Kia announces green car initiative with hybrid Niro

Kia has announced its intention to be one of the world’s leading green car manufacturers with its revelation of details about its new hybrid model, Niro, due in Europe in late 2016.

The Niro is set to be the firms’s first hybrid SUV and has been designed with a brand new platform, along with a target emissions figure of less than 90g/km CO2.

The Niro will contain a 1.6 litre petrol engine with 105 hp and 147 Nm of torque combined with a 32kW electric motor, with power supplied by a 1.46kWh battery. There are also plans to offer a plug-in hybrid version too.

The Niro will see Kia’s green car line-up grow from four to 11 models by 2020 and fuel efficiency improved by 25 per cent across the range within five years. Kia has also confirmed £6.7 billion will be used to fund investment in research and development to improve the Nero’s new platform. Kia also hopes to make models such as the Optima, available as a plug-in version.

Ki-Sang Lee, senior vice president at Kia's Eco Friendly Vehicle R&D Center, said: "Global market demand is shifting to electric vehicles, with oil prices predicted to rise in the future. The electric and plug-in hybrid vehicle market will grow rapidly in the coming years, and this investment will enable Kia to meet the growing demand with a range of advanced new products and technologies.

"We don't believe that there is any one 'silver bullet' that can satisfy the demand for low emission technology within the car industry, so we foresee a wide range of eco-friendly powertrains co-existing for an extended period of time. The plans we've announced today represent Kia's ambition to become a worldwide leader in advanced propulsion technology."

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