À̹ÌÁö È®´ë [Photo provided by Kia Motors Corp.]
Kia Motors Corp. revealed the all-electric version of its Niro crossover ahead of its official July rollout in South Korea, its latest lineup in clean, zero-emission vehicles.
The country¡¯s second largest automaker and its larger affiliate Hyundai Motor Co. on Wednesday unveiled their new fleet of green vehicles at the 5th International Electric Vehicle Expo held at Jeju Island, which runs until Sunday.
The Niro EV comes in two battery models - the 64-kilowatt hour (kWh) model that can travel up to 380 kilometers (km) on a single charge and the 39.2-kWh model that can run up to 240 km. It is also equipped with the latest driver assistance and safety features, including front collision avoidance, lane keeping assist, smart cruise control and highway driving assistance, according to the company.
Pre-orders topped 5,000 in just three days, said Kia Motors, adding that it hopes the addition of the EV line would further boost Niro sales. The automaker announced it sold a total of 23,647 Niro hybrids and plug-in hybrid models last year.
Hyundai Motor also showcased its all-electric Kona and Ioniq, as well as the hydrogen-fueled Nexo. The Kona Electric compact SUV is powered by a 150 kilowatt (204 horsepower) electric motor that delivers a maximum torque of 40.3 kilogram-meters. A 64-kWh model can run up to 406 km on a single charge, which is enough to cover one way from Seoul to Busan.
The company on Wednesday also signed an agreement with Lotte Rental Co. to supply Kona Electric vehicles, the car¡¯s first partnership with a rental company.
Hyundai Motor Group announced last year it aims to triple its green car lineup from 13 to 38 by 2025.
By Kim Jung-hwan and Kim Hyo-jin
[¨Ï Pulse by Maeil Business Newspaper & mk.co.kr, All rights reserved]