Kia has revealed that its new Picanto will boast one of the most fuel efficient engines on the market, when it goes on sale in late spring.
This will put low emission cars in the reach of all motorists and not just those who can afford hybrids, Joachim Hahn, head of powertrain engineering design and testing at Hyundai and Kia’s European technical centre in Germany told news agency Headlineauto.
The new 1.0-litre three-cylinder engine to be used in the new Picanto is based on the group’s familiar 1.2-litre four-cylinder Kappa engine. CO2 emissions are as low as 90g/km with start-stop and for other parts of Europe (not the UK), the Picanto will be available with a bi-fuel option, running on LPG and petrol.
"Most cars spend 90 per cent of their time with very little fuel in the tank, and most LPG vehicles are retrofit conversions," explained Dr Hahn.
"We developed this as a bi-fuel engine from the outset.
"In Picanto we have used a small 10-litre fuel tank and fitted a 33-litre LPG tank so the petrol becomes a get-you-home device if the LPG runs out."
Europe took the lead in the LPG development and with LPG cheaper than petrol, it’s a timely launch.
Dr Hahn believes that the Hyundai-Kia approach helps ‘democratise’ low emissions. "You can’t have a small hybrid and charge an extra €5,000 for it because people won’t be able to afford it," he said.
Instead, developing an affordable new engine "is an excellent compromise" to get an entry-level car with low fuel consumption.
The news follows Kia’s claim that its new Rio model will be the lowest emission car available, with emissions of just 85g/km CO2, when it goes on sale later this year (see story).
