Kia prices hybrid models, what’s Hyundai’s move?

The Sorento has beaten its sister ship, the Santa Fe, in arriving with petrol-electric powertrains.

 HOW long before Hyundai here catches up with its subordinate in offering a seven-seater sports utility with electric assistance has yet to be answered – whether the parent’s ultimate equivalent will also slip under the $100,000 mark is also not yet known.

The New Zealand distributor for Kia has stolen a march on Hyundai New Zealand in releasing the Sorento in two petrol hybrid versions, one with plug-in recharging and the other mild.

The New Zealand agent for Hyundai did not respond to questions today about when its Santa Fe, the Kia’s sister ship, will arrive with the same technology, which was developed by Hyundai then shared with the sibling brand.

However, Hyundai NZ has always indicated it will also provision the Santa Fe with the very same hybrid drivetrains.

As expected, the battery-assisted editions are more expensive than the other Sorento variants Kia has here.

At $89,990, the PHEV is the most expensive Sorento ever sold here, while the hybrid also raises the stakes in its $80,990 front-drive and $82,990 all-wheel-drive formats. 

All three are in the highest-level trim Kia offers with the model, according to a brand announcement shared by media today. 

To date, the most expensive Sorento here has been a turbodiesel, also in the Premium trim, that costs $76,990. 

Kia’s pricing strategy appears to reflect that there is an unavoidable costing factor with the hybrid tech, which allies to a four-cylinder petrol engine in either of its formats.

It also raises another question: How much more the Hyundai models might cost? 

There is already pricing inequality between the diesel sister ships, most obviously when the best-kitted versions are compared.

Though the specifications are identical, and they have the same powertrains,  the Sorento Premium costs a whopping $13,000 less than the Santa Fe Limited – whose RRP is lineball with the Sorento Premium PHEV’s sticker. 

Both hybrids run a turbocharged 1.6-litre four producing 132kW/265Nm, but the electric motors and their feeder batteries are different.

As previously reported, the Sorento (and Santa Fe) PHEV runs a 13.8kWh lithium-ion battery that delivers an optimal electric-only range of 57km per charge. The PHEV’s electric motor creates 67kW and 304Nm,

The hybrid (again, in both models) has a 44kW electric motor. It also has a smaller battery, rated at 1.5kWh.

Overall claimed outputs are 195kW/350Nm for the PHEV and 169kW/350Nm for the hybrid. The diesel creates 148kW and 440Nm.

Kia claims a combined fuel economy of 1.6L/100km and cites a CO2 count of 36 grams per kilometre from the PHEV. The figures for the mild hybrid have yet to be shared, but economy could well likely be closer to the diesel’s 6.1L/100km, if not the oiler’s 159g/km optimal.

Kia’s Premium grade ticks off leather upholstery, a heads-up display, wireless phone charging, Bose audio and a comprehensive passive and active safety suite.

Stinger update arrives

No more kapow, some extra kit and a $5000 price increase with either engine.

A SINGLE turbo four-cylinder GT Line and a fuller-blooded GT Sport with the headline twin-turbo V6 now comprise the choice of Stinger sedans offered by Kia NZ.

The range’s reduction from three models to just two, with a previous EX Turbo version being dropped, comes with an update that leaves the entry engine unaltered and the V6 achieving slightly more power – but no extra torque – and otherwise introduces some content updates, styling revisions and the sting of $5000 price increases for each.

The GT Line model, with the 182kW/353Nm 2.0-litre, now costs $64,990 while the GT Sport has become a $74,990 opportunity. The 3.3-litre engine now produces 274kW – 2kW more than previously – and continues to generate 510Nm.

Each engine marries to an eight-speed automatic.

The GT Sport achieves new standard bi-model exhaust and limited slip differential, a fresh wheel design and Nappa leather.

Both cars update to a 10.25-inch central touchscreen, featuring a refined interface and improved reverse camera.

Common to both are an eight-way adjustable electric driver’s seat, heated and cooled front seats, a sunroof, a 15-speaker Harman Kardon sound system, and mood lighting.

The safety suite enhances to include safe exit warning, semi-autonomous highway driving assist (a combo of radar cruise and lane-keep assist working in unison), cyclist detection, rear occupant alert, and blind-spot view monitor (beaming an image from the wing mirror onto the primary infotainment screen).

Crash test plaudits for Defender and Sorento

Five star results for large sports utilities in NZ market form.

TWO large sports utilities recently introduced to New Zealand have both received five star scores from the nationally-recognised safety ratings agency, one from testing in Europe and the other as result of a process undertaken in Australia.

The Land Rover Defender’s score comes from a test undertaken by European New Car Assessment Programme (NCAP) and applies to the long-wheel-based, five-door 110 model that is on sale in NZ, and not the short-wheelbase three-door 90 yet to release.

The Kia Sorento’s outcome was also determined by the European agency, however the score it gets comes with stamp from its Australasian sister organisation, ANCAP.

This is a procedural process but means that the ANCAP rating is only relevant to the 2.2-litre turbodiesel, all-wheel-drive variants – the only choice in Europe - and not any front-wheel-drive, 3.5-litre petrol V6 Sorentos that are built for other places. Those go unrated.

Helping the Sorento achieve its five-star safety rating and 82 per cent score in the Adult Occupant Protection category is the inclusion of a centre airbag, designed to prevent front occupants colliding with one another in a severe side impact.

It is only the third vehicle – and the first family SUV – with such a technology to be tested by Australasian or European safety authorities.

The Sorento received an 89 percent score in the Safety Assist category – the highest since the introduction of ANCAP's stricter 2020 testing protocols – with the safety body celebrating Kia's inclusion of driver attention monitoring as standard, and an autonomous emergency braking system capable of braking for cars turning across intersections.

Kia's new-generation family SUV also earned scores in the Child Occupant Protection and Vulnerable Road User Protection (i.e. cyclists and pedestrians) categories of 85 per cent and 63 per cent respectively.

However, ANCAP's technical report notes 'weak' protection of the driver's chest and upper legs in the frontal offset crash test, and 'poor' protection of a pedestrian's pelvis and head, the latter applying if their head strikes the base of the stiff A-pillars.

The Defender 110 received a solid 85 percent rating in the Adult occupant protection test (scoring 32.5 of 38 points).

 In this test, the Defender scored well in the lateral impact (scoring 15 of 16 points), rear impact (scoring 3.8 of 4 points) and rescue and extrication categories (scoring 2 of 2 points). It was the frontal impact category that the Defender 110 lost points, in scoring 11.7 of 16 points.

In the child occupant test, the Defender scored 85 percent yet again (scoring 41.7 of 49 points). In the Crash Test Performance based on 6- and 10-year-old children category, the Defender received a perfect score (24 of 24 points).

 It scored well in the child restraints (CRS) installation check as well, securing 10.7 out of 12 points. The only area the SUV lost out on was the safety features category (scoring 7 of 13 points), as it doesn’t have integrated child restraints and doesn’t have child-seat mounting points in the middle seat of the second row or in the third row.

The Defender scored 71 percent (38.4 of 48 points) in the vulnerable road users test, with the only major area of concern being the front edge of the bonnet, which provided poor protection to pedestrians. Lastly, it scored 79 percent (12.7 of 16 points) in the safety assist system category.

Government’s EV push a sweet synch with Hyundai announcement

The drive has begun to stock the Government fleet with electrics by 2025 – sweet timing, perhaps, for an already favoured brand.

The new e-gmp platform is a breakthrough for Hyundai that will underpin 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kisa vehicles between 2021 and 2025.

ARRIVAL timing of a swathe of battery-compelled Hyundai and Kia products atop a new dedicated electric architecture announced by their parent overnight could time sweetly with Government impetus to shift its fleet into that technology. 

The Government has formally joined 32 other countries around the world in declaring a state of climate emergency for New Zealand, bringing with it a revitalised focus on electrifying its vehicle fleet, thorough prioritising fully electric and hybrid cars, and plans to become carbon neutral by 2025. 

The decision has been welcomed by not-for-profit pressure group Drive Electric, though this organisation - which involves 17 new car - says the move still doesn’t go far enough.

It could be sweet news for Hyundai New Zealand, a Drive Electric member which is already established as the leading provider of electric cars – defined as passenger vehicles that can plug into mains replenishment (which excludes hybrid cars) - for public service usage, with its Ioniq and Kona, though in the overall scheme of things that involvement is token.

Of the 15,000 vehicles that could be defined as Government vehicles, just over 100 vehicles are electric.

A case of Ioniq irony? The current Ioniq is different to the Ioniq 5, so far only seen in concept form (below) that will be the first car on the E-GMP platform.

Even so, Government has now pledged all of its cars will have some degree of electrification by 2025 and determined to trade in internal combustion vehicles for either fully electric replacements or hybrids if EVs aren’t deemed fit for purpose.

 Quite coincidentally, the announcement timing synched with one overnight from Hyundai, this about a brand-new electric skateboard architecture that will underpin of the electric future for Hyundai and Kia cars and SUVs, as the basis for 23 products coming out between next year and 2025.

 E-GMP (for Electric Global Modular Platform) is a flexible architecture and an undertaking that lifts Hyundai’s electric car development to a much higher level, in that with exception of the batteries, it’s an entirely in-house achievement, requiring no reliance of components sourced from outside suppliers, as has been necessary with the current Hyundai-Kia electrics: Ioniq hatch and the Kona and Kia Niro SUVs.

With E-GMP every aspect, even motor design, is brought in-house: The same process Telsa undertakes.

 Hyundai’s underpinning is a rear-drive set-up that can also format, with addition of a second motor, to all-wheel-drive. It enables a range of up to 500km, develop as much as 447kW and take just 18 minutes to reach 80 percent battery capacity when using a high-speed charger.

The first vehicle on this new platform is the Ioniq 5, which has so far only been seen in concept form (where it was called the 45). Ioniq 5, should not be confused (but probably will be) with the current Ioniq, which presents in mild hybrid, plug-in hybrid and fully electric form.

Hyundai announced earlier this year it intends to start a whole new EV sub-brand, akin to Volkswagen’s ID line, called … Ioniq. The Ioniq 5 is the first of the new family’s products. It’s a medium crossover, larger than the Ioniq hatch.

But that’s just a pathfinder. E-GMP is intended for 23 new Hyundai, Genesis and Kia vehicles in car and SUV formats over the next four years, including a high-performance model that will be shown off next year.

That car will be capable of 0-100kmh in less than 3.5 seconds and have a top speed of 260km/h, with rear- and all-wheel-drive versions available. To save energy, the front motor on the latter will decouple from the wheels when it's not needed.

 Hyundai has not shared details on battery pack size, but said that it's targeting 500 kilometres of range – a sizeable leap on the abilities from its current electric products.

By bundling the components, Hyundai said, it raised the maximum speed of the motor by up to 70 percent compared to existing motors, despite its small size.  

EVs based on the new platform will be capable of charging to 80 percent in 18 minutes, thanks to an 800-volt architecture that supports charging speeds up to 350kW. A five-minute charge can add about 100km.

The E-GMP also supports bidirectional charging; meaning that it can – in markets that allow this - can be configured to discharge its energy from its battery back to the grid or to a house. The vehicle-to-load (V2L) function supplies 3.5 kW of power which, according to Hyundai, can operate a mid-size air conditioner and a 55-inch TV for 24 hours. Alternately, it can be used to charge another EV.

The national distributor for Kia says it has no comment to make about E-GMP. Hyundai NZ has yet to respond to an invitation to provide its thoughts.

Kia SUV line hits full house with Stonic

Kia’s smallest crossover has been confirmed and has a sharp starter price.

EXPECTATION a sub-Seltos sports utility, the Stonic, will join the Kia line-up here has finally been confirmed.

The brand’s New Zealand distributor has at last opened up on plans to have the car on sale from $21,990 from the start of 2021, though dealers will have demonstrators from next month.

The base price buys the car with a 1.4-litre engine and six-speed automatic in a LX entry trim, with similar fit-out to a Rio LX – which is on the same platform - and is being cited as an introductory offer, so could well be relatively short-term.

Stonic is also set to provision a 1.0-litre petrol unit that trades off losing capacity by picking up a mild hybrid enhancement. Augmentation of a 48volt integrated belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery requires marriage to a seven speed dual clutch transmission.

Local market outputs for the powerplants has not been shared, however the cited output for the 1.0-litre in the United Kingdom, where Stonic has represented for some time, is 88kW and 200Nm. The DCT is Kia’s bespoke iMT ‘box which uses ‘drive-by-wire’ to electronically manage the clutch operation. 

There’s no indication how much the 1.0-litre will cost, when that price will be announced or even when this derivative will come. Kia NZ’s public relations’ spokesman says the initial shipment is purely comprised of 1.4s. 

Stonic’s availability to New Zealand has occurred to time with a mid-life facelift. The potential of it coming here was covered by MotoringNZ.com on August 10. (https://www.motoringnz.com/news/2020/8/10/stonic-sizing-up-for-nz)  

The car’s aim in its existing markets has been to conquer customers who remain stubbornly loyal to European volume brands. 

Kia identified the subcompact SUV/crossover segment as a niche market that had become Europe's fastest-growing sector, accounting for seven percent of the total SUV and crossover market and also displaying the lowest brand loyalty, with customers open to change and with no tradition or history.

Design has been the main purchasing driver in the sector, Kia says, and effort has been made to make this model stand out. Hence, for instance, why it has the highest customisation options of any Kia with 20 two-tone body colour combinations in nine body colours and five roof colours. 

Although Kia calls the Stonic an SUV, it lacks four-wheel-drive. And hasn’t suffered for it. Uptake of four-wheel-drive models was less than 10 percent in the subcompact market three years ago and it has since fallen further.

The NZ specification has not been shared, but it could be fulsome. Safety credentials for the Rio now include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and automatic high beams and wipers.

Todd McDonald, Kia Motors’ NZ’s managing director, has yet to share volume expectations, however comment provided today exudes confidence, with his thought that the car meets up to the promise of his brand’s ‘power to surprise’ marketing slogan.

 “Stonic is a vehicle that is going to surprise a lot of people – not just because of our special introductory price. It really does bring fresh excitement to the crossover experience.”

The car’s local provision means every SUV that Kia builds is not availed here and, Mr McDonald contends, means that Kia now offers one of the strongest vehicle line-ups nationally. 

And if you’re wondering about the etymology of the name? According to Kia it’s a name is a portmanteau of ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic.’ The first apparently refers to the car’s small size and agility. Meanwhile, the tonic is referenced here is the first or primary note in a diatonic musical scale, not the stuff that works with gin.

Stinger update reveal leaves question mark

A mid-life facelift gives the Stinger a racier look. But does it step up to an engine that delivers extra performance punch?

SUBLTE exterior styling tweaks, specification improvements but will there be an engine change?

Kia is still sparing its Stinger audience core detail about what changes, if any, have occurred under the bonnet in divulging a mid-live revision of the rear-drive sports fastback after three years on the road.

Information and images have been sent out from Seoul today, but there’s no word yet about specific local market plans for the car, whose availability to international markets is expected to begin from year-end.

Changes to the front end are limited to revised headlights, with completely redesigned internals and LED signatures and the rear’s LED signature now lights up across the width of the boot lid. Plus the indicators comprise a collection of 10 individual LED units each, arranged in a grid pattern to mimic the appearance of a chequered flag used in motorsport to signal the end of a race.

A slightly updated bumper design can also be seen at the rear, along with larger exhaust tips that will hopefully result in a more resonant exhaust note.

As for talk of it moving to Hyundai group's new and more powerful 279kW and 530Nm 3.5-litre twin turbo V6 in place of the current 272kW and 510Nm 3.3-litre turbo six?

Kia’s response to that conjecture is to feed the speculation machine all the more.

It simply says it will “reveal more details … including its new powertrain lineup and technologies” at a time closer to when it hits the road in South Korea. In respect that, it offers only that this will be a third quarter introduction. 

The brand says changes to the extertior appearance are to amplify its gran turismo character and add a new touch of drama. The intent is also to give buyers more options for customisation.

Two new 18-inch and 19-inch aluminium alloy wheels are also introduced with intricate, geometric designs which enhance the sporty, grand tourer nature of the car.

Inside? While the basic cabin architecture remains unchanged, there are visual and material upgrades to create a more luxurious ambience. 

The lower section of the steering wheel features a new metallic finish, matching the chrome bezel that now surrounds the 7.0-inch fully-digital instrument cluster. The latter is designed to provide crystal clear information to drivers via its high-definition display. The rear-view mirror is now frameless.

Depending on specification, the dashboard and doors are finished with new contrast stitching while the centre console is available with aluminium or carbon fibre-style trim. 

Sitting atop the dash is Kia’s upgraded 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, accented by a new glossy black finish along the front of the dash. The cabin also features a new mood lighting system, allowing drivers to select one of 64 colours to subtly alter the character of the cabin.

Interior trims also alter. For Kia’s global markets, new choices include Nappa leather upholstery finished in Saturn Black, Red or Beige, alongside existing leather and synthetic leather options. A new Saturn Black option finishes the seats in black suede with contrasting red stitching in a ‘chain’ pattern designed to mimic the links in a watch strap.

Exterior packages have also been announced. For high-performance variants in many markets worldwide, a new ‘Dark Package’ brings with it a gloss black diffuser surround and black wide-bore muffler tips. The Stinger emblem on the tailgate is also finished in black.

Sadly, only North America achieves a ‘Black Package’ that includes new 19-inch matte black lightweight wheels, a new rear wing for the boot lid, and blacked out mirror caps and side fender trim.

The bigger question aboiut Stinger is this: Will it last beyond this current generation?

There’s no doubt that, for all the halo effect it’s had on the Kia brand image, the car itself has done nothing much to support ‘build it and they will’ come thought in respect to their being a healthy market for reasonably priced rear-drive six-cylinder sports sedans. Frankly, that hasn’t happened: In many markets, where volumes have likely failed to hit prediction. NZ likely stands as the only place where it has achieved about expectation.

Kia’s concern about this has been long-standing. It obviously feels it has to stay the course with the current car and why not? The big investments have been made. The cost of building it are relatively minor by comparison to those that went into its creation.

However, don’t imagine they’ll simply laugh it off. At last year’s Frankfurt auto show, Gregory Guillaume, VP and head designer for Kia in Germany and one of the designers, acknowledged that global sales have not met expectations at the automaker, and that the North American market has proven to be particularly disappointing.

“We did want to be successful at least in America, the market where we thought there is a chance that it works.”

Stonic sizing up for NZ?

A mid-life refresh has seen Kia make its cheerful sub-Seltos crossover available to more markets.

WITH the Seltos setting the compact crossover sector alight, will Kia here try its luck with an even smaller offer? 

The question arises with the brand have determined to allow its Stonic baby into this part of the world.

Kia in Australia, which often works in conjunction with the brand’s New Zealand operation to secure specific models, has already confirmed it’s having a punt with the model.

Release across the Tasman is timed for late year, with detail about price and specification has yet to be revealed.

Designed to take on the Mazda CX-3, Nissan Juke, and Hyundai Venue and based on a platform shared by the Rio small hatch, Stonic has been in production out of South Korea since 2017, but to date has been restricted its home market, China, plus western Europe, the United Kingdom and Ireland.

However, the release of a mid-life update has also determined Kia to allow it to roam into new territories and, though the local distributor’s comments’ provider says it is unable to offer thought, conceivably New Zealand could be on the touring agenda.

Certainly, the car could be seen as a valuable asset to provide as permanent fill-in within the sub-$30,000 zone, which Kia knows is a sweet spot to pull first-time crossover buyers. That’s exactly where the Seltos was aimed on launch last November, with a limited-time introduction that allowed the entry LX to be offered for $26,990 – so, $4000 below the full list price is now carries. This strategy delivered a great start for the car – with 1000 sales within three months – and created a waiting list that took months to clear.

The Stonic’s update would surely be tasty to Kiwis as it brings an extensive rework in looks, technology and safety equipment for the street-sharp five seater. 

Safety credentials include autonomous emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian and cyclist detection, adaptive cruise control, lane keep assist, rear cross-traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high beams and wipers.

An 8.0-inch infotainment system hosts Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The facelift introduces a new 1.0-litre turbo petrol mild hybrid, augmented by a 48volt integrated belt-driven starter generator and a small lithium-ion battery. The output varies, with the seven-speed DCT auto producing 88kW and 200Nm, and the manual developing 74kW and 168Nm. By comparision the Seltos runs a four-cylinder 2.0-litre petrol making 110kW and 180Nm in marriage to an eight-stage transmission.

The latter transmission is Kia’s bespoke iMT ‘box which uses ‘drive-by-wire’ to electronically manage the clutch operation.

Stonic’s primary role in the UK and Europe has been to conquer customers who remain stubbornly loyal to European volume brands.

Kia identified the subcompact SUV/crossover segment as a niche market that had become Europe's fastest-growing sector, accounting for seven percent of the total SUV and crossover market and also displaying the lowest brand loyalty, with customers open to change and with no tradition or history.

Design has been the main purchasing driver in the sector, Kia says, and effort has been made to make this model stand out. Hence, for instance, why it has the highest customisation options of any Kia with 20 two-tone body colour combinations in nine body colours and five roof colours. 

Although Kia calls the Stonic an SUV, it lacks four-wheel-drive. And hasn’t suffered for it. Uptake of four-wheel-drive models was less than 10 percent in the subcompact market three years ago and it has since fallen further.

And if you’re wondering about the etymology of the name? According to Kia it’s a name is a portmanteau of ‘speedy’ and ‘tonic.’ The first apparently refers to the car’s small size and agility. Meanwhile, the tonic is referenced here is the first or primary note in a diatonic musical scale, not the stuff that works with gin.

Diesel only for Sorento’s start

Kindred Koreans the Kia Sorento and Hyundai Santa Fe remain in a race to reach New Zealand. Which will be first with a breakthrough hybrid drivetrain?

Europe has first dibs on these Kia Sorento hybrids heading down the production line.

FACTORY determination to give Europe priority means headline-making high-tech hybrid petrol drivetrains will not include on the launch menu for Kia’s Sorento here.

This has been made clear in additional information provisioned in the wake of a recent media update about the car from the New Zealand distributor.

The extra comment confirms the model’s local release is running late, as result of the factory having retuned production to favour larger more important, left-hand-drive markets, but also reiterates the model will be here before year-end, though in respect to actual timing the only comment is “fourth quarter.”

Nonetheless, Kia NZ opened the order book on August 3 and has advised potential customers to lodge their interest on a dedicated web channel. 

The Auckland-sited make has not discounted getting the hybrid powertrains, according to the information received, but when is not clear. 

“The hybrid only just went into production recently in Korea and Europe has first dibs of initial supplies.”

The petrol-electric units format in mild and plug-in recharged formats and marry to a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and Hyundai New Zealand is also chasing them for Sorento’s sister ship, the Santa Fe, which is also arriving here soon in an altered 2021 guise.

the updated Sorento (above) and Sante Fe (below) move to a new platform and adopt fresh technologies.

The hybrids give the brands opportunity to retire the long-serving 2.4-litre four-cylinder engine but the cars still configure with a 3.5-litre V6 engine, though the latter has not featured in the NZ spec for some time.

The conjoined brands international view is that the hybrid units have potential to ultimately become the key choice for the seven-seater sports utilities, on strength of their performance and efficiency.

In June Hyundai New Zealand’s boss, Andy Sinclair, expressed particular enthusiasm for the powertrains, seeing them as a key factor in elevating Santa Fe’s status, particularly as a foil for the Toyota Highlander, which will become a hybrid model when it arrives in a new generation next year.

“We’d definitely take hybrid. I think it is very important to give our customers a choice,” Sinclair said at the time.

 The Sorento and Santa Fe still continue with the 2.2-litre turbodiesel that’s been the core choice for the past three generations of both lines. It has a new fuel injection system and improved internal components, which help to reduce the engine’s friction and improve fuel economy. Power is 148kW and torque stands at 440Nm.

It mates to a new eight-speed dual-clutch automatic gearbox, called Smartstream. A video about how this operates is attached today. 

The information relating to Kia’s strategy also says it has been affected by supply constraints from the ongoing effects of Covid19 that are being shaken out. 

“So shortages of some models are inevitable, but Kia is working hard to smooth these out.

“The run-out of current Sorento is going well and should be pretty well exhausted as the new model arrives, so timing shouldn’t be too much of an issue there. Always a bit of a balancing act, regardless of the market conditions.”

The new Sorento marketing programme that started on Monday is to build awareness of the new model ahead of its arrival and elicit forward orders, much like Kia did very successfully with the Seltos last year, the information states. 

the hybrid drivetrain, seen here in a Sorento, is a big pitch by the conjoined Korean makes.

The 1.6-litre is the smallest-capacity engine yet for the Santa Fe and Sorento yet is hardly a weakling, being turbocharged. Though efficiency data has yet to be released, its maker – Hyundai, of course - has indicated a huge improvement in respect to economy and emissions. 

The unit has been designed expressly to work in a hybrid setting and initially comes in a ‘mild’ format, outputting 169kW. The plug-in rechargeable format has even more oomph. It swaps out the 1.49kWh lithium ion battery for a 13.9kWh unit that can be replenished off household mains or a fast charger.

The PHEV model’s electric motor makes 97kW in isolation, but the drivetrain’s combined maximum output is 194kW and 350Nm of torque.

Both hybrid powertrains are hitched to a newly developed six-speed automatic transmission.

They feature a new low-pressure exhaust gas recirculation system and continuously variable valve timing, which Hyundai claims improves fuel efficiency by five percent and decreases emissions by 12 percent in its own right.

The hybrids also have the same four-wheel-drive system as the diesel, but are also being built in front-drive format.

The models’ all-wheel drive now takes a terrain mode selector, which offers specific setups for snow, gravel and mud. The drivetrain also comes with three driving modes – Eco, Comfort and Sport – which can deactivate drive to the rear axle to improve fuel efficiency or distribute the engine’s torque across the  axles for extra stability, sending either 35 percent or 50 percent of the engine’s power to the rear wheels.

kia sorento (above) and Hyundai Santa Fe (below). Which do you prefer?

The new models are easily picked in the streetscape, with much updated styling for each. What is not so obvious is that they have switched to a completely different platform to that underpinning the outgoing cars, this being a platform developed for a Hyundai Sonata sedan sold in the United States and China. The footprint has grown slightly, but more importantly the change unlocks additional interior room.

The national distributors have yet to provision specification details however some inkling about what’s coming, at least for Sorento, can likely be gleaned from detail shared out of Australia, where the car is launching in a couple of weeks.

The line there spans four derivatives. Standard fare includes a “segment-first” front centre side airbag, between driver and passenger. A 10.25 inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and Multi Connection Bluetooth also configures. Australia’s flagship, called GT-Line, represents with a 12.3 inch digital instrument cluster, Blind Spot View Monitor, a shift-by-wire dial instead of a gear lever and remote smart parking assist.

Special K entering the EV-sphere?

Kia building a Porsche Taycan competitor? Imagine.

SHOCK news for anyone imagining Kia’s electric vehicle aspiration settles where it presently plugs, with the compact Niro.

 Latest from the Hyundai sub-brand is that while it still stick true to running the battery assault primarily with crossovers, the future fare will be much more adventurous – in shape and technology.

 Particularly exciting is talk about a product coming out next year; a high-riding luxury crossover with a sedan-esque shell that it is specifically targeting high-performance electric cars.

 While yet unseen in production form – indeed, it doesn’t even have a name at present (the in-house designation is simply ‘Kia CV’) – the shape of the newcomer model mightn’t seem wholly unknown, as the brand has let slip that it will draw strongly off the concept seen here.

This is the Imagine, a styling study that made quite an impression on its global unveiling at the 2019 Geneva motor show.

The car that will emerge is described as Kia’s first dedicated electric vehicle – to draw distinction from Niro and Hyundai’s Kona EV being very close in terms of engineering make-up, no matter that Kia uses a different battery to enable range superiority.

Even so, it’s not a 100 percent Kia in that it is going to base off Hyundai’s E-GMP platform which will underpin the parent’s own electric SUV, labelled the ‘45’. 

Indeed. being scalable, the new platform will be the launchpad for a whole host of electric Hyundai and Kia models. The latter said last week it is planning to have 11 EVs on sale in the next five years. Hyundai has indicated similar aspiration, though it has yet to cite an exact target number. 

What’s also hugely interesting about the Imagine’s showroom equivalent is that it will be set up to use an ultra-fast 800-volt battery system that could bring 15 minute EV pit stops to the masses.

To date, the only production EV with that capability is the Porsche Taycan, which with a peak charge of 270 kiloWatts can achieve a charge of five percent to 80 percent in about 20 minutes. That’s with the right kind of charging network in place, of course; you’re talking about 300kW charging stations.

Kia is talking about its car will have a range of just over 300kms, which is hardly going to impress Tesla-rati and in fact isn’t a lot more than a Niro. But, then, it could be sitting in the replenishment phase for much less time. And it will also be ludicrously quick, with 0-100kmh in under three seconds vowed for the hottest version. That’s comparable to the Taycan and the fastest Teslas and, obviously, a lot faster than any other car Kia has ever created.

There’s one small disappointment about the project in that the identity behind the concept is no longer with the company. Luc Donkerwolke has just resigned as chief design officer of Hyundai Group, citing personal reasons.

When Imagine was unveiled, the 54-year-old was then Kia’s head designer and, when questioned a year ago about the feasibility of Imagine hitting the street, he was quite confident it could do so with minimal change.

“I don’t see anything that’s really not feasible. There are some cost-related issues that have to be validated, but it hasn’t been done by designers who don’t understand how to build a car for production.”

Donkerwolke was lured to South Korea in 2016, having been with Volkswagen Group for 22 years. He was lured to Seoul with the promise of a free reign to set the design pathways for Hyundai and Genesis; he achieved this with radical effect, not least after achieving in 2018 the role he now leaves, a job that pulled Kia into his portfolio, succeeding Peter Schreyer.