Kia Archives - Heels & Horsepower Magazine

Kia goes electric at first IAA Mobility

vuyi on August 24, 2021

The global premiere of Kia’s all-new plug-in hybrid Sportage is the first European-specific Sportage version in the model’s 28-year history.

Kia will go electric at the first IAA Mobility show, held between 7 and 12 September in Munich. The Korean carmaker will give a global premiere to the Sportage plug-in hybrid (PHEV), based on the first European-specific version of the Sportage in the model’s 28-year history.

Kia will also showcase the talents of the company’s first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV), the EV6.

The Sportage PHEV will attract people looking to make the move to electric while enjoying the practicality and presence of the new urban SUV.

The PHEV model features Kia’s 1.6-litre T-GDI engine, a 66.9 kW permanent magnet traction electric motor and a 13.8 kWh lithiumion polymer battery pack.

Kia will also give a European public debut to the EV6, the embodiment of the new Kia brand.

The high-tech BEV has been developed to remove the perceived barriers that prevent many from making the switch to electric by providing rapid charging times, access to an extensive charging network, impressively long range, and segment-leading interior space.

The EV6 will deliver the very best experience a BEV can offer, making ownership as convenient and accessible as running a petrol or diesel vehicle, and with reduced environmental impact.

Visitors will be treated to an EV6 VR experience and the opportunity to sit in both the all-new Sportage PHEV and the new EV6.

Kia pulls the cover off the all-new Sportage, the ultimate urban SUV

vuyi on July 14, 2021

The fifth-generation Kia Sportage has been carefully crafted from the ground up and features premium safety features to make it the ultimate family SUV.

The all-new Sportage symbolises the pioneering DNA of the Kia brand. The past success of the Sportage is deeply rooted in a mindset of constant reinvention. Under the new Kia brand, a fifth generation Sportage once again brings an innovation that elevates the brand to the next level.

Advanced powertrains – the heart of all-new Sportage

The all-new Sportage will be launched with a comprehensive range of powerful, responsive and efficient powertrains, including the very latest-generation clean gasoline and diesel IC engine technology.

A high-tech 1.6-litre TGDI powertrain will be offered in the all-new Sportage line-up, generating 132 kW and 265 Nm of torque.

The 1.6-liter TGDI engine is mated to a 7-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission (7DCT), while a 6-speed manual transmission is also available.

Also included in the launch line-up is a new and highly efficient R2.0-liter diesel engine featuring an advanced variable geometry turbocharger that helps it to develop 137 kW and 416 Nm of torque.

The 2.0 four-cylinder unit has been designed in response to tightening emissions regulations and features an array of sophisticated technologies to drive down emissions output and enhance real-world fuel efficiency. The new R2.0-liter diesel engine comes with an extensively re-engineered 8-speed automatic transmission.

Leading the way in safety

With safety being a top priority during development, the fifth-generation all-new Sportage is one of the safest vehicles in its class; safety restraint and structure system applications, including driver airbag, passenger airbag, side curtain airbags and low-side airbags.

The all-new Sportage feature Kia’s acclaimed Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) technology helps the Sportage to avoid potential hazards. This includes:

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA),which helps avoid collisions with objects in front of the vehicle while driving.
Highway Driving Assist (HDA),which helps maintain a set distance and speed from the vehicle ahead when driving on a highway, while also helping centre the all-new Sportage in its lane.
Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC),which helps drive the all-new Sportage at a safe speed on the highway using real-time navigation data.
Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA),which provides a warning to the driver when operating the turning signal to change lanes, should there be a risk of collision with a rearside vehicle.
Remote Smart Parking Assist (RSPA),which helps the driver to remotely park or exit a parking spot from outside the vehicle

Due for global market launch later this year, more information on the all-new Sportage will be made available in due course.

Kia teases first images of all-new Sportage

vuyi on May 31, 2021

Kia has revealed the first official teaser images of the all-new Sportage – the fifth incarnation of the brand’s most popular SUV model.

Kia has revealed the first official teaser images of the all-new Sportage – the fifth incarnation of the brand’s most popular SUV model.

Due to be revealed in July in Korea, the new Sportage has been carefully crafted to establish new benchmarks in its segment – for its advanced exterior and interior design, connectivity tech, and responsive yet highly efficient powertrains.

Revealed earlier this year to great acclaim from the design community, Kia’s new design language – Opposites United – is at the core of the Sportage, influencing every aspect of its appearance and character. The early images hint at an assertive and cutting-edge presence for the SUV – paying homage to nature’s perfection and simplicity whilst connecting with the brand’s new design direction.

With the new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward, but rather move to a completely different level within the SUV class
Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Center

Muscular exterior and innovative interior

The new Sportage has a muscular stance and a strong yet refined silhouette. Notable new details include the crisp, taught character lines that ripple across the surfaces. The front creates an instant and thought-provoking statement, with a detail-orientated black grille graphic spanning the width of the face. At the rear, muscular shoulder lines drop gently to meet slim daytime-running lamps, which flank the new Kia logo and Sportage emblem.

The interior design sketch reveals a driver-orientated space that plays with boldness in character, softness in qualities and innovation in technology. At the core is a beautifully sculpted integrated curved display.

“Taking inspiration from an ethos we created where nature meets modernity, the new Sportage challenges design norms with an adventurous yet contemporary exterior and a beautifully detailed and pioneering interior,” said Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Center. “With the new Sportage, we didn’t simply want to take one step forward, but rather move to a completely different level within the SUV class.”

More details regarding design features of the all-new Sportage will be unveiled in the coming weeks.

Kia reveals its first battery electric vehicle, the EV6

vuyi on March 17, 2021

Kia Corporation has revealed the first images of the exterior and interior design of EV6, its first dedicated battery electric vehicle (BEV), ahead of the car’s world premiere.

EV6 was designed under the brand’s new design philosophy, ‘Opposites United’, which takes inspiration from the contrasts found in nature and humanity. At the centre of the design philosophy is a new visual identity evoking positive forces and natural energy, with contrasting combinations of sharp stylistic elements and sculptural shapes.

With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design
– Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Centre

Boasting a distinctive crossover-inspired design and based on the brand’s new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP), EV6 is Kia’s first dedicated BEV to be influenced by the new design philosophy, which embodies Kia’s shifting focus towards electrification.

“EV6, as the first dedicated Kia EV, is a showcase of human-centred, progressive design and electrified power. We strongly believe EV6 is a compelling and relevant model for the new EV market,” said Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Global Design Centre. “With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design by using a combination of sophisticated, high-tech features on pure and rich volumes while providing a unique space as a futuristic EV.”

EV6 will make its world premiere in March 2021, during a special online event.