windshield! Take the vehicle for a spin and always take in to consideration those little numbers on the bottom of the big bold number!

We have just launched a new way for customers to keep track of our ever changing pre-owned inventory. To follow our Pre-Owned Blog click here, Tallahassee Used Cars .We will be updating the inventory throughout the week. You can also follow us on twitter by clicking on Kia AutoSport's Twitter Page. We are making it easier for you to have the best shopping experience. We hope you find these new methods exciting and helpful!

Check out how you can get information from one of our experts.....

Come in today to receive huge savings and remember we wanna see ya in a KIA!!!

As you ride down Tennessee Street you'll notice a fresh coat of paint on our building. Employees Melanie Lee, Doug Cook, Rocky Hughes, and Doug Hughes spent several weeks painting our building in the 100+ degree weather.

We painted ourselves so we could pass the savings on to you.

Come by and check out our new look and receive the best deal on your next new or pre-owned vehicle from KIA AutoSport.

July marks KIA Motors America's 15th Birthday. In celebration we are passing amazing discounts on to you.

We'll be celebrating all month long so come on down and see why KIA has the power to surprise. And remember we wanna see ya in a KIA!

Kia Autosport has been busy lately revamping the showroom and getting ready for the busy summer season. With a fresh coat of paint and three new models to choose from, we are ready to do business. Come by and see the new paint job and while your at it, check out the new Soul, Borrego, or all new forte!

This is our version of the KIA Hamsters. I hope you enjoy!

Great article from Motor Trend on the all new 2010 KIA Forte!

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/112_0909_2010_kia_forte_review/index.html

They have started to arrive be the first to come by and take one for a spin!

You can save money and energy-and wear and tear on your vehicle-with proper care and maintenance. Here are the items that most affect fuel economy.

Motor oil. Top off and change oil as necessary with KIA Motors recommended grade, "energy conserving" motor oils. Doing so can improve fuel economy by up to 2 percent, according to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). Replacing conventional oils with synthetics may offer even greater fuel economy benefits. Check with your Service Advisor for more details on the difference in your oil.

Air filters. Make sure you change your air filter at the end of its recommended lifespan. Replacing a clogged air filter can improve a vehicle's gas mileage by up to 10 percent, according to the U.S. Department of Energy.

Engine performance. Enhance fuel economy performance by having engines tuned and spark plugs replaced according to KIA Motors recommended schedule. A single misfiring spark plug can cut fuel economy by up to 4 percent, according to the EPA.

Brakes. Improperly maintained brakes can result in unwanted drag. This unnecessary resistance can have the same effect as driving with a foot on the brake pedal: a dramatic drop in fuel economy.

Warning lights for Service Engine Soon or Check Engine. Ignoring these indicators may result in poor fuel economy performance and require expensive repairs. For example, a warning light may indicate a faulty oxygen sensor is sending more fuel to the engine than necessary, which can result in a 40 percent fuel economy decline. A warning light could also indicate a faulty thermostat, which can prevent a cold engine from reaching its normal operating temperature resulting in the unnecessary injection of fuel.

Tire wear. Replacing worn tires with a KIA Motors recommended size and style can save hundreds of dollars a year. To improve fuel economy performance, consider low rolling-resistance replacement tires.

Tire inflation pressure. Keeping tires inflated to at least the KIA Motors recommended pressure can improve fuel economy by up to 3 percent, according to the EPA. Under-inflated tires require more energy to roll, meaning more fill-ups.

Unnecessary items that add weight to the vehicle. Unnecessary weight lowers fuel economy; remove heavy items from your trunk and back seat.

Evaporative emission controls. Poorly operating evaporative emission controls can fail to capture gasoline vapors and recycle them to the fuel tank. Faulty controls waste gas and degrade air quality.

Transmission. Properly operating modern transmissions and drive components are critical to vehicle fuel economy performance. Routinely check proper fluid levels and system operation.

Call 850-576-2116 to schedule your green maintenace check-up with us today and start saving money on fuel cost.