Kia Motors Corporation will reveal three new vehicles when the 76th Salon de l’Automobiles, one of Europe’s most prestigious motor shows, opens at the end of this month in Geneva, Switzerland.

The all-new Kia Carnival (Sedona in some markets) MPV which makes its world premiere at Geneva, will go on sale from mid-year in Europe and, possibly, towards the end of 2006 in Australia. The Carnival/Sedona has been redesigned from the ground up and will be available with powered twin sliding rear doors and a powered tailgate.

Taller, wider but shorter than the previous model, the European version of the all-new Carnival/Sedona – which was introduced late last year in long-wheelbase form – has been developed especially with European consumers in mind. It will bring customers new benefits in the key areas of cabin space, seating comfort, interior build quality, accommodation versatility and overall packaging, so important to MPV buyers. Seven individual seats are mounted in a 2+3+2 layout and all five middle and back row seats can be individually moved, reclined, folded or removed.

With a thoroughly modern appearance outside and inside the vehicle, improved performance and enhanced fuel economy are assured with a choice of two new petrol and diesel engines.

New Concept Car

An all-new concept car, based on a five-door C-segment hatchback design, will make its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show.

Kia has given its 4x4 Sorento SUV a healthy power boost for both the diesel and petrol engines, plus the addition of several significant comfort, quality and safety features and a refreshed appearance.

In Europe, the new Sorento offers consumers a choice of two high-power engines – a 170 ps diesel with 21% more power and an advanced variable geometry turbocharger or a new, fuel-efficient 3.3-litre V6 petrol unit that punches out more than 235 ps.

Inside, the centre stack and centre floor console are revised with a neater layout and higher quality materials. In the rear, legroom is increased by reshaping the backs of the front seats, and the rear seats are now more easily adjustable.

The exterior has always given the Sorento a formidable on-road presence and for 2006, Kia’s design team has given the SUV a more contemporary image. One of Kia’s biggest success stories, the Sorento was one of Kia’s best sellers globally with nearly 144,000 units sold in 2005.

The new Sorento is likely to arrive in late 2006 in Australia with the petrol engine. At some time the diesel may come to Australia, but there is no known confirmation of its arrival. On that basis, if you're one of many who prefer diesel, then it's best to look elsewhere for your new car.

Mitsubishi and Proton sign memorandum
5th February, 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation (MMC) and Proton Holdings Berhad (Proton) have signed a memorandum of understanding for wider areas of corporation ..... more

Audi Continues 2005 Success
5th February, 2006
Audi Australia has recorded an all-time sales high for the month of January 2006, up 40% on its January 2005 sales result ..... more

Renault Altica Concept Car
5th February, 2006
Renault has taken the wraps off its new concept car, Altica, a sporty estate that combines flowing lines with a spacious interior. Its dynamic stance is underpinned by a long bonnet and curved forms ..... more

Volkswagen Jetta Arrives In Australia
5th February, 2006
This dynamic new sports sedan is an important addition to the Volkswagen model range in Australia and will be a significant sales volume contributor ..... more

Mitsubishi At The Geneva Motor Show
2nd February, 2006
Mitsubishi Motors Europe unveils two radical new concept cars – Concept-EZ MIEV and Concept-X – as well as the striking new Colt CZC convertible at the Geneva Motor Show ..... more

Nissan At The Geneva Motor Show
2nd February, 2006
The Geneva Motor Show represents the world premiere of the Nissan Terranaut, a 4x4 vehicle which is intended for explorers and those customers with a spirit of adventure who want to travel to the extreme corners of the globe ..... more

Audi R10 Clocks Fastest Time
1st February, 2006
The new Audi R10 has proven successful after three days of extensive Winter Testing at Sebring, Florida, making AUDI AG’s ambitious target of taking victory at the Le Mans 24 Hour Race with a diesel-powered sports car all the more promising ..... more

Flagships star in GM Holden's export record
1st February, 2006
GM Holden has set a new vehicle export record for the company, breaking through the 60,000-vehicle barrier for the first time in 2005 ..... more

Peugeot Unveils Diesel Hybrid Technology
1st February, 2006
Peugeot has unveiled a 307 concept vehicle, featuring a diesel-electric hybrid power train, the Peugeot 307 ‘Hybride’ HDi ..... more

LOOKING BACK - 1946 Volkswagen Beetle
1st February, 2006
Production numbers were tiny by comparison when the incredible story of Volkswagen’s success began 60 years ago ..... more

WRC Leader Ford Heads To Snowy Sweden
31st January, 2006
Rallye Monte Carlo winner Ford takes its FIA World Rally Championship lead to the Swedish Rally with an opportunity to build on its victorious start to the season ..... more

Nissan X-Trail For 2006
31st January, 2006
Nissan will release a special edition X-Trail to celebrate 40 years of Nissan in Australia ..... more

Two Historic Support Races At Le Mans 2006
30th January, 2006
The support race at the Le Mans 24 Hours has become an jewel in the crown of this endurance event – and one of the world’s greatest historic races ..... more

The 75 Most Significant ’32 Ford Hot Rods
30th January, 2006
After nominating 474 individual cars and completing 3 rounds of balloting, a blue ribbon panel of hot rod authorities has selected America's 75 most significant ’32 Ford hot rods ..... more

Prize-giving ceremony Renault Clio III
30th January, 2006
On Friday, 27th January, 2006, Renault President and CEO Carlos Ghosn was officially handed the Car of the Year 2006 award for Clio III by the President of the Car of the Year Jury, Ray Hutton ..... more

Nissan Maxima For 2006
29th January, 2006
The 2006 model year Nissan Maxima will be available with a new continuously variable transmission and an updated exterior and interior design ..... more

GM Sells More Than 9 Million Vehicles
27th January, 2006
General Motors sold 9.17 million cars and trucks around the world in 2005, up 2 percent from the 8.99 million vehicles sold in 2004 ..... more

Škoda Roomster To Debut At Geneva Motor Show
28th January, 2006
Škoda Auto has revealed the first pictures of the new Škoda Roomster, the brand’s fourth model line. Not only does the Roomster represent Škoda’s move into a new market segment, but also a new development stage as the century-old brand starts on its next hundred years ..... more

Audi R10 Proves To Be A Sensation At Sebring
28th January, 2006
The impressive Audi R10 with a V12 bi-turbo TDI engine, has proven to be a huge sensation at Sebring’s “Winter Test” of the American Le Mans Series ..... more

Caterham Wins Prestigious MIA Award
28th January, 2006
British sports car manufacturer, Caterham Cars, has received the prestigious Export Achievement Award at the Motorsport Industry Association (MIA) Business Excellence Awards 2005 ..... more

Nissan Tiida Arrives Next Week
27th January, 2006
Nissan’s Pulsar replacement, the all-new Tiida compact sedan and hatch, arrives in Australia on 1st February, 2006 ..... more

Ford Wins 2006 Monte Carlo Rally
23rd January, 2006
Marcus Grönholm and Timo Rautiainen claimed a masterful victory on their debut in the new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car on the Rallye Monte Carlo over the weekend ..... more

Peugeot 206 Shaping Up For 2006
23rd January, 2006
The year 2006 is shaping up as a great year for the Peugeot 206. With increased specification and lower prices across the range ..... more

Four Millionth Ford Focus Produced In Europe
22nd January, 2006
The Ford Focus, one of Europe's most popular cars, reached another milestone last week when the four millionth example produced in Europe, a Colorado red, 136 PS TDCi Ford Focus 4-door, was driven off the line at Ford's assembly plant in Valencia, Spain on Thursday ..... more

Volkswagen Passat is Germany's Favourite Car
21st January, 2006
It was a clear-cut decision: more than 320,000 votes were counted in the ADAC (General German Automobile Association) reader's choice awards for the "Gelber Engel 2006" prize. There were 54 models to choose from in the "Cars" category. In the end, the winner was the Volkswagen Passat ..... more

Pontiac Adds A CC
21st January, 2006
After closing 2005 with brisker sales than the rest of the mid-size car segment, the Pontiac G6 family of vehicles is expected to continue its growth in 2006 with a game-changing new entry - a G6 retractable hardtop convertible ..... more

Extra Statesman Luxury Now Standard
20th January, 2006
Statesman buyers receive even more luxury features as standard with the WL series 2006 Statesman International, on sale from this month ..... more

Renault's Limited Edition Mégane Coupe-Cabriolet
20th January, 2006
Renault has released a limited edition version of the Mégane Coupé-Cabriolet LX packed with over $1,500 of additional features ..... more

Suzuki Grand Vitara Catches A Wave
20th January, 2006
Suzuki unveiled its Suzuki Wave concept, a specially modified version of the new Suzuki Grand Vitara at the 2006 Detroit Motor Show ..... more

Land Rover G4 Challenge UK Finalists
20th January, 2006
Counting down to one of the world's toughest driving and multi-sport adventure challenges, Scotsman and 2003 Land Rover G4 Challenge veteran, Tim Pickering, last week visited the Land Rover Experience in Dunkeld, Perthshire to administer some gruelling training on the three 2006 UK finalists ..... more

Audi Unveils Dazzling Array of Firsts in Detroit
19th January, 2006
Audi treated visitors to the 2006 North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) in Detroit with its presentation of three world firsts ..... more

Europe's Mitsubishi Colt CZC coupé-cabriolet
19th January, 2006
Two years after the launch of the Colt hatchback and a year after the introduction of the Colt coupé, Mitsubishi will unveil the third variant of the European Colt family at the 76th Geneva Motor Show: the sporty Colt CZC coupé-cabriolet ..... more

Daewoo's New AWD To Debut At Geneva Motor Show
18th January, 2006
GM has issued the first details of its all-new compact SUV, the Chevrolet Captiva, which makes its global debut at the Geneva Motor Show in March ..... more