Kia has released the first picture of its star car for the North American International Auto Show, the Kia Soul, which will be revealed to the world when America's biggest car show opens its doors in Detroit on 9th January 2006.

The Kia Soul builds on the Mesa concept car Kia displayed at the 2005 Detroit Show and it is a bold, sporty cross-over 4WD vehicle designed to appeal to young people looking for a vehicle that is as versatile and easy to use as it stylish and uncompromising in its bold visual statement.

A wrap-around windshield, muscular wheel flares, stylish front headlamps and a sloped roofline convey an athletic attitude for the Kia Soul, which is geared toward an active lifestyle. Though small on the outside, it is big inside with practical interior room and a reconfigurable cargo space. The rear door includes a unique "drawer" for wet or muddy items such as a wetsuit or hiking shoes.

VW EcoRacer Successfully Finishes First Test
16th December, 2005
Volkswagen's EcoRacer sports car has successfully completed its racetrack debut: 34 journalists from 9 countries gave the concept car a thorough test on the racetrack in Pau in the South of France ..... more

Nissan Urge Concept Car
16th December, 2005
Set to make its world debut in early January 2006 at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit is the dynamic Nissan Urge concept ..... more

Australian Know-How Behind India's New Ford Fiesta
15th December, 2005
The latest model in Ford's Fiesta range has just commenced sales in India – and it's thanks to a team led by Ford Australia engineers and designers that motorists in the sub-continent have a car designed specifically for their local conditions ..... more

Mazda Kabura and Mazda CX-7 For Detroit
14th December, 2005
Mazda Motor Corporation will showcase the world premiere of the Mazda Kabura sports coupe concept vehicle, and the Mazda CX-7, a crossover sports-utility-vehicle (SUV), at the 2006 NAIAS ..... more

Audi To Compete With Diesel At Le Mans
14th December, 2005
Audi will become the world’s first car manufacturer to fight for overall victory with a diesel-engined sportscar in the famous Le Mans 24 Hours ..... more

Kia Sidewinder Hits L.A.
12th December, 2005
Kia Designer, Marc Mainville, has entered his radical design for the Kia Sidewinder concept into the Los Angeles Automotive Show design contest ..... more

Mitsubishi Outlander Tops 10,000 Orders
12th December, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors Corporation today announced that it has received 10,000 orders for the new Outlander in less than two months since its launch, in Japan, on 17th October ..... more

Pricing For 2006 Ford Fiesta
11th December, 2005
Ford Australia has released pricing details of its new Fiesta range, which goes on sale from January 2006 ..... more

Swift Awarded Britain's Car Of The Year
8th December, 2005
In the UK, Car magazine has just named the Suzuki supermini its ‘Car of the Year’ ..... more

Holden Takes On Global Design Role
8th December, 2005
Holden will significantly expand its Port Melbourne design centre to design vehicles for General Motors markets around the world ..... more

Small Cars Push Motor Vehicle Market Towards Record Year
6th December, 2005
Another record month of small and light car sales has all but ensured that the Australian motor vehicle market is heading for its fourth straight annual sales record ..... more

Peugeot 407 Coupé – 5 Stars for Euroncap
6th December, 2005
Elegance, power and outstanding handling and dynamics, the 407 Coupé is also distinguished by its high levels of passive safety ..... more

Eclipse Spyder to Debut at NAIAS
6th December, 2005
Mitsubishi Motors North America (MMNA) will push the limits again with the debut of two more vehicles that thrill – the 2007 Eclipse Spyder and the Concept-CT MIEV ..... more

Ford's New Rally Challenger Launched
5th December, 2005
Ford of Europe has unveiled the new Ford Focus RS World Rally Car at the Bologna Motor Show in Italy. The car will be Ford's challenger in the FIA World Rally Championship from 2006 onwards ..... more

X-Jack Wins Major Award in the USA
5th December, 2005
Innovative Australian off-road accessory company Bushranger has won a major accolade at the world’s largest aftermarket product expo, during the recent SEMA Show in Las Vegas ..... more

Max-Air at the Top of Air Compressor Field
5th December, 2005
Leading Australian off-road accessory company Bushranger has scooped the pool in a major test of aftermarket portable air compressors ..... more

Safer car design has cut road casualties
4th December, 2005
Car makers deserve real credit for dramatic improvements in safety trends over the last 10 years ..... but there are duds, such as Landwind, a Chinese import into the EU ..... more

Holden Celebrates Four Millionth Export Engine
4th December, 2005
Holden has produced a range of four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines for export at Port Melbourne since 1981, and currently holds contracts to Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and North America ..... more

Peugeot Round Australia Trial 50th Anniversary
3rd December, 2005
In April 2006, to mark the victory of a Peugeot 403 in the first Ampol Trial in 1956, Peugeot Automobiles Australia will sponsor the Peugeot Round Australia Trial 50th Anniversary Rerun ..... more

Mazda Secures A Record November
2nd December, 2005
The year 2005 is on track to be Mazda Australia’s best ever sales year with November recording yet another record result ..... more

Volkswagen dominates "Auto Trophy"
1st December, 2005
This year's "Auto Trophy" produced some remarkable results: Volkswagen Group products were voted onto the podium 23 times by the readers of "Auto" magazine ..... more

Suzuki Announces New SX4
1st December, 2005
Following the recent success of the new Suzuki Swift and new Grand Vitara, Suzuki Motor Corporation has today announced it will start production of the all new SX4 at their Hungarian plant in December 2005 ..... more

Monaro In Force for Queensland Police
28th November, 2005
Holden and the Queensland Police Service have joined forces in an effort to reduce the road toll and increase road safety leading up to the holiday season ..... more

Melbourne's Suzuki Night Markets
25th November, 2005
Suzuki Australia have joined the organisers of Melbourne's Wednesday evening market, in an sponsorship deal earning the car manufacturer naming rights to the 'Suzuki Night Market' ..... more

VW Golf GTI Wins
25th November, 2005
On the back of what has been a very successful period since the launch in May of the Volkswagen Golf GTI, it has been awarded Australia's Best Car in the category of Best Sports Car Under $57,000 ..... more

Land Rover Announced as Best Cars Winner
24th November, 2005
Land Rover has accepted the prestigious BEST CARS "Best All Terrain 4WD" award for Discovery 3 Td V6 as announced at a ceremony held at the RACV in Melbourne ..... more

Team Repsol Mitsubishi Ralliart Bids
For Sixth Successive Dakar Rally Win
24th November, 2005
The Mitsubishi Motors factory team has entered four cars in the 2006 Dakar Rally, as it bids to become the first team in history to win six successive Dakar rallies ..... more

German Debut For Volkswagen Race Touareg 2
24th November, 2005
The new Race Touareg 2, with which Volkswagen will compete in the 2006 Dakar Rally, will be unveiled to the public in Germany at the world’s largest exhibition for sports cars and tuning specialists, the Essen Motor Show ..... more

50% of Volkswagen Golf Sales TDI (Diesel)
24th November, 2005
For the first time, in the months of September and October, over 50% of all Golf models retailed were TDI ..... more

Audi A6 TDI Is Australia's Best Luxury Car
23rd November, 2005
Audi’s A6 3.0-litre TDI has won ‘Best Luxury Car over $57,000’ at the annual Australia’s Best Cars awards. This is the third consecutive year that Audi has won ‘Best Luxury Car’ ..... more

More Success for Ford in Best Car Awards
23rd November, 2005
Australia's state motoring organisations have named Ford as winner in two categories in, what they call, 'Australia's Best Cars' ..... more

Volkswagen CrossPolo
23rd November, 2005
This attractive and progressive Volkswagen has running gear raised by 15 millimetres, new 17-inch alloy wheels, robust bolt-on parts in a contrasting colour and re-designed bumpers in off-road style ..... more

Kia Hatches A New Cerato
25th October, 2005
Kia is looking to boost its Cerato sales in Australia with the launch of a five door hatch ..... more