Birchwood Kia Blog

On April 20th I was not only blown away but I was very excited to meet this totally unsuspecting wonder called the Forte.  KIA has really hit the mark here with this mid-range compact car. The car comes in 3 models, the 2.0 L, the EX and the impressive SX with a 2.4l and an optional 6-speed transmission. When a car is ready to hit the floors, Kia Canada sends out the vehicle to all the major city’s and offers our sales team the opportunity to test and become knowledgeable with its exceptional features and performance abilities. This also gives the team a chance to put the cars through a small road test and to see who the competition is and how they compare to our Kia product. In this industry they call it a ride and drive, let’s take a look at the Kia Forte versus the Mazda 3 and Ford Focus

Let’s begin with the Mazda 3. The one we had was loaded with leather and a navigation system. A very impressive looking vehicle but I found it fell short on handling and room in the cabin – especially in rear seating. Breaking was exceptional but it was found that the front-end dove down in hard breaking situations causing an uneven distribution of the cars total weight. Power was disappointing with a full passenger car load. The overall feeling of the Mazda 3 was that it was a neat looking car but after driving it I felt the things noted above really took away from its appeal.
The Ford Focus was less impressive than the Mazda, and couldn’t possibly compare to the Forte.  The model that was tested came equipped with many of the features the other cars had but fell incredibly short on safety and performance. For safety the Focus only had front airbags, no active head restraints and was not equipped with a Stabilitrack control system. In performance features the car felt under powered and had much less cabin space than the Forte.

2010 Kia Forte SX

2.4L 173HP 168lb.ft Torque

Look from its bold face and the wedge-like character lines give the car a very dynamic profile.
I was solely impressed with the Kia Forte, the breaking and handing were outstanding and I was also excited with the SX model with it’s 173HP 2.4L and 6 speed manual transmission. I put this car to the test and pushed it through the course, the S turns had very little body roll and the car sunk right down when the breaks were applied quickly in the stopping portion of the course. Overall the Kia Forte is a winner inside and out. I like the fact that the car performs well looks sporty and sophisticated, plus a fit and finish that rivals its competitors. I was amazed with what comes included in this beautiful entry level car that starts at $17,900 (well equiped). Below are some pictures from the ride and drive held at the Assinboine downs.

Special thanks to Jack and Claude from Kia Canada that put the event on for us.


Kia Forte EX

Written and Photos by:
Dain White
Story editor:
Kristine Rae

It’s an age of self-expression. And the Soul more than delivers. A city-taming, gear-hauling, head-turning package, there’s nothing else like it on the road. There’s party-ready seating for 5 and room for all the friends and gear you want to carry. Plus concert-worthy sound that includes standard auxiliary and USB inputs, available Sirius® satellite radio and available LED mood speakers. Add to this some wildly unique interior choices, like red or houndstooth trim, and see how it really is a Soul all your own.

http://www.kia.ca/cars/details/soul

http://www.kia.ca/page/about

Kia Motors Corporation was founded in 1944 and is Korea’s oldest manufacture of motor vehicles. As part of the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group, Kia aims to become one of the world’s premier automotive brands. Kia Motors’ 16 manufacturing and assembly operations in 13 countries produce more than 1.1 million vehicles a year that are sold and serviced through a network of distributors and dealers covering 190 countries.

Every member of the Kia family has something to offer drivers searching for a unique blend of style, fun to drive performance, features and excellent value. Early on, we established our reputation for creating well-built, well-equipped and well-priced vehicles with the launch of Sephia, Sportage and Rio. In 2001, we followed up with the introduction of the Sedona minivan, the mid-sized Magentis sedan, the compact Spectra sedan, Spectra GSX sports hatch and the innovative Rio RX-V 5-door sportwagon. In 2002, Kia welcomed the arrival of the Sorento SUV which won Motor Week’s 2003 “Drivers’ Choice award. In 2004, Kia broke new ground with the launch of the full-sized Amanti luxury sedan – offering drivers a new level of prestige and elegance. In 2005, Kia unveiled the totally redesigned and reengineered Spectra, Spectra5 and Sportage. As testament to our commitment to quality, the Automobile Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) crowned the 2005 Kia Spectra sedan “Best New Economy Car”.

We are also pioneering “peace of mind” motoring with our innovative Total Care Owner Coverage, which is backed by our coast-to-coast network of dedicated dealers. We believe Canadians deserve no less.

Ex-Ortynsky store to relocate on Regent

By: Myron Love
Updated: September 19 at 09:15 AM CDT

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/subscriber/autos/story/4228113p-4867635c.html

The Birchwood Automotive Group has purchased Terry Ortynsky Kia, effective Oct. 6, and will be relocating Birchwood Kia to 1364 Regent Ave. W., currently the home of Saturn of Regent. The Birchwood Group will be combining its two Saturn operations at its Saturn Saab of Pointe West location at the Pointe West Auto Centre.

… “The Birchwood Group was looking to acquire more franchises[,]” [Ortynsky said.]

The Birchwood Group currently has 15 franchised operations in Winnipeg, thereby providing Winnipeggers with the greatest breadth of products and services of any dealer group in the city.

“Kia is a world-class manufacturer of automobiles and its sales are growing tremendously,” says Steve Chipman, the Birchwood Group’s president. “Becoming a Kia dealer gives us an opportunity to be part of an exciting revolution in the global automotive market. Kia vehicles are perfectly situated to meet the growing demand for fuel-efficient vehicles that are both reliable and stylish.”

…Ortynsky notes that some of the Terry Ortynsky Kia staff will be moving to his Nissan store while other staff members will join the new Birchwood Kia staff.