In Geneva, Kia showed the Kia Niro model, its first hybrid crossover, an economical, sleek and mouse-quiet gasoline-electric SUV. It is built on the same ecological platform as the Hyundai Ioniq and is indeed Kia's dedicated hybrid. It is a global model that will attract a lot of interest also on the Slovenian market, where it will appear in the third quarter of 2016. It will be manufactured in Korea, and the design was contributed by Kia's design center in California and Namjanga.
Kia Niro it is hybrid crossbreed, which the Koreans send to the assembly line May 2016. It is placed on an ecological platform, made especially for hybrid vehicles and plug-in hybrids. It represents the first chapter of Kia's green strategy, which promises 11 more sequels (read: green vehicles). According to its size, it is classified among Kia Soul and Sportage. Despite the fact that the Niro is of the hybrid genre, it offers plenty of luggage space. Namely, they aimed for the volume of the trunk 421 liters, and five people can ride comfortably in the passenger cabin. Before the new year, they will send a "working" version to the market, which will be able to tow a load capacity of 1300 kilograms.
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It powers the Kia Niro 1.6 liter gasoline GDI engine by direct injection from which it squeezes out 105 hp. It is assisted by a 44-horsepower electric motor with a lithium-ion polymer (LiPo) battery (under the rear seats) of capacity 1.56 kWh. The system power of the vehicle is 141 horses (104 kW, 264 Nm maximum torque), which it transfers to the wheels 6-speed dual-clutch transmission (6DCT).
It is equipped with a system Eco-DAS (Eco Driver Assistance System) for economical driving (releases CO2 per kilometer are under 89 grams, and fuel consumption per 100 kilometers is 4.7 liters), system Coasting Guide and whispers to the driver when to brake and when to idle. The intelligent system also impresses Predictive Energy Control, which, with the assistance of the navigation system and cruise control, monitors the topographic features of the terrain and accordingly adjusts the battery charging method and energy consumption (it knows when it is advisable to charge the battery and when it is better to use the stored energy, so that the efficiency of the engine is optimal).
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