Kia unveils LPG Hybrid future

Rising Korean brand Kia has revealed its alternative fuels future in its native land with the wraps coming off an LPI Hybrid Forte; the car we know locally as the Cerato. The production-ready vehicle is the work of the company's environmentally conscious brand, Eco-Dynamics.

Currently the car is only confirmed for South Korea, but there are plans to export the car in the future to countries with LPG infrastructure -- most likely China and Australia among them. Kia Australia spokesman Jonathan Fletcher admits there is a possibility it could find its way to our shores eventually.

"The door's not closed," Fletcher says.

The global launch of Eco-Dynamics is scheduled for later this year and could pave the way for more hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles to join the Kia line-up around the world. Fletcher says which, if any, of those make it Down Under depends on how well suited they are, not only to local conditions, but also within the brand's local image.

"You've got to make sure there is a market for a company that people don't usually think of for LPG or hybrid cars," he says.

On paper the Forte LPI Hybrid seems ideally suited to Australia because of the country's well established LPG network. The car is a mild hybrid and uses a 1.6-litre four-cylinder LPG engine that is backed-up by a small electric motor. The internal combustion engine produces 85kW (114hp), while the motor adds an additional 14kW (20hp) to reduce consumption to 5.7L/100km of LPG.

Kia claims the car will be the first production model in the world to use lithium polymer batteries instead of nickel-metal hydride units. The new batteries are similar to the ones being developed for the Chevrolet Volt and will be supplied by the same company, LG Chem. The lithium polymer batteries are both smaller and lighter than the old units but provide a higher output. Locally, the batteries are already in use, fitted to the Blade Electron (more here).

To segregate the hybrid from the rest of the Forte/Cerato range the new model features a re-designed grille with a chrome insert and unique fog lights at the front, and new LED tail lights at the rear.

Eco-Dynamics is part of Kia and its parent company Hyundai's $6 billion investment this year in hybrid and hydrogen fuel cell powertrains. The company has already developed 3500 hybrid-equipped Rio models for the South Korean government to use and evaluate.