2014 Kia Forte Wins Cars.com/USA Today/MotorWeek Compact Sedan Challenge

The all-new 2014 Kia Forte was recently named by Cars.com as the best compact sedan in its league. The multi-day Compact Sedan Challenge brings together experts from Cars.com, USA Today and MotorWeek to conduct a series of tests on a competitive set of vehicles and combines their professional assessments with the real-world opinions of car shoppers currently in the market for a compact sedan.

“The Forte truly stood out against the competition,” said Patrick Olsen, Cars.com’s Editor-in-Chief. “Between its dynamic exterior styling, impressive standard features for the price and excellent ride and handling, the 2014 Forte is a well-rounded car that checks off all the boxes of the perfect, affordable compact sedan.”

This years’ competition included the 2014 Ford Focus, 2013 Honda Civic, 2013 Hyundai Elantra, 2013 Subaru Impreza, 2013 Nissan Sentra and 2014 Toyota Corolla. The Kia Forte bested all the rest with its roominess, performance and premium amenities. The Compact Sedan Challenge judges cars based on a series of criteria, including fuel economy, comfort, styling and drivability.

“The Forte is designed to bring our customers premium amenities at an affordable price,” said Michael Sprague, executive vice president of marketing & communications, KMA. “Cars.com’s recognition of the 2014 Forte as being the best compact sedan among these worthy contenders clearly highlights Kia’s commitment to quality and value for our customers.”

With its sleek European-inspired styling, the Kia Forte was designed to offer more room, more performance and more amenities to an ever growing segment of compact sedan consumers.

Come test drive the award-winning Forte today at Executive Kia and be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for further news and updates.

Redesigned 2014 Soul Boasts Iconic Design, Desirable Features and Improved Driving Dynamics

The iconic Soul enters the 2014 model year with an all-new take on design, driving dynamics and desirable features that totally transform one of Kia Motors America’s best-selling cars into an urban utility vehicle that is as comfortable in the city as it is on the open highway. The signature Soul design is instantly recognizable yet thoroughly fresh, with more than a passing nod to the hot Track’ster concept that was unveiled last year.  Riding on a new chassis that is stiffer, longer and wider, the all-new Soul has grown up without losing its edge, allowing for more passenger and cargo room while reducing NVH levels. A flatter torque curve and significant suspension upgrades make the 2014 Soul a nimble and agile companion in congested urban environments.  Honoring Soul owners’ fierce individualism, three unique trim levels will be available when U.S. sales are expected to begin in the fourth quarter of this year: Base, Plus and Exclaim.

The all-new Soul displays its own individuality through a blend of funky personality, fun-to-drive characteristics and premium upgrades intended to set it apart from the pack.  A playful color palette, including Soul-exclusive colors such as Solar Yellow, Kale Green, and Inferno Red, along with sporty new wheel designs, pump up the dynamic equation that has made Soul such a dominate competitor in the “boxy” car segment. 

Keeping what made the current Soul special while addressing areas for improvement was no easy task.  As the design team at Kia’s California studio began putting virtual pen to virtual paper, engineers in the U.S. and Korea focused on making Soul a joy to drive. Starting with a solid foundation was key, and the new body enjoys a 28.7 percent increase in torsional rigidity over the current Soul.  With the hard points set, the all-new Soul was boiled down to three focus areas: Maintaining the iconic design while adding modern cues; providing premium features and content; and improving driving dynamics to make the 2014 Soul more desirable than ever. 



Keep an eye out at Executive Kia as the 2014 Souls roll in, and be sure to check out our Facebook and Twitter for more news and updates.

Details about the Soul's incredible features below the jump.

Kia Motors Announces Plans For First All-Electric Vehicle In The United States

At the media launch of the all-new 2014 Soul, Kia announced plans to offer an all-electric version of the company’s iconic Soul urban passenger vehicle in select markets in 2014. Already one of Kia’s best-selling vehicles, an all-electric variant is a natural extension of the Soul’s urban-friendly place in the brand’s lineup of award-winning vehicles. More details about the Soul EV’s powertrain, range/MPGe, packaging and go-to-market strategy will be announced at an upcoming major U.S. auto show.

“Eco-consciousness already comes standard on the all-new Soul with 85-percent of its materials able to be recycled at the end of its lifespan, and the Soul EV will further demonstrate Kia’s engineering capabilities as well as our commitment to producing vehicles with reduced environmental footprints,” said Orth Hedrick, executive director of product planning, KMA. “The Soul has always been a terrific choice for drivers in urban environments, and the all-new version’s blend of technology, refinement, style, improved dynamics and value has allowed us to create a car that is as efficient as it is fun to drive.”

Kia Motors was recently ranked by Interbrand as one of the “50 Best Global Green Brands,” and Soul EV will be the second alternative-fuel Kia vehicle to be offered for sale in the U.S. The award-winning Optima Hybrid was introduced in 2011 and for 2013 sees a number of enhancements including numerous powertrain refinements for smoothness and drivability, including a more robust 47 HP electric traction motor, a stronger Hybrid Starter Generator (HSG) and a more powerful 47 kW Lithium Polymer battery.

Check out our Souls at Executive Kia and be sure to like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for news and updates.

Redesigned 2014 Kia Sorento Earns 5-Star Safety Rating from US Government

Kia Motors America’s (KMA) top-selling CUV, the redesigned 2014 Sorento, has earned the highest possible overall safety rating – five stars – from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  The new Sorento was recognized for its outstanding performance in frontal and side impact crash tests, as well as high marks in rollover testing.

“Built on an all-new platform, the redesigned Sorento utilizes Kia’s advanced safety equipment and technologies to provide a high level of occupant protection for drivers and their families as measured by the U.S. government,” said Orth Hedrick, executive director, product planning, KMA. “Already a compelling entry in the compact CUV category, earning a 5-Star rating from NHTSA makes the Sorento an even stronger contender within its segment while underscoring Kia’s overall commitment to delivering safety and exceptional value to our customers.”

In addition to NHTSA’s 5-Star rating, the 2014 Sorento has also been named a Top Safety Pick by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS).  It is built at Kia’s manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia and is available in four trim levels.

Keep on eye on Executive Kia as the 2014s arrive, and be sure to check us out on Facebook and Twitter for further news and updates.

Kia Motors Launches Campaign to Raise $3 Million for Schools

Kia Motors America and DonorsChoose.org recently launched a Back-to-School giving campaign to raise $3 million of support for high-need public schools across the country. For the second year in a row, Kia will make a matching contribution for each donation to eligible DonorsChoose.org projects during the month of September, empowering “citizen philanthropists” to make a difference in the lives of students who need it most.

Building on the success of last year’s inaugural campaign – which raised more than $2.1 million and benefitted nearly 500,000 public school students – Kia has partnered with dealers in six metro areas across the southern United States to increase the company’s total financial commitment by 50 percent.

Be sure to stay up to date at the Executive Kia website, our Facebook, and our Twitter.

Reviews of Kia's Newest Best Seller: The Kia Cadenza

The Cadenza is unlike anything Kia has made in the past, and critics are taking notice. Read some of the amazing things people have to say about Kia's most luxurious model yet:

"[...] the Cadenza offers a wealth of standard and optional high-end features along with sharp styling that manages to make it stand apart from the crowd without looking strange." - Edmunds

"Now Kia's rivals have another vehicle to watch out for in their rearview mirror: the all-new 2014 Cadenza." - MSN Autos

"[...] the 2014 Kia Cadenza's unique mix of price, features and materials makes it a viable alternative to players on both the mainstream and luxury-brand sides of the divide." - Kelley Blue Book

"One of Kia's core focuses has been offering value to customers, and even with a starting price of $35,100, the Cadenza still represents plenty of that kind of thinking." - AutoBlog

These are only some of the amazing reviews of the Kia Cadenza. Don't believe the hype? Just come in and test-drive one!

Visit the Executive Kia website to check out our inventory and schedule your first drive.

Puzzle Pieces for Autism

Puzzle Pieces for Autism is a month long fundraising and awareness event being held throughout Connecticut to help the state’s families and individuals living with Autism.

The Executive Auto Group has teamed up with Radio 104.1 to support the efforts of Autism Services and Resources Connecticut (ASRC). ASRC is a statewide, non-profit organization that supports families, educators, and the entire autism community – across the diagnosis, needs, challenges, and age ranges.

This August we’re bringing the individuals and businesses of Connecticut together to show the communities support and promote autism awareness statewide.

We’re asking friends, families and professionals from across the state to celebrate the wonders of those on the autism spectrum and embrace the uniqueness in all of us by decorating a puzzle piece. For every puzzle piece that gets decorated, Executive Auto Group will donate $5 to help the efforts of ASRC.

We encourage you to paint, draw, color, glue and decorate your puzzle piece however you see fit. Use your imagination and make it your own. The blank puzzle pieces will be available all month long and can be picked up at any one of our 9 locations throughout the state.

Every Sunday we invite people to join us at one of our dealerships and decorate a puzzle piece with us. We will have all the supplies you need to make your puzzle piece unique.

On August 25th we will invite everyone back for our big gallery show event which will be held at Fiat by Executive in Wallingford. We will display all of the decorated puzzle pieces so people can see how the community came together. There will be live music, food and prizes so you don't want to miss it! 

For more information on this amazing event, visit http://www.puzzlepiecesforautism.com/!