Is this Kia mini-minivan on way to the U.S.?
Kia will show an all-new MPV concept, No 3, plus a range of Idle Stop & Go cars already on sale in Europe, and what it terms an “innovative” hybrid at the Geneva show.
The new No 3 Concept Car is much smaller, a scant 159 inches in length, than the Sedona minivan now on sale in the U.S. It’s even smaller than the Rio sub-compact car. The concept has an extended windscreen and panorama glass roof with a diagonal supporting bar and an automatic sun visor. The front grille is called the new face of Kia. No 3 is finished in matte Titanium Grey with contrasting gloss-white accents. Production plans are unknown at this time.
Kia Motors also has produced a fleet of prototype cee’d Hybrid cars for testing and evaluation in Europe. The cee’d Hybrid uses an upgraded powertrain with Kia’s Gamma 1.6-liter gasoline engine and a 20 horsepower AC electric motor, a CVT transmission and the new ISG (Idle Stop & Go) system. Kia calculates that the cee’d Hybrid accelerates to 62 mph in 11.8 seconds and can reach a top speed of 115 mph. The prototype achieves fuel consumption of 49 miles per gallon, and emits 109 grams-per-mile of carbon dioxide, a decrease of 25% compared to the standard 1.6-liter gasoline cee’d.