Kia released information on their newest Superbowl commercial last week, but now the Korean automaker is teasing us a little more with a 15 second video spot featuring supermodel Adriana Lima in slow motion as the Chordettes classic "Mr. Sandman" sings sweetly in the background.

The slogan for the Super Bowl spot is "Drive the Dream" and will follow a couples dream sequence as they snooze the night away. The story will wind through the couples dreams after "Mr.Sandman" sneaks into their room and sprinkles "sweet dream" dust on the sleeping pair. Then things really take off, diving into the couples ridiculous wildest dreams; getting up close and personal with MMA fighter Chuck Liddell, being front row at a Mötley Crüe concert, having Adriana Lima wave the checkered flag as you cross the finish line, and even a heroine and hero on horseback entangled in a romantic love scene. The spot will feature the 2012 Optima Limited racing through each dream sequence.

Kia chose personalities that they thought would capture any football fans heart, whether young or old. Michael Sprague, vice president of marketing & communications for Kia Motors American said, "We selected an eclectic group of celebrities and personalities for 'Drive the... [Read More]

Kia Motors America has announced that it's recalling 145,755 vehicles today. The two models affected are the 2006-08 Optima sedan, specifically those manufactured between September 29, 2005 and January 29, 2008, and Rondo MPVs (pictured above) built between September 13, 2006 and March 21, 2008, for issues with the cars' supplementary restraint system.

The problem concerns the clock spring in the airbag assembly, which can apparently become damaged over time. Failure of the clock spring contact assembly, will result in high resistance in the airbag electrical circuit, meaning that in the event of an accident, the airbag will fail to deploy, likely resulting in greater risk of injury to vehicle occupants.

Kia says it will be notifying owners of the affected vehicles, suggesting them to take the vehicle to an authorized dealer who will replace the airbag clock spring assembly. Kia says the recall is expected to begin in March 2012 and concerned owners are encouraged to contact Kia Customer Service at 1-800-333-4542 or the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration's Vehicle Safety Hotline at 1-888-327-4236. Alternatively they can also visit HTTP://WWW.SAFERCAR.GOV.

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It's becoming the latest thing on internal combustion engined vehicles, as automakers aim to boost fuel economy and reduce vehicle emissions, yet stop/start technology isn't without its issues, as Kia Motors has discovered.

During an evaluation of Kia test vehicles equipped with the ISG (Idle, Stop and Go) technology, members of the press have reported a noticeable "shock" as the engine shuts off and then restarts. Kia also said that extremely cold and hot temperatures also affect the system's ability to operate and plans to address these problems, meaning introduction of ISG on its Rio and Soul (shown above) models has been delayed until the second quarter of 2012.

Other automakers currently offering the technology include Mercedes-Benz and Porsche, plus Ford is also introducing it this year on the 2013 Fusion mid-size sedan.

In response to the teething troubles concerning ISG, Kia's US marketing head, Michael Sprague, said, "it is a new technology, (and) we want to make sure it's giving consumers the experience they would expect." Indeed.

More: Kia's Stop/Start Technology Introduction Gets Pushed Back on... [Read More]