The Kia cee'd is the first Korean car to earn a TÜV environmental certificate. The certificate means that the car is made following the ISO 14040 and ISO 14062 norms, showing that the process of designing the car took its environmental impact into consideration.
The ISO 14062 standard relates to the integration of environmental aspects into the design and development of a vehicle, as well as how recyclable the car is. The ISO 14040 standard, which measures the ecological balance of a car, considers the environmental impact of a vehicle through its entire lifecycle, from production to the end of its life. It also takes in consideration the efforts made to save fuel and reduce CO2 emissions, as well as the type of materials used. The Mercedes 2008 C-Class was also awarded the TÜV certificate.
In the process of creating and building the Kia cee'd, Kia has won two environmental certificates from the well-known German institution TÜV. At a ceremony in Seoul, Korea on Friday, TÜV gave Kia DFE (Design for Environment) and a LCA (Life Cycle Assessment) certificates for the way Kia is building the cee'd in Zilina, Slovakia. The DFE award certifies that the car was environmentally designed and developed. The LCA takes a broader look, and is given to vehicles that have a lower lifetime environmental impact. TÜV certificates for green cars are not often awarded; when the 2008 Mercedes C-Class won a similar certificate from TÜV last year, it was just the second such certificate for a car, ever.
The Pro cee'd is seen in the photo above. More details on Kia's awards after the jump.
Kia's primary reputation in the US is for building inexpensive basic transportation. However, back in the home market of South Korea, Kia has been working with corporate siblings Hyundai on a variety of alternative fuel vehicles. Kia Strategic Planner Hyun Jin Cho has a post on the Kia Buzz blog about some of the company's projects. Even before getting gobbled up by Hyundai a decade ago, Kia was actually the first Korean manufacturer to build an electric vehicle with a battery-powered van called the Besta. Since their affiliation with Hyundai, Kia engineers have been involved in fuel cell research and part of the combined company's hydrogen test fleet includes several Sportage SUVs. The current version of the FCEV Sportage has a 215-mile range with 5,000psi compressed hydrogen on board. Nearer term, Kia has built a number of hybrid vehicles that have been running in test fleets since 2005. A production version is planned for a 2009 retail launch. One project not mentioned but likely to first hit the U.S. market will actually be a new diesel V-6 destined for the Borrego in 2010. We got a look at that engine in January at the Detroit Auto Show and it's currently being tested at the Hyundai Kia Tech Center near Ann Arbor MI.
Better known for their two-for-one sales and mechanical issues, I was surprised to hear about the crash safety rating awarded to the Kia Optima in the most recent round of tests by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The Optima scored better than its competitors, namely, the Chevrolet Malibu, Dodge Avenger, Infiniti G35, Mitsubishi Galant, Nissan Altima, and Saturn Aura in all but the side impact evaluation. Here, the Optima's score was greatly improved from previous iterations. In the most-frequent-to-occur accident, the rear crash, the Kia was the only one the achieve the highest rating of "good". These results aren't spread out evenly amongst the entire Kia line-up, however, as the Sedona minivan seems far superior to the Sportage not-so-cute "mini-ute".
Now, I know what you're thinking, "But what about the H3 Hummer? That thing's built like an Kia-crushing tank." It turns out the H3 makes a lousy Kia crusher. It received a poor rating for rear crashes and only acceptable for front and side impacts. If a crushed tibia is acceptable. Talk about adding injury to 13 miles per gallon of insult.
I would suggest spending some quality time at the Institute's website before making a decision on any vehicular purchase. Hit the jump if you are interested in seeing the mid-sized sedans meeting their demise and you can check out all the details from the press release.
Yes, it's true. The good hard-working folks employed by the president's office (of South Korea) are about to get Hyundai hybrid happy. (Or possibly sad if you're the dude or dudette getting the Kia.) The plan, according to office spokesman Lee Dong-kwan, is "...to use the hybrid-electric vehicles (HEV) to raise public awareness of the environment industry as an alternative engine for growth and energy-saving [sic]." He went on to say that the president, newly-elected Lee Myung-bak, would also be using the car "if needed." It is pure speculation on my part that the "need" is unlikely to arise.
The two models being considered are the Hyundai Vernon (sold here in non-hybrid form as the Accent and pictured above) and the Kia Pride. As well as showcasing the environmental attitudes of the country's leadership, the move may also reflect the direction of the South Korean car manufacturer.
Click the Kia Koup for a high res gallery Kia just officially unveiled their latest concept at the New York Auto Show, the Koup. As we already showed a little earlier this morning the Koup is a front wheel drive coupe that exhibits Kia's latest styling direction. The look isn't hugely original, but it is clean and very nicely proportioned. Of course as is requisite on any concept car with sport pretensions, the Koup has plenty of carbon fiber trim including the mirror housings, the wheels and at strategic locations on the inside. The really important stuff remains under the hood, where the 2.0L turbocharged and direct injected engine resides. In this concept the engine is rated at 290hp, and 289lb-ft of torque. Kia PR Director Alex Fedorak said that they are working on DI and turbo engines and there is a good chance such engines will appear in upcoming Kia's since they are a cost effective way of getting good power with lower fuel consumption.
After all the embargo breaks that typically occur during the run up to big auto shows, Kia actually managed to drop a real surprise here in New York. The Kia Koup concept that is debuting here is a front wheel drive four seat coupe. This concept is the first vehicle from Kia to use a new turbocharged direct injected four cylinder engine. The 2.0L engine is rated at 290hp and 289lb-ft of torque. The design of this car points to something that will likely be produced and GTDI engines are almost a certainty in the next couple of years. It would be no surprise to see a GTDI four cylinder replacing V-6s in applications like the next generation Sorento, Optima and Sedona. The Kia press release is after the jump.
Let's set this story up by placing the players on a map. First, Kia, which is a South Korean automobile company. Secong, Mali, which is a country in Africa. Third, Kia Netherlands, which sells the Korean cars in Holland.
Now that we're clear on who's where, here's the story: According to AfricaNews, Kia Netherlands is offering new car buyers a chance to purchase carbon offsets by funding biodiesel production in Mali. New Kia buyers in the Netherlands can calculate their annual CO2 emissions and donate money (between 15 and 65 Euros) to a Dutch charity, Trees for Travel, which will then plant, among other things, jatropha plants in Mali. The oil from the jatropha seeds is then processed into biodiesel and distributed locally. It may take a global network to organize this scheme, but on the face of it, it makes a lot of sense.
Fuel efficiency is becoming more important to cars buyers. Ads are starting to reflect that and the best one I have seen recently is Kia's ad for the Spectra. The commercial's music is just a piano and the folksy voice of Joe Purdy singing "I just can't seem to get it right today." The visuals are a variety of melancholy people struggling to remember something from so long ago. What is this thing all these people have forgotten to do? How to fill a car's gas tank! The commercial explains "with fewer fill ups, you just might forget which side it's on." In one of the funnier parts of the commercial, one Kia owner refuses to re-position his car and tries to see if he can drag the gas pump nozzle all the way around the car. You can watch the commercial below the fold.
Sitting off to the side of the Kia stand at the Detroit Auto Show is a display of a 3.0L clean diesel V-6. This same engine has been in production in Korean market Kia and Hyundai models including the Veracruz. John Juriga director of powertrains at the Hyundai-Kia Technical Center (HATCI) near Ann Arbor, MI confirmed that the engine is currently running on dynamometers and in vehicles at HATCI. The display indicated that the engine is targeted for the new Boreggo SUV in 2010. At the introduction of the Hyundai Veracruz last year, the company indicated that the CUV would receive a diesel in the next few years and spokesman Miles Johnson confirmed that this engine is the one that will be used. The V-6 is equipped with particulate filters and urea injection to clean up the exhaust stream.
Not long ago, we published a list of SUVs available in Germany with the highest mileage possible. But what about - at least on legal terms - how much CO2 a car produces? Never fear. Auto-News has a list of the "cleanest" SUVs on sale in Germany (and I'd say most of the EU), all of them producing less than 200 g/km of CO2, so it complements that previous list which had no information about CO2. Just remember that automakers should have an average of 130 g/km in four years' time.
Most of these models are also available in the U.S. but, as usual, without the high-mileage diesel powerplants Europeans love. The list is after the jump. Vehicles with DPF (Diesel Particulate Filters) have these letters added to the marque and model. The picture above shows the SUV in the 20th position, the SsangYong Actyon 200 Xdi 4x2.
South Korea's LG Chem has just scored a second big contract for their automotive lithium ion batteries. Earlier this year, the company, along with U.S. subsidiary Compact Power Inc., were one of two groups awarded development contracts from General Motors for the Chevrolet Volt program. The new contract comes from Hyundai for use in hybrid-electric vehicles starting in 2009. The batteries will be used in hybrids under both the Hyundai and Kia brands.
In the video above from the 2007 LA Auto Show, Kia's public relations manager Alex Fedorak was asked if they have plans for alternative fuel vehicles like hybrids in the 3, 5 or 10 year time span? Alex said they have hybrids in Korea but he thinks it's unlikely those hybrids will come to the US. Here is exactly what was said;
Actually, we have hybrids working right now in Korea. Can hybrids come to the US market: I say unlikely.
Alex then said clean diesel may be coming very soon. The working hybrids in Korea are probably the 4,000 we wrote Kia would field test. We are happy to hear the trials have started but they may not be going very well because were originally heard about a 2009 release, but that is before the 3-year time span Alex was asked about in the question.
Want to know the hottest, green trend in car design and the vehicles that are sure to turn heads in 2008? The answer, IMHO, is convertible, two door, mini SUV/crossovers. I have compiled a list of the top 10 best concept Jeeps and Jeep-like vehicles for you. Why will young, hip, urban types suddenly go Daisy Duke and start driving a Jeep? Small vehicles like sip gas when compared to an SUV and with gas prices probably going to $4 a gallon next year, a vehicle type even smaller than the crossover that maintains the usability and apparent safety of the SUV just might take off.
Major car makers like GM see green technology like hybrids and smaller design as a way to improve the mileage and sales of their best selling SUV. Crossovers as a solution to the problem of slowing SUV sales are losing steam and, as 2007 comes to a close, we are already seeing a Hummer even smaller than the 20 MPG H3 and the BMW Mini entering the SUV market. The Hummer and Mini SUV are on the top of our top 10, which you can read in full below the fold. Are you ready for modern, small off-roader?
Auto-News has published again another list of money and CO2-saving cars in Germany. Now it's time for the people-carriers. They have to seat at least seven, although the two seats at the back are usually only suitable for children. The list includes a selection of compact Station Wagons, compact (and not so compact) MPVs, and three vehicles which are usually delivery vans but they have windows around and more seats.
You would think that all these vehicles are diesel, but the truth is that you can find two natural gas powered vehicles. Their consumption figures is then converted to gasoline equivalent. You will also find a couple of cases of badge engineering.
As said, the SWs and some of the MPVs only have 2 extra seats for children, but at least half of the models can decently seat 7 adults.
Some of our readers asked for US availability. None of this cars, except the last one on the list (Mitsubishi Outlander, pictured here) is available in the US, and not with the diesel engine.
