Kia Racing's DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koups Take On Lime Rock Park To Defend Grand-Am Class Championships In 2012 Season Finale

With the deep green of the Housatonic State Forest just beginning its transition to the vibrant reds, oranges and yellows of autumn in New England, a showdown is in the offing at Lakeville, Connecticut's Lime Rock Park, host to the 10th and final round of the 2012 Grand-Am Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge (CTSCC). Kia Racing enters the season finale as the defending Driver and Team champions for the Street Tuner (ST) class, and Andy Lally, pilot of the No. 10 DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koup, sits a mere 12 points out of first place, well within striking distance - but in need of a race win and some good fortune to best his closest rivals.

"The No. 10 DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koup has been strong all year, and the Kinetic crew has done a fantastic job to put us in the position we are in," said Lally. "We are definitely still in the chase to give Kia back-to-back championships, and it would mean so much for this race team and Kia Motors America to repeat as champs. But with the points battle as tight as it is, we're going to need a bit of racing luck to bring home the hardware in 2012."

With four teams and seven drivers still mathematically in the hunt for the CTSCC ST-class Team and Driver championships, Kia Racing is tapping into its talent pool for this final, winner-take-all event. Mathew Pombo, usually the lead driver of the No. 12 Koup, will qualify and start the No. 10 machine before handing off to Lally for the run to the checkered flag. Meanwhile, fresh from a highly successful rookie season in the Pirelli World Challenge (PWC), Kia Racing drivers Michael Galati and Mark Wilkins will trade in their turbocharged PWC Optimas to join forces in the No. 12 DonorsChoose.org/Infinity Audio Forte Koup for the Grand-Am finale.

"We are focused on winning this championship for Kia and for our hard-working race team. We have the best crew in the paddock and the best drivers behind the wheel," said Russell Smith, co-owner, Kinetic Motorsports. "Andy Lally and Mathew Pombo have been teammates all year in the Koups. They have similar vehicle set-up preferences and know and trust each other very well. And in the No. 12 machine, Michael Galati and Mark Wilkins have just finished a great rookie season in the Pirelli World Challenge Infinity Audio Optimas, during which time they developed the type of close and collaborative relationship that is critical to a successful driver pairing in endurance competition. Together, quite frankly, I like our chances to repeat as class champions at Lime Rock."

In addition to the human factor, the machinery should be up to the task as well. The Kia Forte Koups are well-suited to Lime Rock's 1.5-mile, seven-turn circuit, which places a premium on handling and momentum. Last year, the No. 10 entry finished in fifth place on its way to a historic season, winning the 2011 Team and Driver title.

The Championship Weekend at Lime Rock Park is scheduled for Friday, September 28. The green flag drops at 3:20 p.m. ET. Check out live race status, photos and updates at www.facebook.com/kiaracing . Race fans can also tune in for television coverage on SPEED Saturday, October 13 at 2:00 p.m. ET. (Time and date subject to change. Check local listings).

About Kia Motors America

Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies[1] in the U.S. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

SOURCE Kia Motors America

Special offers at Van Griffith Kia

Hey fans! Don't forget to stop by and see us to take advantage of our special offers. You can get $50.00 off a timing belt replacement or 10% off any repair over $200! Hurry, these offers end on September 30th!

Top 10 Green Driving and Fuel Efficiency Tips

Global warming is a shared issue facing all of us, and numerous carmakers, including Kia, are making their best efforts to develop eco-friendly vehicles to help offset their environmental impact. However, there are some things that you as drivers can start doing today to help in this worldwide action towards a greener planet. Today on Buzz, we’ll show you some simple tips to become a green driver while saving some money at the fuel pump along the way.

1. Weight: Many of us have a ton of useless things in our cars that we don’t need for our everyday commutes. Reducing weight can significantly cut down on fuel consumption, so lighten up your load.

2. Remove Roof Racks: Take them down when you are not using them. Roof racks can create wind resistance, which increases fuel consumption.

3. Tire Pressure: Occasionally checking your tire pressure at the fuel pump is a great habit to develop. Did you know that for every 6psi a tire is deflated below its stated pressure, fuel consumption increases by 1%?

4. Refueling: Avoid overfilling your fuel tank since spilled fuel evaporates and releases harmful emissions.

5. Drive with the windows up: This reduces air drag for better fuel efficiency.

6. Limit air conditioning use: We tend to overdue the A/C and using more than needed will consume more fuel.

7. Switch off the engine: If you’re stuck in a traffic jam where you will be stationary for more than two minutes then turn your engine off.

8. Harsh acceleration and braking: This action can use up to 30% more fuel and can cause wear and tear on your vehicle.

9. Control your speed: Did you know that travelling at less than 15mph (24 km/h) creates the most pollution? Your level of pollution decreases as your speed increases up to 60mph (96 km/h), but travelling over this limit will start increasing your pollution levels again

10. Careful motorway/highway driving: The concertina effect is caused when one motorist brakes sharply and causes the traffic behind to slow down to a near stop due to the delayed reaction of drivers behind. We can anticipate and judge our necessary speed by observing three or four car lengths ahead and giving ourselves some distance from the car in front. When you see a car bake up ahead, simply remove your foot from the accelerator. By the time you get close to the car in front it would have speeded up already. Not only will this increase your fuel efficiency, but you can stop the concertina effect from happening.
These habits are just the beginning, but they will all add up in the long-run and contribute towards a better earth and your own personal fuel savings.

Courtesy of Kia Buzz

Here's A Tip To Extend the Life of Your Car

Fix bad weatherstripping immediately.

If your weatherstripping is letting rainwater leak into the interior of your car, take a look at it and decide if you can repair it or if it needs to be replaced. Small leaks can be handled with brush-on seam sealers. Resecure loose sections, not otherwise damaged, with trim adhesive. Torn sections may be repaired with special caulking available at auto parts stores. You may also be able to extend the life of worn-but-intact sections by inserting foam rods, available at automotive stores, into the hollow section of the weatherstripping. If you decide to replace entire sections of gasket, don’t simply buy generic stuff such as you’d use around the house. Buy a product that matches your car’s original weatherstripping — it’s available in a wide variety of profiles from dealerships and automotive mail-order catalogues.

World-class Windsurfing with Kia

The world elite of windsurfing will meet this week on the Danish west coast in Klitmøller, Denmark to compete for the Professional Windsurfers Association (PWA) world championship, officially known as ‘The Kia Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup.’

48 of the world’s best male windsurfers will compete in the discipline known as “Wave Performance,” which is considered to be the sport’s most spectacular category. This exciting form of windsurfing is an adrenaline charged ride that has surfers taking acrobatic and aeronautic leaps over waves and flying through the air.

You might be wondering, “Why is it called ‘Cold Hawaii?’ – Klitmøller, which is located in Northern Denmark, has been aptly named by local surfers as ‘Cold Hawaii’ for its surf conditions and cold weather. It has quickly become a world-class surfing spot and its climate and surf will definitely boost the exhilaration and challenge for this year’s competition.

Kia has been a title sponsor of the event for the past three years, and we believe the event represents our global commitment to surprise the world by providing exciting and inspiring experiences that go beyond expectations.

Be sure to check out the inspiring short video above that captures the essence of windsurfing at ‘The Kia Cold Hawaii PWA World Cup.’

Which would you choose?

Two of your friends just cancelled their five day vacation plans and are asking you to take their place instead for free. One was going to the actual Hawaii islands to relax on a beach resort, and the other had booked “Wave Performance” lessons with a world-class windsurfing champion, but in Denmark’s “Cold Hawaii,” which one would you choose, and why?

 

Courtesy of Kia Buzz

Parts Request

Is your Kia in need of a new part? We would love to help you find the exact part you are looking for!  Click here to order parts from us by filling out a simple form.

 

 

Kia Motors America Partners With HerHighway In A Nationwide Drive To Raise Awareness Of Breast Cancer

Kia Motors America (KMA) announced today that it has partnered with HerHighway.com, an online site empowering women with bumper-to-bumper automobile knowledge, to supply Kia vehicles for "Drive Breast Cancer Awareness," an across-the-nation drive event, which aims to raise public awareness around breast cancer.  The eight-day cross-country road trip will start in Los Angeles on September 25 and finish in New York City on October 2, which marks the start of National Breast Cancer Awareness Month.

More than 100 women will participate, including breast cancer survivors, journalists, bloggers and race car drivers Shea Holbrook, Ashley Van Dyke and Melanie Troxel.  The vehicles that KMA is providing for the drive include the 2013 Kia Sportage EX, 2013 Kia Soul! (Exclaim) and 2012 Kia Optima Hybrid.  Along the way, the drivers will make pit stops at various locations to talk about the event and to raise awareness about breast cancer.  The public can also follow the drivers via Twitter with the #HerHighway and #Kia hashtags.

"Kia is deeply committed to supporting HerHighway and the 'Drive Breast Cancer Awareness' event which delivers much-needed awareness towards a disease that affects approximately one in eight women in the United States," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, KMA.  "Kia vehicles such as the Sportage, Optima and Soul are perfect vehicles for a cross-country road trip, and it is our privilege to provide these vehicles that will help HerHighway get the word out about breast cancer."

The "Drive Breast Cancer Awareness" campaign started in 2011 when its founder Christina Selter, HerHighway's Editor-in-Chief, was diagnosed with possible ALCL, a rare form of liquid breast cancer.  Since her diagnosis, Selter's goal has been to bring potentially life-saving information about breast cancer to women across the country through this drive.  A few weeks after the conclusion of the event, Selter will undergo a full Capsulectomy.

Kia's Unprecedented Growth  Kia Motors is one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling.  Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand.  In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality1 and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking2.  Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia – KMMG – is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds two of the company's best-selling vehicles in the U.S. – the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan*.  Kia's value and technology-laden lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S3. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

About HerHighway HerHighway is a team of female automotive and lifestyle experts on a mission to empower women with bumper-to-bumper automobile knowledge and everything along the way.   HerHighway's bumper-to-bumper automotive reviews, tips and feature articles created expressly for women…by women.  That's what makes us such a refreshing detour in a male-dominated world.  HerHighway's Editor in Chief Christina Selter, is a nationally-recognized automotive and safety expert, she has been featured in more than 2,000 national and local newscasts, international press conferences and automobile trade shows around the country. She created the Drive Breast Cancer Awareness not only to create awareness of this terrible disease, but to pay homage to those that have fought and lost.

SOURCE Kia Motors America

Enter To Win A $500 Visa Gift Card!

Happy Monday fans! Don't forget to enter to win a $500 Visa Gift Card from us. Click here to get started, contest ends on October 31st. Good luck everyone!

Kia Soul "In My Mind" Music Video Challenge

YouTube personality, What's Up Elle, creates a demo music video to Axwell's remix of "In My Mind". Pretty good dancers but the Hamsters are still better!

 

Courtesy of Kia Motors America YouTube

The New York skyline looked like this 11 years ago. Never forget 9/11!

Van Griffith Kia Coupons

Happy Monday! Stop by and see us this month to take advantage of our special offers. You can get $50.00 off a timing belt replacement or 10% off any repair over $200! We look forward to seeing you.

Van Griffith KIA donates another KIA Sportage to the Granbury Police Department!

Van Griffith KIA donates another KIA Sportage to the Granbury Police department for Officer Jeff Hastings to use in their DARE program. Officer Hastings visits our local schools and builds relationships with our school children while educating them on the dangers of drug and alcohol abuse. We are very proud to be a part of this fantastic program. If you would like to help as well please contact Officer Hastings at 817-243-1369.

 

New Kia Soul Hamster Campaign Continues With Launch Of "In My Mind" Music Video Challenge; "Bringing Down The House" Makes TV Debut Tonight During MTV Video Music Awards

Kia's music-loving hamsters energized movie audiences over the holiday weekend, and now they are making their way to the digital screen with the launch of a new user-generated content contest as the "Bringing Down the House" spot begins airing on TV during tonight's MTV Video Music Awards. The fourth installment of the award-winning ad campaign is set to "In My Mind" (Axwell remix), and the Kia Soul "In My Mind" Music Video Challenge on YouTube encourages imaginative users to interpret the electronic dance music song's lyrics in their own unique way and create a corresponding music video for the opportunity to win a new 2013 Kia Soul and other prizes.

Contestants are encouraged to create a 90-second music video that synchronizes the "In My Mind" track to their visuals. Videos can be uploaded to www.youtube.com/kia through September 26 and users can share their production via Facebook, Twitter and YouTube to help garner votes that will account for 49 percent of the final score. Six (three potential winners, and three alternates) finalist videos will be selected in mid-October, and a panel of celebrity judges, including Far East Movement, Paul Hunter and Mickey Finnegan, will select the winning entries.

"Music has played a starring role in each of the Soul hamster spots, and the mash-up and remixing trends that inspired 'Bringing Down the House' lends itself to tapping the imaginations of fans of the spot and aspiring music video directors to allow them to express their creativity," said Michael Sprague, executive vice president, marketing & communications, Kia Motors America.

About "Bringing Down the House"Created by David&Goliath, Kia's advertising agency of record, the new 60-second spot fuses old and new worlds by placing a spotlight on the emergence of electronic dance music, which has quickly found its way into the mainstream with some of today's biggest musical acts incorporating classical sounds and instrumentation into their arrangements.

"Bringing Down the House" starts with all the grandeur and scale of an epic Hollywood period film as ballet dancers, an opera singer and a slightly odd-looking conductor take the stage in 1799. As soaring music and vocals fill the air, the audience is stunned when the conductor is revealed to be a music-loving hamster in disguise. With the cast and audience looking on in shock, a futuristic Kia Soul rises through the stage floor and a hamster DJ spins this summer's electronic concert anthem, "In My Mind" remixed by Axwell - a member of the DJ trio, Swedish House Mafia. It doesn't take long before the sight of dancing hamsters decked out in colorful "Hamstar" clothing causes even the crustiest of the upper-crust crowd to lose their inhibitions. With the entire opera house on their feet and moving to the music, the hamsters make a memorable exit as their Soul travels through hyperspace with a hamster winking and waving its paw in the interstellar wind.

About the 2013 Kia SoulWith fun-to-drive performance and out-of-the-box styling, the 2013 Soul delivers impressive horsepower and fuel efficiency of up to 27/35 miles per gallon (mpg) city/highway[1], along with a long list of standard comfort and convenience features, including Bluetooth®[2] wireless technology with steering wheel-mounted controls, steering wheel-mounted audio controls and a chrome-accented grille. Soul 2.4-liter I-4 equipped with the ECO Package also offers the fuel-saving ISG technology, which turns off the engine when the vehicle is not in motion, such as at a stop light or in traffic. The award-winning Kia Soul has been named as this year's No. 1 vehicle on the coveted "10 Best Back-to-School Cars in 2012" list by Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com, as well as honored as class best by two J.D. Power and Associates Studies: IQS and APEAL.

Kia's Unprecedented GrowthKia Motors is one of the world's fastest moving global automotive brands; from 2009-2011 Kia launched more new vehicles in the U.S. than any other automaker, and under the guidance of chief design officer Peter Schreyer earned a reputation as an industry leader in automotive styling. Kia Motors America's full line of fuel-efficient and fun-to-drive cars and CUVs has earned critical acclaim and dramatically increased consumer awareness, perception and consideration for the brand. In 2011, KMA recorded its 17th consecutive year of market share growth, thanks in part to the largest increase of any major brand in perceived quality[3] and the industry's highest brand loyalty ranking[4]. Kia's U.S.-based manufacturing facility in West Point, Georgia - KMMG - is responsible for the creation of more than 10,000 plant and supplier jobs and builds two of the company's best-selling vehicles in the U.S. - the Sorento CUV and Optima midsize sedan*. Kia's value and technology-laden lineup also includes the Sportage compact CUV, Soul urban passenger vehicle, Optima Hybrid, Forte compact sedan, Forte 5-door compact hatchback, Forte Koup two-door coupe, Rio and Rio 5-door sub-compacts and Sedona minivan.

About Kia Motors America Kia Motors America is the marketing and distribution arm of Kia Motors Corporation based in Seoul, South Korea. KMA offers a complete line of vehicles through more than 755 dealers throughout the United States and serves as the "Official Automotive Partner" of the NBA and LPGA. In 2011, KMA recorded its best-ever annual sales total and became one of the fastest growing car companies in the U.S[5]. Kia is poised to continue its momentum and will continue to build the brand through design innovation, quality, value, advanced safety features and new technologies.

SOURCE Kia Motors America

Care and Maintenance Tips Keep Your Car Running in Top-Notch Condition

Don’t try to carry too much.

Never exceed your car’s roof load specifications or weight limits.You can find them in your vehicle owner’s manual. Check the weight limitation of your roof rack as well. Typically the range is from 150 to 200 pounds (68 to 90 kg). That’s the equivalent of eighteen 8-foot 2 x 4s (2.4-meter 38 x 89s) or three sheets of 3/4-inch (17-mm) plywood. If you have to deliver a heavy load from the home or garden center, consider having it delivered. It will save wear and tear on you as well as your car.

Kia Launches $13 Million Global Humanitarian Project

Kia Motors Corporation expanded its corporate social responsibility activities this month by launching its Green Light Project, a global social mobility program that will seek to improve the accessibility of health and education for disadvantaged youth in ailing regions.

The project’s official launch ceremony took place earlier this month at the future site of the Maendeleo Secondary School situated in the Madale area of Dar es Salaam, Tanzania (East Africa). Kia Motors Corporation and SBS, a national TV and radio network in South Korea, funded the construction of the school, which will serve as the Green Light Project’s official base camp.

The ceremony drew an attendance of 700 local residents and was attended by Kia Motors Corporation’s Director of Management Strategy, Mr. Gui-Hyun Choi, and Ms. Jin-Ok Yang, the Secretary General of Good Neighbors, an international humanitarian non-government organization in General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC).

Good Neighbors has been collaborating with Kia Motors to execute its Green Light Project activities such as the secondary school’s construction and deployment of four donated Kia K2700 trucks, which will be retrofitted for use as school and village transportation as well as mobile libraries and health clinics. Kia plans to give USD13 million of funding for the project in the 2012 fiscal year.

The Green Light Project adopts Kia Motors’ corporate social responsibility values of mobility and challenge, which were introduced last year as core principles to develop programs that will help lift social, economic, transport and health restrictions in poverty-stricken areas and give new hope to disadvantaged individuals.

October is the target month for the school’s finished construction along with an adjacent community center named the Green Light Program Center. The school will consist of four classrooms, two laboratories and one library. The community center will serve as multifunctional annex and base camp for the Green Light Project’s social awareness activities, afterschool classes, material storage, and dispatch station for the four Kia K2700 trucks.

All the facilities at the Maendeleo Secondary School will be in full operation starting from next year, and the goal is to have them independently operated by local community participants within the next five years.

“A green light is the universal transit symbol to move forward, and as an automotive company, our Green Light Project will provide mobility to individuals in both a literal and figurative sense. Our Kia K2700 trucks will offer safe transportation to local residents who are isolated from healthcare and education services, and the Maendeleo Secondary School and its neighboring Green Light Program Center will empower individuals to challenge and move past restrictions that are keeping them from living a more fulfilling life,” said Thomas Oh, Executive Vice President and COO of Kia Motors Corporation.

In addition to Kia Motors, Good Neighbors and SBS, the project is also supported by 70 volunteers from Kia’s Happy Move Global Young Volunteers, Korea’s largest private volunteer group, which rallies support for various humanitarian causes. Volunteers will help with an assortment of activities including school construction, bus stop creation, and supporting educational classes at the school.

Kia plans to expand the Green Light Project to other countries and regions through the cooperation of its global network, and its next project will take place in the southeast African nation of Malawi. That program will be a cooperative project with Food for the Hungry International – Korea (KFHI), a global non-profit organization that focuses on poverty needs that relate to food, water resource development, primary healthcare and income enhancement.

Courtesy of Kia Buzz