The 3^rd round of the Pirelli World Challenge took place in Long Beach, California earlier this month. Kia was well represented as two Optimas qualified in top positions. Starting the race at third and fourth, the drivers held their own against the field until a tire problem sent Michael Galati to the pit for repairs. He overcame the set-back to pilot his Optima to 11^th place.

Colin Braun had better luck, as he avoided any problems and scored a 3^rd place finish. This podium spot was special for many reasons: It was the first ever for Kia Racing, who have entered the Pirelli World Challenge two times previous; Employees from the Kia headquarters in Southern California got to witness the finish in person; Colin Braun celebrated his marriage just 8 days before the race. Fans can watch the recorded event on the NBC Sports Network on Sunday, April 29, at 3 p.m. ET. Time and date are subject to change. Keep up with Kia Racing on their Facebook page. Round four of the PWC will take place on Saturday, April 28, 4:35 P.M. ET. Stream it live at http://www.world-challengetv.com

The standard 2012 Optima comes with a 2.4L 200HP Inline 4-cylinder  and gets an EPA 24MPG city/ 35MPG highway, along with all the excellent equipment and safety features that sets Kia Motors apart from the rest. Other packaging options are available; find the one that’s best for you at Keffer.

Kia is the fastest growing car company in the U.S. This past month was not only Kia’s best March, financially, but also its best month; ever. Leading the way are the Optima Sedan and the Sorento CUV, both made just a ways away in Georgia.  If you add in the Soul, these three vehicles account for two-thirds of the over 50,000 sold last month. It marks the first time that Kia has had three autos break the 10,000 mark in a single month. Sales are up 30% when compared to last year’s January-March.

A lot of factors are driving this surge in popularity. We highlighted some of those elements in our previous post: design, fuel economy, performance, and safety. Kia is also benefiting from its past success, as consumers and the media are reporting excellent ratings in reliability. Owners report their Kias are fun to drive and that they love all the standard features that other companies charge for. Kia’s stock value rose from $20 in early 2010 to $65 where it stands now. It’s risen $5 just since February. We can’t wait to see what they do next.

His name is Peter Schreyer, his title: Chief Design Officer. Since his arrival in 2006, Kia has seen its profits quadruple! Schreyer, formally of Volkswagen and Audi, gives credit to Kia’s leaders for giving him “a lot of freedom”.  With that freedom he’s earned Kia seven red dot awards, including the top honor of “the best of the best” for the 2011 Optima.

Aside from aesthetics, Kia has transformed itself from just being affordable to being affordable, fun, and cutting edge. Kia has utilized advances in new technology to produce cars that are economical, powerful and fuel efficient. The direct-injection engine that is usually installed in top-shelf vehicles is making its way to becoming standard. Turbocharging that engine adds additional power and repurposes the wasted energy that would’ve been lost to the exhaust system. In development is a twin-clutch transmission which could push the base fuel economy to 60 MPG. On top of all of that, Kia’s “standard features” would be costly “option packages” on other brands and with an average safety rating over 9.5, the fleet has no weak spots.  Put that all together and you’ll get a product that’s easy to sell and ensures a loyal, loving consumer/enthusiast.

“In the past, the Kia cars were very neutral. When you saw one on the road, you didn’t really know if it was Korean or Japanese…I think it’s very important that you are able to recognize a Kia at first sight.” – Peter Schreyer.