Kia plots 3-card trick

Kia's recent run of attractively styled concepts is set to continue at the upcoming Geneva show via the funky 3 concept, which provides a pointer to the South Korean marque's new corporate identity.

Designed by Kia's European design team, led by Peter Schreyer, the No 3 features the new 'face of Kia', with the front grille, headlights and brand logo in a new constellation arrangement. 

Its maker says the 3 was conceived to carve "a new niche in the small-car market" and the company is touting the car's flexibility and fun factor -- not to mention its style.

Among the 3's novelties is a unique extended windscreen and panoramic glass roof with a diagonal supporting bar and an automatic sun visor. The 4045mm long concept appears cleverly packaged and it's offbeat, to say the least.

Kia will also use the Geneva expo to showcase its cee'd ISG (Idle Stop & Go) models, which are claimed to offer fuel savings of up to 15 per cent in city driving.

As the name suggests, the ISG system automatically switches the engine off when the car is stationary in traffic and restarts the powerplant instantly as soon as the driver steps on the gas. 

Kia cee'd ISG cars are available in Europe with a choice of 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre petrol engines and in each of the three cee'd family bodystyles -- five-door hatchback, five-door wagon and three-door pro_cee'd. 

In keeping with the enviro-friendly theme, Kia will also display the cee'd Hybrid at Geneva (a fleet of these is already being tested and evaluated in Europe).

The cee'd Hybrid uses an upgraded powertrain with Kia's Gamma 1.6-litre petrol engine, mated to a 15kW, 105 Nm AC synchronised electric motor, a CVT transmission and the new ISG (Idle Stop & Go) system. 

Kia claims the cee'd Hybrid accelerates to 100km/h in 11.8sec and can reach a top speed of 185km/h.  The prototype achieves fuel consumption of 4.81 litres per 100 km, says Kia, and a CO2 figure of 109g/km -- 25 per cent lower than the standard 1.6-litre cee'd.