Automotive World

Today, Kia released the first images of a new A-segment mini called the Ray, which will be sold exclusively in the company’s home market of Korea.

Bypassing its boxy shape that is reminiscent of the Scion xB and Nissan Cube models, one of the highlights of the new Ray is the sliding passenger side rear door that promises to enable easier passenger entry and exit in tight parking spaces, as well as to provide room for bulky cargo.

The new factory, which will have an annual capacity of 300,000 units and is expected to be operational in the second half of 2014, will boost Kia’s annual local production to 730,000 units in order to satisfy the dramatically increasing demand for its vehicles.

Developed in partnership with Kinetic Motorsports, the new Rio 5-door B-Spec racer will compete in the newly established showroom stock racing class against various subcompact rivals such as the Mazda2, Honda Fit and Ford Fiesta starting from 2012.

These include the Surfboard Rio and Hockey Forte hatchbacks that we showed you earlier today, plus the golf-themed Soul, Rio 5-Door B-Spec Racer, USTCC Optima Hybrid Pace Car and the “Slam Dunk” Blake Griffin Optima Hybrid featured here.

Both the Rio 5-Door Surf and the Forte 5-Door Hockey were built in partnership with Antenna magazine.

Starting with the 2012 Rio, the surf-themed tuning project features a sunset-metallic golden-brown paint along with a custom body kit with a front splitter made of wood that matches the surfboard on the roof, and rear fascia with center-mount exhaust. A set of 17-inch three-piece gold wheels and a Thule roof rack that holds the surfboard complete the look.

As a result of the new sales records and increased demand, the two carmakers that currently form the world's fifth largest automotive group, increased the shifts in some of their plants and reevaluated their 2011 overall target to 6.6 million, up from 6.33 million units in the beginning of the year.