Cerato hybrids in Green Challenge

Kia Australia has secured two left-hand drive models of the Cerato LPI Hybrid to be entered in the 2009 Global Green Challenge. The importer had originally requested two right-hook cars for evaluation later in the year, but then saw the promotional possibilities presented by the green car challenge.

"Right-hand drive evaluation vehicles were ordered," says Kia's local PR Manager, Jonathan Fletcher. "We put up our hands and said 'hey, if we can get a couple of cars early, rather than at the very end of the year, we could run them in this Global Green Challenge'. They said 'well, we can't do right-hand drive cars for you, they've gotta be left-hand drive. They'll just come out of normal Korean production."

Both vehicles will depart Darwin on October 24, aiming for a finish in Adelaide a week later.

Fletcher describes the LPI Cerato (known in other markets by the name 'Forte') as a "mild hybrid" -- and therefore not comparable with Toyota's Prius for ultimate fuel efficiency. The 1.6-litre Cerato runs on LPG rather than petrol, so running costs for Aussie consumers could well be significantly less than for the Prius. Kia claims a fuel consumption figure of 5.6L/100km and CO2 emissions of 99g/km.

Neither of those figures undercut MINI D, Fiesta Econetic and the Prius, but the actual running costs might, since LPG is a fraction of the price of petrol. One particular point that presumably will be assessed while the two cars are taking part in the Challenge is whether they can run on the local LPG mix -- something that has troubled both Kia and Hyundai. The latter company is currently evaluating an Elantra with the same LPG/electric hybrid drivetrain as the Cerato's, for the Australian market.

When the Carsales Network spoke with Oles Roman Gadacz, Hyundai's global PR chief, at the Frankfurt motor show last month, he expressed the opinion that the engine management system for the Elantra should be able to cope with a slightly different mix in Australia. And if that's the case for the Elantra, ditto for the Cerato with the same drivetrain.

"When there was first talk of bringing in even evaluation cars, our technical people said 'there are differences between Korean LPG and Australian LPG'... so that was flagged as an item -- not as an issue so much, but as an item to be addressed," says Fletcher.

Given the cars will be running through the Outback later this month -- and in the full glare of global media coverage -- the company appears confident that the different mix of Aussie LPG won't pose any reliability problems.

Fletcher says that the two cars entered in the Challenge will provide promotional benefits for Kia both here and around the world.

"The aim is obviously Australia first off, but yes, we do want to promote [the Cerato LPI Hybrid] internationally as well."

"It clearly supports both corporate environmental objectives, but also in some ways towards more global environmental objectives... If there's an opportunity for us to strengthen our environmental credentials and help deliver a 'greater good' result, then we would be silly not to be doing that.

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