Kia Motors Europe unveiled the all-new Kia SPORTSPACE concept, a pair of upgraded production models and its latest powertrain technologies today at the 85th Salon International de l’Automobile in Geneva.
The Kia SPORTSPACE concept ma d e its world premiere at the Geneva Motor Show, alongside the new Kia cee’d GT Line for Europe and the enhanced Kia Picanto, Kia’s A-segment bestseller. The cee’d GT Line also marks the first application of Kia’s all-new downsized powertrain technology – an all-new 1.0-liter T-GDI (turbo gasoline direct injection) engine and the brand’s newly-developed seven-speed DCT (dual clutch transmission).
World premiere for striking new Kia SPORTSPACE concept
Created for long distance driving, the new Kia SPORTSPACE concept has been designed for fast and efficient travel, with maximum comfort and minimal stress.
Designed at Kia’s European design center in Frankfurt, Germany, under the direction of Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer Europe, the SPORTSPACE features a striking, sporty wagon silhouette. The car is born out of a commitment to provide stylish and exciting transportation for four, without sacrificing the performance, sustainability and economy for which Kia is known.
The spacious and functional cabin is designed to be as light and airy as possible, with a full-length panoramic sunroof providing natural light throughout the interior. The cabin itself combines functionality with modern styling. Luxurious leather is with combined with contemporary technical materials – such as carbon fibre and milled, anodized aluminum – while the driver benefits from a configurable digital display.
Occupants sit on hand-woven single-piece gloss black leather seats, with generous space for all passengers, while the cargo area features steel rollers to more easily load the boot – these then retract into the boot floor when the engine starts, holding everything in place during the drive.
Recognisably a Kia due to its signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille, finely judged proportions and simple, clean surfaces, the Kia SPORTSPACE has a bold, dynamic shape with real road presence. At the same time, it offers a high level of interior comfort and substantial practical load space.
Sporty new Kia cee’d ‘GT Line’ for Europe
The new Europe-only Kia cee’d ‘GT Line’ specification combines the sporty nature of the high-performance cee’d GT and pro_cee’d GT with the everyday versatility of the conventional cee’d range. The GT Line specification is available on all three cee’d body types sold in Europe – five-door cee’d, three-door pro_cee’d and cee’d Sportswagon.
The GT Line evolves the design language of the cee’d GT, inside and out, with ice-cube LED daytime running lights and deeper bumpers surrounding Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille. Wider GT rear bumpers and twin exhausts, eye-catching side sills, LED lights and a new 17-inch alloy wheel design complete the car’s sporty looks. The GT-inspired cabin features a higher quality, sportier ambience, with its own unique black, white and grey upholstery, GT Line logos throughout the cabin, and the same piano black and leather steering wheel and aluminum alloy pedals fitted to Kia’s high-performance GT models.
The cee’d GT Line is available with a choice of two engines. The brand’s all-new 1.0-liter ‘T-GDI’ engine, producing 120 ps and 172 Nm torque; and an upgraded version of the cee’d’s existing 1.6-liter CRDi diesel engine, with power increased from 128 to 133 ps and torque from 265 to 285 Nm. Both engines have been engineered to deliver lower CO2 emissions than existing engines in the current cee’d range, pending final homologation closer to the GT Line’s launch.
The gasoline engine is available with a six-speed manual transmission, while diesel buyers can choose from a six-speed manual or Kia’s all-new seven-speed DCT, which offers faster gear changes, lower fuel consumption and a smooth drive.
The Kia cee’d GT Line will go on sale across Europe in Q4 2015.
First application of Kia’s all-new downsized 1.0-liter T-GDI engine
Kia’s all-new 1.0-liter ‘T-GDI’ engine is a downsized, three-cylinder power unit engineered to improve fuel consumption and emissions while offering strong, willing performance and immediate responses to driver input. This is the first of Kia’s upcoming range of downsized engines, making its production debut in the new cee’d GT Line.
Kia’s new turbocharged engine, developed in-house at the company’s Namyang R&D centre in Korea, features a high-pressure direct injection system, advanced engine cooling and an integrated exhaust manifold for cleaner emissions and efficient packaging.
Immediate engine response and highly-efficient combustion were cornerstones of the engine’s development, fulfilling Kia’s sustainable engine downsizing strategy. The all-new 1.0-liter T-GDI engine will be fitted to other vehicles in Kia’s global model line-up in future.
All-new seven-speed dual-clutch transmission
The new cee’d GT Line features a second new technology debut for Kia, with the arrival of the brand’s all-new seven-speed DCT, available on GT Line models equipped with the upgraded 1.6-liter CRDi diesel engine. With the engine’s torque increased from 265 to 285 Nm, the new DCT is engineered to effectively manage outputs of up to 300 Nm, achieving a better balance between the engine’s improved, more effortless performance and potential for greater fuel economy.
Like the new 1.0-liter T-GDI power unit, Kia’s new DCT has also been developed in-house and has been engineered with low fuel consumption and a sporty driving feel when in manual mode, and with comfort and smoothness when left in automatic mode.
Drivers specifying the new DCT for their cee’d GT Line will benefit from faster gear changes than a traditional torque-converter automatic transmission, as well as lower running costs. It is anticipated that the new DCT will offer lower emissions and higher fuel economy compared to the outgoing six-speed automatic gearbox.
Kia’s R&D teams have targeted a three to five per cent improvement in acceleration (0 to 100 kph) and five to seven per cent improvement to fuel efficiency. After the cee’d GT Line, the new seven-speed DCT will be available on a number of Kia’s models around the world in future, with similar gains expected in fuel efficiency and performance depending on its application in different models.
The best-looking car in its segment – the enhanced Kia Picanto
Kia Motors also show ed the newly-enhanced Kia Picanto in Geneva, which boasts a range of dynamic and visual improvements to maintain its competitiveness as a stylish A-segment city hatchback.
The enhanced Kia Picanto boasts redesigned front and rear bumpers to enhance the car’s bold looks, as well as updates to Kia’s hallmark ‘tiger-nose’ grille. The exterior design is boosted by a new 14-inch alloy wheel design and an optional sport pack for both three- and five-door variants. Inside, the Picanto is now fitted with new chrome accents surrounding the driver’s instrument binnacle and dashboard air vents, a new cloth upholstery pattern, and more modern fascia.
A range of optional premium features are being introduced to the Kia Picanto for the first time, including the latest generation of Kia’s AVN (audio-video navigation) system with a large 7.0-inch display screen. Customers can also specify a cruise control and speed limiter system to improve long distance comfort for the driver.
In addition, the enhanced model now offers a series of three interior color packs – Red, Yellow and Brown – which allow owners to customize their Picanto and stand out from the crowd. Footwell illumination is fitted to the Picanto when buyers specify one of the three color packs.
Safety is further improved with the addition of optional larger (252 mm) front brakes, which reduce the car’s stopping distance to just 37 meters from 100 km/h – an improvement of 2 meters. The upgraded Picanto has received a series of small modifications to its 1.0-liter MPI (Multi-Point Injection) engine, ensuring the car meets strict Euro 6 emissions standards.
The enhanced model will go on sale globally through the first half of 2015.
Visit http://tinyurl.com/nxh38dm for video and full set of photography of Kia at the 2015 Geneva Motor Show.
