Koreans are Moving up a Kia

Wednesday, 22 October 2008 01:00

KIA are going lean, mean and green.

The Korean firm have revealed plans to launch stunning new family cars alongside fuel cell eco-friendly models within FIVE years.

First comes the new Soul which I’ve just driven. Then Kia are ready to rival Ford and Citroen for the sexiest people carriers on the road.

I got an exclusive look at their new Sorento MPV and a new baby MPV in a behind-closed-doors studio in Korea.

Although the pictures were only briefly flashed up on a screen, I can tell you the Sorento closely resembles the attractive KND-4 concept created last year by design boss Peter Schreyer who is slowly revolutionising the Kia brand.

The Sorento will take on the S-Max and C4 Picasso which have made people carriers desirable. In fact the image I saw of the Sorento has shades of the S-Max front-end and grille.

Kia’s new MPV will be unveiled at the Geneva Motor Show in March and go on sale next summer and will be available with the option of seven seats. Meanwhile their new baby MPV Vauxhall Meriva rival, codenamed ‘YN’ is also nearing completion.

It shares the same platform as the new Soul and Hyundai i20. Like the new Sorento I only was given a brief glimpse of the new model but it looked excellent, with a distinct flavour of the Toyota Yaris in look and shape.

Kia are also ready to embark on a three-step plan to reduce CO2 emissions to zero by 2020.

As we exclusively revealed last week, first will come the Cee’d ISG (Idle, Stop and Go).

That’s basically the Stop/Start system which we already see on some other small cars, which cuts the engine out automatically when the car is stationary. That is due to hit showrooms in January. The new Cee’d 1.4-litre petrol ISG will reduce CO2 emissions by 10 per cent from 145g/km to 130g/km.

After the Cee’d ISG, will come the Cee’d 1.6-litre petrol hybrid which not only uses ISG but also an electrical management system which gives the car extra power during acceleration, thus using less petrol and emitting less.

The improvement in CO2 will be a remarkable 25 per cent, down to 114g/km. That car is not due until 2010.

Finally Kia are testing a fuel cell vehicle which will produce ZERO emissions. It is powered by electric and hydrogen — completely petrol and diesel-free — to rival the Honda FCX Clarity which is already on sale in America.

I drove all three cars in a secret test at Kia’s plant in Gwangju and the fuel cell is very impressive.

The Koreans have placed the system in a Sportage 4x4 and it’s completely SILENT, apart from a small whine when accelerating. It actually bears resemblance to the old sound effects of a Thunderbird taking off!

It’s a surprisingly quick vehicle, although a tad sluggish away from the lights it can go up to 106mph and it’s very smooth. Kia claim it could have a hydrogen fuel range of 370 miles.

It won’t be in showrooms until 2013 but Kia plan to build 10,000 fuel cell cars by 2015. The hybrid model will be a ‘plug-in’, capable of charging off the mains to extend its all-electric range.

And Kia are also planning to bring petrol-electric power to the UK, with a hybrid version of the next Magentis saloon in 2011.

With these great new models there’s no doubt the Koreans have moved up a Kia.

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