Kia to launch sub-90g/km hybrid crossover

The Kia Niro, an all-new compact hybrid SUV created to battle the Toyota Prius, is set to arrive at Kia dealerships in late 2016, Kia said on Monday.

More than a new hybrid, the Niro apparently marks Kia’s first development of a stand-alone hybrid-car platform, one that’s designed from the wheels up as a hybrid. The Kia Niro HUV has a sporty look and stance to it, with the familiar brand grille, fast D-pillar, and a lower-body crease in the side surfacing. It combines a naturally aspirated 1.6 litre, direct petrol-injection Kappa four rated at 77kW and 147Nm with a 32kW electric motor and 1.56kWh lithium-polymer battery, driving via a six-speed double-clutch gearbox.

The Niro will be a small crossover/SUV available as a hybrid vehicle only, making it Kia’s first hybrid-only model.

Helping the Niro trim its contribution of atmospheric greenhouse gas is a lightweight body structure, of which more than half is made from ultra-high strength steel.

Kia is targeting a 27-mile electric range and 48mpg fuel economy once the battery is depleted, which is over 120mpg and just over 50mpg on the combined cycle for plug-in hybrids.

Like the Optima Hybrid, the PHEV will use a six-speed automatic transmission.

Kia is also looking to introduce a Remote Advanced Parking Assist System (RAPAS), allowing Kia vehicles to park themselves when the driver presses the smart key button while within a certain range of the auto.

The new Optima hybrid range will form a part of Kia’s global vision to increase fleet-wide fuel efficiency by 25 percent by 2020, with Kia’s range of green vehicles set to grow from four to 11 model over the next five years. A plug-in version of the Niro is also in the works, according to Kia. Additional job creation is also expected through ongoing investments into the company’s R&D and production facilities, with new overseas Kia production facilities also generating new jobs, directly and indirectly.

More carmakers have started to implement hybrid technology, and so it’s no surprise that Kia has been talking about its plans for the next-generation Optima range. Kia engineers are planning to develop the brand’s next-generation fuel cell stack to be 5% more efficient and offer 10% greater stack performance, despite being around 15% lighter and 15% lower in volume, compared to current generation fuel cell stacks.