The cars and SUVs were first shown at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, and we caught up with them at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
DETROIT, MI -- From the Louisiana swamps to the deciduous Northeast, over to the mighty Pacific Northwest and then way back down and over to Florida, Kia Motors America has a quartet of unique, highly-customized vehicles that pay homage to some of the United States' regions and roads.
The cars and SUVs were first shown at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas earlier this month, and we caught up with them at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show.
They are:
A1A Optima. Kia Motors America first unveiled its four "wanderlust" vehicles for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. They're on display at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The A1A Optima
The A1A Optima screams South Florida. It gets its name from the road known as A1A, which wraps around the state of Florida, following much of the Atlantic Ocean and the state's intracoastal waterway and passing through South Beach. As such, the A1A's Optima is a drop-top splashed in turquoise, chopped down and then finished off with back doors swinging open on rear-mounted hinges.
PacWest Adventure Sorento. Kia Motors America first unveiled its four "wanderlust" vehicles for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. They're on display at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The PacWest Adventure Sorento
The custom gear on the PacWest Adventure Sorento is meant to reflect the thousands of miles of forest and the laid-back, outdoorsy lifestyle of the Pacific Northwest, Kia says. The SUV has been lifted six inches higher than a standard Sorento, and has been affixed with 17x8.5-in. beadlock-style wheels with Eibach springs.
Photo Safari Sedona. Kia Motors America first unveiled its four "wanderlust" vehicles for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. They're on display at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Photo Safari Sedona
What was once an eight-passenger van has been transformed into a two-person photo safari machine. And though the name first conjures up the desert of Sedona, Arizona, Kia says the van's red, yellow, orange and caramel colors are actually meant to reflect the fall foliage in the northeastern U.S. The company consulted with professional photographers throughout the build process, and almost every component of a stock Sedona was modified to make it ideal for photo safaris.
Forte Koup Mud Bogger. Kia Motors America first unveiled its four "wanderlust" vehicles for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. They're on display at the 2015 Los Angeles Auto Show. The Forte Koup Mud Bogger
And last but not least, the Kia Forte Koup Mud Bogger. Some may think it is inappropriate to turn a mild-mannered compact car into a bona fide mudding machine. And maybe it is, but the Forte Koup Mud Bogger sure is fun to look at. It's probably a blast to drive, too, what with its four-inch lift and 28-inch off-road tires. Kia teamed with Lux Motorwerks to create the Forte Koup Mud Bogger, which pays homage to the Dirty South. It was a given a panoramic roof with a vinyl pushback top, and hand-built roll cages were added in powder coated white to match the wheels.
We have more photos of this crazy quartet from Kia in the gallery at the top of this page. More info on the SEMA vehicles from the Korean brand is here.
David Muller is the automotive and business reporter for MLive Media Group in Detroit. Email him at dmuller@mlive.com, follow him on Twitter or find him on Facebook.