Score one for the less heralded SUV of Kia Motors of America, the Kia Sportage as it bagged the AutoPacific Inc.’s 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award. These awards are handed out depending on how a vehicle matches the car owner’s expectations and apparent the Kia Sportage was able to achieve such a feat.

“We take great pride in knowing our owners are satisfied with their vehicles and Sportage’s recognition as an ideal vehicle is a tremendous compliment,” said Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing, Kia Motors America (KMA). “This second AutoPacific award directly reflects the satisfaction of smart, discerning Sportage owners, and this type of consumer feedback validates Kia’s commitment to providing high levels of quality, style, safety and practicality in all of our vehicles.”

Among the features that feted the Kia Sportage this award included the following:

• Passenger and Cargo Space
• Off-Road Capabilities
• Fuel Economy
• Six Airbags with full-length side curtain airbags
• SIRIUS Satellite Radio with three months complimentary service and USB and auxiliary input jacks
• 2.0-liter engine delivers impressive fuel economy at 20 mpg (city) and 25 mpg (highway)

(Source) Press

Tags: autopacific, auxiliary input, cargo space, complimentary service, consumer feedback, curtain airbags, fuel economy, input jacks, KIA, kia motors america, kia sportage, liter engine, michael sprague, mpg city, practicality, quality style, road capabilities, satellite radio, score one

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Here is a vehicle that business sectors are sure to find handy. Kubota adds a transformable four-passenger model to its popular 4-wheel drive utility vehicle lineup with the new RTV1140CPX.

This innovative RTV features a transformation system that quickly converts from one-to-two-row seating options, allowing the operator to choose between additional passenger capacity or best-in-class cargo space, depending on the task at hand. The innovative rail system is mounted on the OSHA-compliant roll-over protection structure (ROPS) to allow easy and seamless transitions when converting from the one-to-two row seating options.

“The RTV1140CPX provides exceptional comfort and safety accommodating four adults, as well as unmatched cargo configurations, capacity and convenience,” says Dan Muramoto, product manager for Kubota. “The RTV1140CPX is much anticipated and has exceptionally broad appeal, from ranchers and farmers to property owners, facility managers and outdoorsmen; this new utility vehicle is a unique solution for a wide variety of applications.”

(Source) Press

Tags: business sectors, cargo space, facility managers, farmers, kubota, muramoto, property owners, ranchers, rtv, seamless transitions, seating options, transformation system, unique solution, wheel, wheel drive

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It looks like we may be seeing an electric vehicle that traces its roots from the Hummer H3 concept come this 2009 SAE World Congress. FEV, Incannounced today that it will unveil the Hummer H3 Range-Extended Electric Vehicle (ReEV) demonstrator at the upcoming 2009 SAE World Congress, held at Cobo Center in Detroit on April 20 – 24.

FEV partnered with Utah-based Raser Technologies (Raser) in the development of the H3 ReEV, the first vehicle equipped with Raser’s range-extended electric vehicle technology. The H3 ReEV will be on display in the FEV booth. The unveiling of the H3 ReEV comes one year after FEV and Raser first showed the technology as a concept at last year’s World Congress.

The announcement was made jointly by Gary Rogers, FEV, Inc. president and CEO and Jim Spellman, Raser VP of Business Development.

The Hummer H3 ReEV is the first range-extended electric vehicle based on a full-sized SUV. The Raser scalable plug-in series hybrid design provides 40+ mile all-electric range and 100+ mpg fuel economy. FEV performed the full vehicle integration including electrical and mechanical design. Additionally, FEV developed all software for the hybrid control unit and in-vehicle graphical display.

Propulsion comes from Raser’s 200 kW traction motor mated to a 4-speed automatic transmission. Raser’s 100 kW generator, driven by a 2.0L SIDI turbocharged engine, provides electrical power. Although a full-sized SUV, the concept has been achieved with only minimal sacrifice of acceleration performance, cargo space, or towing capacity.

(Source) Press

Tags: automatic transmission, cargo space, demonstrator, electric vehicle technology, electrical power, fuel economy, HUMMER, hybrid control, hybrid design, jim spellman, mechanical design, sae world congress, towing capacity

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