New Kia Soul Edition Irmscher 001

Another day, another special edition version of the Kia Soul. This one comes from Germany and it's the result of the cooperation between the South Korean automaker and the tuning house Irmscher.

Called the "Edition Irmscher 001", the package adds a variety of features including two-tone leather seats with red or graphite-colored diamond quilting pattern on the cushions and backrests, and black carbon-fiber-style leather on the outside areas. The same black-carbon-style leather is also found on the car's steering wheel and gearbox.

Buyers can also opt for a special exterior package that adds a black finish to the Soul's roof, bumper inserts and mirror caps, as well as stainless steel scuff plates, 18-inch alloy wheels shod in 225/45 R18 tires, and special graphics.

The Kia Soul "Irmscher 001 Edition" is available with all powerplants including a 126HP 1.6-liter petrol and a 128HP 1.6-liter diesel with a manual or automatic transmission, and trim levels.

Kia Launches Limited Edition Ghost Soul

The fourth and last of the special edition 2010 Souls that Kia launched in the U.S., this year, the new Ghost Soul, is available for order now. This latest iteration complements three other special edition versions, including Ignition Soul, Denim Soul and Shadow Dragon Soul.

As with the previous special edition Souls, the Ghost is based on the Soul+ trim level.

The Ghost package adds metallic and chrome accents, front fender vents with side marker repeater lights, a body kit, moonroof, fog lights, black 18-inch alloy wheels with machined accents, a roof spoiler as well as the leather-wrapped steering wheel and shift knob.

The Audio Upgrade Package (center speaker, subwoofer and external amplifier) with speaker lights that pulse to the beat of the music and black leather-trimmed seats with seat warmers complete the upgrades over the standard model.

The 2010 Ghost Soul starts from $20,185 (including destination and handling charges) with a five-speed manual gearbox model.

Chop Shopped: Hyundai i30 Sedan and Kia Forte Station Wagon

Designer Eduardo Oliveira has sent us some interesting photoshops of some cars from the Hyundai-Kia lineups. First is a more traditional, wagon version of the Forte (or Cerato) as opposed to the production Forte 5-door hatch. Second is the a look at what the a sedan version of the i30 (Elantra Touring in the States) could look like. Any thoughts?

By Phil Alex

Via: Irmaododecio

2011 Kia Optima to be Offered with 2.0-liter Gasoline and 1.7-liter Turbo Diesel in Europe

During last week's press days of the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Kia took the veils off the all-new 2011 Optima mid-size sedan (click here for details) that will carry the same name in all markets outside Korea.

While the new Optima will arrive in Kia's U.S. showrooms this fall, European buyers will have to wait until Spring of 2011 to get their hands on the Korean firm's D-segment sedan that will compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5.

For Western Europe, the new front-wheel drive Optima will be available with a choice of 2.0-litre CVVL gasoline and 1.7-litre VGT turbo-diesel engines, with output and performance numbers to be released at a later date.

In Russia and some Eastern European markets, Kia will also offer the new Optima with a 2.4-litre MPI gasoline engine producing 178-horsepower.

Oddly enough, Kia's initial plans for Europe do not include the firm's new 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 278-horsepower that will be offered in the U.S. along with a 203HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection.

Depending on the model, European customers will have the choice of a six speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission featuring Kia's "Sport-matic" clutchless manual shifting or fully automatic operation.