Making its debut at this week’s SEMA aftermarket show is Kia’s Forte Koup Type R Concept model, which is said to be inspired by its racing siblings that take part in the GRAND-AM Continental Tire Sports Car Challenge.

The concept was developed by Kia’s racing partner, Kinetic Motorsports, who built and campaigns the Forte Koup race cars. Performance upgrades are limited to a set of BBS RG 18-inch forged aluminum alloy wheels, race-inspired tires and suspension components, a short throw gaearshift and dampened composite fiber disc clutch.

On the styling front, the Koup Type R is finished in a dramatic looking gray color and comes with a widened body kit that includes front fenders, rocker panels and rear quarter panels.

Inside, the designers modified the interior with custom dressed seats and door panels, a new gear shift knob and carbon inlays.

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Two new special editions named Domino and Echo that both play on black and white color schemes are joining Kia’s UK-market lineup. The Domino special edition is available on the Picanto and Rio superminis, while the Echo is offered on the Soul crossover.

Starting with Kia’s supermini models, the Picanto Domino is motivated by a 1.1-litre petrol engine hooked up to either a manual or automatic transmission, while the Rio Domino is available with a 1.4-litre petrol or 1.5-litre CRDi diesel engine. Both the Rio and Picanto Domino editions are available in white or optional black metallic paint. Buyers can also opt for a contrasting black or white stripe covering the bumpers, mirrors and door handles.

Standard features include front fog lights, air-conditioning, iPod connectivity, remote central locking, leather-trimmed steering wheel and gear-knob and Electronic Stability Control, as well as rear electric windows on the Rio.

Prices start from £7,995 OTR for the Picanto Domino and from £9,295 OTR for the Rio Domino.

Following on from the Burner, Shaker and Samba, the Soul Echo is the latest special edition version of Kia’s small crossover. It is offered in a choice of two colors – Clear White or Quartz Black metallic – with contrasting features.

In particular, the white Echo gets black 18-inch alloy wheels, black high-gloss door mirrors and a corresponding black sports stripe, while the black Echo features white 18-inch alloys, white high-gloss door mirrors and a sports stripe in white.

Interior upgrades include a full black leather interior and high-gloss black dashboard fascia and uprated audio system with and iPod connectivity, as well as standard parking sensors, air conditioning and privacy glass.

The Soul Echo is offered with a choice of 1.6-litre petrol or 1.6-litre CRDi diesel engines, with prices starting from £13,995 OTR.

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During last week’s press days of the 2010 New York International Auto Show, Kia took the veils off the all-new 2011 Optima mid-size sedan (click here for details) that will carry the same name in all markets outside Korea.

While the new Optima will arrive in Kia’s U.S. showrooms this fall, European buyers will have to wait until Spring of 2011 to get their hands on the Korean firm’s D-segment sedan that will compete with the likes of the Ford Mondeo and Citroen C5.

For Western Europe, the new front-wheel drive Optima will be available with a choice of 2.0-litre CVVL gasoline and 1.7-litre VGT turbo-diesel engines, with output and performance numbers to be released at a later date.

In Russia and some Eastern European markets, Kia will also offer the new Optima with a 2.4-litre MPI gasoline engine producing 178-horsepower.

Oddly enough, Kia’s initial plans for Europe do not include the firm’s new 2.0-liter turbocharged unit with 278-horsepower that will be offered in the U.S. along with a 203HP 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine with direct injection.

Depending on the model, European customers will have the choice of a six speed manual gearbox or a six-speed automatic transmission featuring Kia’s “Sport-matic” clutchless manual shifting or fully automatic operation.

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A teaser shot of what is said to be the Kia Ray concept car has made its way onto the interwebs. According to the folks over at Insideline that broke the story, the sporty-shaped sedan was penned at Kia’s American design studio and it’s supposed to hint at a possible design direction for a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

Unless Kia decides to share some info with us, we’ll have to wait for the 2010 Chicago Auto Show that runs for the public from February 12 to 21 to find out more about the company’s latest concept model.

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If we are to believe the reports coming in from Korea, Kia may be testing the grounds for a new flagship sedan positioned above the Amanti’s replacement, the 2011 Cadenza saloon that is known as the K7 in the Korean firm’s home market.

The news comes from a Korean site claiming that at a design conference in Seoul, Korea, Kia’s design boss, Peter Schreyer showed the teaser sketch pictured above while he was talking about expanding the brand’s portfolio into new territories.

Many sites claim that the photo depicts a sports saloon proposal, possibly named K9.

We have no way of confirming the reports or rumors -take your pick- nor if the photos shows a high-end saloon or some other vehicle (to be honest, it could be a sketch for the next Forte for all we know…), but it would come to no surprise if Kia does present a flagship model, maybe even based on the Hyundai Genesis’ RWD platform, in the very near future.

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Kia’s German arm has joined forces with the tuning firm Irmscher for the development of a special edition version of the soon-to-be replaced with a newer generation model, Sorento. Offered exclusively in black or a silver metallic finish, the Sorento “Edition by Irmscher” gets two-tone leather seats embossed with Irmscher’s logo which also appears on the side sills and the tailgate. Other features include a choice of two different alloy wheel designs (18-inch), protective side bars and a roof-mounted DVD player with a large 8.5” screen.

The special edition version of the Sorento is available in LX and EX models with customers having the choice between manual and automatic transmissions. Kia has yet to announce pricing details on the model.

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A photograph depicting what looks to be a near-production concept study of a mid-size Kia sedan has found its way into the web. Word is that the so-called VG Concept most likely previews the next-generation Amanti sedan, but since we do not have any official information, it would be better if we left a question mark until we hear something from Kia. The VG Concept is slated to make its world premiere along with the all-new Sorento SUV and Kia’s first production hybrid model, the Forte LPI, at next week’s 2009 Seoul Motor Show that runs from April 3 to 12.

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