Unveiled at Detroit...
Unveiled at Detroit, this 7.4-metre-long van is a one-off special based on a Tourneo-spec model, and offers space for seven plus the driver.
It started with a single...
It started with a single Ceeò€™d ò€“ and now Kia is flourishing after baring its new Soul!
The Korean company is planning a raft of new cars, promising to up the ante with some stunning metal over the next five years.
A new mini-MPV based on the Soulò€™s platform is due in showrooms next November, and it will compete with the Vauxhall Meriva. Codenamed ò€˜YNò€™ by Kia insiders, this car will look like a bigger Ceeò€™d.
However, there will be an even more practical model in showrooms by mid-2009 ò€“ the new Sorento. With styling borrowed from the KND-4 concept, the off-roader should inject more flair into the brand.
In addition, a new Magentis saloon will appear at the end of 2010, with a hybrid following in 2011, as well as a replacement for the Sportage SUV. An insider even told us that a fresh Kia logo is on the drawing board.
An eco-friendly Ceeò€™d hatchback is also on the way, due to hit showrooms at the end of next year. It will feature Kiaò€™s ISG system (Idle Stop and Go), which mimics the stop-start technology found in some BMWs. This cuts out the engine when the car is stopped and in neutral. The eco_ceeò€™d will feature a mild hybrid system, mating an electric motor to a 1.6-litre petrol engine, and will also have low rolling resistance tyres and aerodynamic changes.
It should return more than 70mpg and emit only 114g/km of CO2. Kia will offer some of the green innovations found on the eco_ceeò€™d on standard models from early next year, too.