The all-new Kia cee’d made its world premiere yesterday (Tuesday, March 6) at the 82nd Salon International de l’Autoin Geneva. Joining the Kia cee’d in Switzerland, the Ray EV (electric vehicle) and the Track’ster concept make their first appearance before a European audience.
“The three Kia premieres taking place at Geneva cover a broad spread of automotive segments and highlight the diversity of our present and future product line-up,” commented Thomas Oh, Senior Executive Vice President and COO, Kia Motors Corporation.
“The original cee’d was a major landmark car for Kia in Europe, enabling us to compete in the hotly contested C-segment for the first time. The second-generation model is, once again, a game-changing car with enhanced design, quality and powertrains. Our pursuit of clean power technologies is also represented by the Kia Ray EV. Finally, Kia is showing its fun side with the Track’ster concept – a high performance variant of the hugely successful Soul.”
Designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe, exclusively for the European market, the new cee’d hatchback is more sophisticated, more efficient, more refined and delivers a more engaging driving experience than its predecessor. The new cee’d will build on the success of the original model, further establishing Kia as one of the leading automotive brands in Europe.
Longer, lower and sleeker than the original model, the 4.3-metre long new cee’d hatchback has a streamlined silhouette shaped by extensive testing in Kia’s state-of-the-art wind tunnel at Namyang, in Korea. Higher quality cabin materials and a broader range of high-tech equipment will ensure the interior of new cee’d matches the premium exterior appearance and competes with best-in-class rivals across Europe.
Across most of Western Europe, the new cee’d will be available with two gasoline (1.4 MPI, 1.6 GDI) and two diesel (1.4 WGT,1.6 VGT) engines offering power outputs from 66 to 99kW.
The highlight of the gasoline line-up is a 1.6-litre Gamma GDI engine, which was named one of ‘Ward’s 10 Best Engines’ from WardsAuto World in 2011. Newly introduced to European customers in the all-new cee’d, the 1.6 GDI features the latest gasoline direct injection technology to maximize power (99kW) and torque (165 Nm) outputs.
Coupled with the 1.6 GDI is an all-new Dual Clutch Transmission (DCT) developed in-house. Utilizing two separate transmissions contained within one housing, the DCT delivers smooth gear shifts for maximum driving comfort, lowers fuel consumption and reduces CO2 emissions compared with the previous conventional automatic transmission.
The 1.6-litre VGT turbo diesel engine delivers a peak output of 94kW and maximum torque of 260 Nm. New cee’d models incorporating Kia’s EcoDynamics technologies, including ISG (Start/Stop), low-rolling resistance tires and an alternator management system (AMS), with this diesel engine achieve impressive fuel consumption of 3.7 l/100 km and CO2 emissions from just 97 g/km.
Thanks to continued efforts to reduce fuel consumption and emissions without sacrificing engine response or power output, Kia’s updated engines in the new cee’d range have achieved an average 4 percent improvement in fuel consumption across the range.
A well kept secret pre-show, the wagon version of all-new cee’d was revealed by Kia’s Chief Design Officer, Peter Schreyer, during today’s Kia press conference. Full details of this important model will be confirmed closer to its European on-sale date, later this year.
Unveiled in December 2011 and now on sale in Korea, the Kia Ray EV is a zero-emissions city car with a range of up to 139 km (86 miles) on a single charge – which takes as little as 25 minutes using a fast charge system. The 3.6-metre long, front-wheel drive Ray EV is powered by a 50kW electric motor and a high-capacity 16.4 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery pack.
Though developed exclusively for the Korean market, the Ray EV showcases Kia’s technical expertise in developing a battery electric vehicle and highlights its commitment to provide a comprehensive technical solution to reduce dependence on fossil fuels.
First shown at this year’s Chicago Auto Show and now making its European debut, the tough looking Track’ster concept is based on the Kia Soul, but with even more attitude. It is designed to be a bold interpretation that challenges people’s conceptions of what a sporty Kia could be.
Kia‘s Track’ster features a 2.0-litre turbocharged gasoline engine producing 186 kW – transmitting that power to all wheels via an electronically controlled four-wheel-drive system. A short-throw six-speed manual transmission is engaged via a stubby spherical shift lever. Lowered sport-suspension, enlarged brakes and wheels that have been honed for maximum performance give the Track‘ster impressive handling.
Also on display at Geneva is Kia’s new IVI (in-vehicle infotainment) concept, first shown at the Las Vegas Consumer Electronics Show in January, which offers a glimpse into the future of feature-rich information and entertainment systems.
