Granbury KIA

Kia has always been a forefront of innovation in the motor vehicle industry and today is no different. They have just released a new eight speed automatic transmission to be used front wheel drive vehicles. This technology is unlike that of any to date and is changing the game for Kia. The new technology is set to debut in the newest Kia Cadenza, which is their largest car. Moving forward, it is anticipated that the technology will also be added into other medium and large Kia models in the next model car season. As released by Kia, this new technology was developed by the Korean manufacturers themselves with an emphasis on mechanical efficiency and smooth shifting of the gears. One of the main perks of this new system is that it takes up the same amount of space as the six speed automatic transmission used in the past, yet weighs 3.5 kilograms less. Kia has been working restlessly since 2012 to create this masterful innovation and has claimed 143 patents over new technologies in t...

Kia has always been associated with things like affordable, safe, good value.  None of that has changed.  But a few words have been added recently.  The biggest one is Luxury.  Still much better priced and equipped than any direct competitor to their luxury line, they have begun to impress even the toughest critics.  What do we need to know about the new Cadenza? It has a very athletic, muscular appearance, yet also very elegant.  Like designer Ray Ng said at the introduction, “it is a clean design with minimal adornment.”  As a result, it has crisp lines, and sheet metal that fills out its form.   If you’re looking for a comfortable daily driver that makes a terrific highway companion, look no further. Kia’s investment in noise/vibration/harshness has paid off handsomely. The ride is quiet and comfy. The steering is intuitive and feels natural, the brakes are even-handed, and the acceleration is predictable. Inside, there’s wireless phone ...

Kia is finally getting the recognition it has deserved for a long time now.  Certain awards have always gone to certain vehicles with high name recognition due to decades of existence.  Those days are over. The auto industry experienced a seismic shift this month when J.D. Power announced that for the first time in 27 years a non-premium brand ranked highest in its annual Initial Quality Study. When the dust settled, the nameplate that managed to unseat the reigning IQS champion for three years running, and take the top spot was upstart Kia Motors. The study, now in its 30th year, examines problems experienced by vehicle owners during the first 90 days of ownership, and marks a massive win for Kia, a brand that has rapidly transformed into a recognized leader in design, technology and craftsmanship. With an award-winning lineup spanning from subcompact cars to luxury vehicles, Kia’s rise to the top was driven by best-in-class quality rankings for the popular Sportage ...

The South Korean car company, Kia, has through the years come to make itself a household name in America. One of their more popular models happens to be the Sportage. The Sportage is a compact SUV that originally started out as being offered as a 3-door convertible or a five door SUV back in 1993. An extended length version was released in 1996 that was called the Sportage Grand. Originally, there were many different engine types offered for the model throughout the different countries it was manufactured in. The main ones consisted of the 2.0 liter FE DOHC inline four which offered 128 horse power and the 2.0 liter RF inline four diesel which offered 82 horse power. The first generation model was sold between the years of 1993 and 2002 and was discontinued from then on. After much innovation and redesign, the second generation Sportage was released in 2004. Kia has worked endlessly to make constant improvements from model year to model year which paid off when the 2009 Consumer R...

The Kia Sportage has taken the Compact SUV market by storm.  Yes, it is a very crowded market segment which makes it even more surprising that a new vehicle was able to come in and immediately rise to the top. Kia’s compact SUV only gets more appealing by the mile. Kelly Blue Book ranked it in the top half in almost every primary evaluation category.  The Kia’s comfortable ride, supportive driver's seat and good highway steering feel each received praise from multiple testers, which is especially impressive considering those have long been three key areas of weakness for Kia. Highway power was adequate in the best sense, especially considering the Sportage was among the most fuel-efficient SUVs in our test according to both EPA estimates and our own results. The Sportage is just as comfortable in the city, combining smooth and satisfying acceleration with similarly responsive steering feel and predictable braking behavior. Good side bolstering on the front seats also enh...

With an award winning cast of the Soul, Optima and Sorento, it is easy for the Sportage to get a little overlooked.  That would be a mistake.  Read on and you will see why. The overall stance is sportier thanks to a squatter, more substantial look with the wheels pushed farther to the corners.  Inside the new Sportage features more soft-touch surfaces, better trims, and a layout that’s somewhat sporty and cockpit-oriented, with the center stack canted slightly toward the driver. When it comes to power there’s a choice of two powertrains: a 2.4-liter 4-cylinder with 181 horsepower, or, for those looking for more oomph, there's a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder with 240 horsepower. Both engines are paired to a 6-speed automatic transmission and send power to the front wheels in the standard configuration. All-wheel drive is an option on every Sportage trim level. Kia promised better steering and a more refined ride with the latest Sportage, and for the most part, ...

Some still shy away from the stigma of driving a minivan as they fear it doesn’t make them look hip enough.  We all struggle to maintain our own level of cool.  Bottom line is, if you are driving a family around whether it is an SUV or the Sedona, it is still a family sled.  With the addition of the new Sedona, you are as cool a as cucumber in this one. The Kia Sedona is certainly stylish. Credit its makeover last year by Kia's crack design team, led by former Volkswagen designer Peter Schreyer and chief designer Tom Kearns. Their team endowed the Sedona with a surprisingly sinister, urbane look anchored by Kia's distinctive tiger-nose grille. Clearly, this is not your father's family truckster. The vibe continues inside, especially on the top-of-the-line SXL model, where a two-tone interior, leather seating with contrasting piping, piano black and metallic accents, a wood-trimmed and heated steering wheel, and dual sunroofs give the cabin the feeling of first cla...

Kia Motors America's (KMA) all-new 2016 Optima midsize sedan and 2016 Sedona minivan were both named to Kelley Blue Book's KBB.com 16 Best Family Cars for 2016 list. The Optima was touted by editors for being stylish, feature-packed and family friendly. Meanwhile, the Sedona minivan was praised for style and function, a modern interior, impressive available safety features and overall value.  "The all-new 2016 Optima has matured in all the right ways, from the European sport-sedan design to the premium interior materials to its vastly improved ride and handling and advanced safety features," said Orth Hedrick, vice president, product planning KMA. "Similarly, Sedona was designed for today's active lifestyles and families on the go with more power, a longer wheelbase for improved leg room and unique seating configurations combined with intuitive technology and safety. We're honored that Kelley Blue Book has named Optima and Sedona to the 16 Best Fami...

The mid-size 4 door sedan we have all come to know has been in production for almost 16 years. Through countless redesigns, Kia has always stuck to the original idea behind the vehicle; a highly efficient and safe family sedan. It was first released way back in the year 2000. While most countries accepted the name “Optima”, some preferred to go by different names such as the Magentis in Europe or the Lotze and K5 in South Korea. The original model had a little different power under the hood than we are used to today. It had a 2.5 Liter V6 engine. This was the only engine offered for the model back then. For a while, the only changes made to the vehicle were exterior, cosmetic changes such as the new grille added in 2003 and redesigned headlights in 2004. In 2001, the company did raise the bar with a 2.5 Liter Delta V6 engine and again in 2002 with a 2.4 liter Sirius II I4. Throughout the past 16 years, the only place this model has gone is up. Now that we know about the past, le...

It amazes me that in todays, age with the advancements and improvements made to them that minivans come with a stigmatism attached that you can’t be hip or cool to own and prowl around town.  This is the last myth to be debunked and the 2016 Kia Sedona SXL Limited is just the offering to do it. SXL trim a contains Xenon headlamps, lane departure warning, forward collision warning, surround view monitor, Smart cruise control, 115V power inverter, rear seat entertainment, heated and cooled front leather seating, heated steering wheel, triple-zone auto-climate system, memory power seat settings, blind-spot detection, rear camera, second row bucket seats, front and rear parking assist sensors, keyless ignition and access, dual sunroofs, power sliding side-doors, power rear lift gate, 19-inch chrome alloy wheels, UVO entertainment and navigation, XM and LED lamps all around. Stylish, refined, and handsome, the Sedona makes a nice formal statement at rest and at work. Engage the smo...

This is the future of automobile manufacturing and as always, Kia is at the forefront.  This is truly going to revolutionize the way vehicles are made moving forward. Kia said it designed the Niro from “the ground up as a dedicated hybrid” to satisfy two growing markets: low emission vehicles and compact SUVs. The Niro is also one of the first vehicles to be launched under Kia’s new green car initiative, which includes plans for six other models to be added over the next five years. A “downsized hybrid platform” will be powering the Niro, with electrification from a single 32-kilowatt electric motor and a 1.56 kilowatt-hour lithium-polymer battery pack. The 1.6-liter Kappa gasoline engine features direct injection and an output of 104 horsepower, with a six-speed dual clutch transmission. “The main focus of engineering teams’ efforts behind the development of the new model is to deliver class-leading fuel economy in the compact SUV segment,” said Kia, adding that the Niro “...

Kelly Blue Book is still the standard to go by when you are looking to purchase a vehicle.  They don’t throw around awards lightly and when they do hand one out, you can be assured that it is well deserved.  So when it came to handing out the award for the midsize car best buy award, they put their stamp of approval on the 2016 Kia Optima. “The Optima’s success has come through constant improvement.  Throughout its life this sedan has persevered to be better, evolving from an also-ran when it debuted 15 years ago to what it is today: a refined, advanced, rewarding to drive midsize sedan with luxury looks at a mainstream price.” Wrote KBB on its site.  “The all-new 2016 Kia Optima is even more focused, besting not only the outgoing model but edging out rivals in one of the market’s most competitive segments.” It was redesigned with comfort and convenience of the consumer in mind.  Even the standard trim includes features like height adjustable passenger sea...

It doesn’t matter what your favorite basketball team is or even what brand of car you drive.  We can all agree that giving back to kids is an honorable way to spend your time and your money. That is why I was stoked to hear about Kia teaming up with the Oklahoma City Thunder.  They came together and dedicated an outdoor basketball court to the Boys and Girls club of Norman Center for Children and Families. As you can imagine this time of year, it can get a little chilly outside but with the warmth something like this does on the inside of you, no one really minded.  This was the 11th basketball court that the Thunder Cares Foundation has either built or renovated.  The kids got to swarm the court and shoot hoops with a couple of NBA players. “This court is a vital addition to our organization,” said Fitzgerald. “The court will bring fun and great joy to our children and serves as a symbol to the children of our community that the Thunder cares about them and su...

It hit the pavement hard and fast earlier this year. It is the hot and brand new 2015 Kia K900. This model is a favorite of car fanatics everywhere and is locked and loaded with so many available features. It is virtually impossible to explain all of them to you, but here are a few I believe to be the most important. It is powered by a 5.0 liter V8 engine. This riveting rear-wheel drive sedan gets 420 horse power and 15 miles to the gallon city and 23 miles to the gallon highway. The engine will stay revving while your wallet stays full! One of the most innovative features available for this 2015 model is the Dynamic Bending Light (DBL) which works with the LED headlights for projection that adapts to the speed and turning angle of the vehicle to ensure the best visibility for you, your passengers, and your brand new luxury sedan! Heated and ventilated front and rear seats are also available for the 2015 model for those hot summer afternoons or freezing winter mornings. The c...

The 2016 Kia K900 is luxury redefined.  There is no way you appreciate the feel of this car without getting in it and taking it around the block for yourself.  This car maintains some of its main design and functions.  For instance, the upcoming design has similar grille however it gets less abrasive exterior angles.  Its headlights meet the grille similar to the present K900 however the headlights are more rounded.  Another obvious redesign is in the fog lights as they have become a trapezoidal style from the existing vertical design which makes this offering seem more mature. The rear overhang is likewise a bit large which results in more cargo space.  It gets terrific appearances thanks to the use of LED technology in its lighting system and Xenon for its low beam, in addition to LED strips that run across the whole back.  Steering is covered in leather just like the equipment shifter.  The interior devices consist of dual zone environmen...

Van Griffith Kia is THE Toyota dealership of the Granbury, TX area. Right now we have a large number of pre-owned and new Kias, including the 2015 Kia Forte. The 2015 Forte offers a spacious interior and trunk, supportive seating and offers a choice of an efficient 1.8-liter engine or a more powerful 2.0-liter engine. . The 2015 Forte earns up to an EPA-estimated 26/39 mpg city/highway with the and comes in two trims and two engine choices. Come to Van Griffith Kia today to test drive the 2015 Kia Forte!