1-2 PUNCH FROM KOREA; Automakers launch battle for America's breadbasket.(News)(Brief Article)

Byline: ANDREW LUU Korean automakers Hyundai and Kia took aim at America's heartland with vehicles introduced at the recent Chicago auto show. With its 2005 Sedona minivan, Kia served notice that Korean-built vehicles are no longer cheap minimalist cars for the masses. The next-generation version of Kia's 2004 bestseller is longer, wider and lighter, and now comes standard with a flat-folding third-row seat.

Antilock brakes with brake force distribution are also standard, as are active front headrests, a tire-pressure monitoring system and a new 3.8-liter, 240-hp, 250-lb-ft ...

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