Kia Celebrates 20 Years in the UK

Today, June 30, Kia celebrates the 20th anniversary since it sold its first ever car in the UK. In 1991, the small hatchback Pride was the only Kia model on sale in Britain and in that year, the company managed to sell just only 1,786 cars.

However, two decades is a very long time in the automotive industry. Since then Kia has changed remarkably on its way to become an important player on a global scale. In 2010, Kia sold a record 56,114 cars in the UK and, for the first time ever, more than 2 million units worldwide.

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Geneva 2011: All-New Kia Picanto Grows Up, Gains 3-Door Variant

The 2012 Kia Picanto mini made its global premiere alongside the also new Rio supermini at the Geneva Motor Show today. The South Korean firm's city car will be offered for the first time with a choice of 5-door and 3-door body styles, with Kia officials expecting the new three-door model to account for 33% of Picanto sales.

Like all recent Kia models, the new Picanto benefits from a far more expressive design inside and out compared to its predecessor. It also promises to offer more space inside as the overall vehicle length has increased by 60 mm, and the wheelbase has grown by 15 mm. These increases, along with the enhanced interior packaging, offer an additional 36mm legroom for the front passengers while trunk capacity has increased by 27 per cent to 200 liters.

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2012 Kia Picanto: HD Photo Gallery and Official Brochure of South Korean Model

As pointed out by a Carscoop reader in a previous post, Kia has released images of the domestic market version of its Picanto city car, which will be sold as the Morning in South Korea. From the looks of it, there won't be any notable differences between the local and European market specification Picanto, which will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March. You can read our previous post for more details including the powertrain options here. For the high resolution image gallery and the official brochure of the KDM Morning, follow the jump below.

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2012 Kia Picanto: HD Photo Gallery and Official Brochure of South Korean Model

As pointed out by a Carscoop reader in a previous post, Kia has released images of the domestic market version of its Picanto city car, which will be sold as the Morning in South Korea. From the looks of it, there won't be any notable differences between the local and European market specification Picanto, which will receive its world premiere at the Geneva Salon in the beginning of March. You can read our previous post for more details including the powertrain options here. For the high resolution image gallery and the official brochure of the KDM Morning, follow the jump below.

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Kia Details Engine Range and Releases First Interior Photo of New Picanto

Kia today revealed that its new Picanto city car, which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March, will be available with a total of four-new engines. The South Korean automaker also released the first official picture of the car's interior and added that the Picanto will go on sale across Europe this Spring.

Buyers of the new Picanto will have a choice of up to four powertrains, with the exact choice depending on individual markets. The range includes three versions of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Kappa engine (petrol, flex fuel and bi-fuel) and a single 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol Kappa unit. The engines will be hooked up to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, depending on model.

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Kia Details Engine Range and Releases First Interior Photo of New Picanto

Kia today revealed that its new Picanto city car, which will have its world premiere at the upcoming Geneva Salon in March, will be available with a total of four-new engines. The South Korean automaker also released the first official picture of the car's interior and added that the Picanto will go on sale across Europe this Spring.

Buyers of the new Picanto will have a choice of up to four powertrains, with the exact choice depending on individual markets. The range includes three versions of the 1.0-litre, three-cylinder Kappa engine (petrol, flex fuel and bi-fuel) and a single 1.2-litre four-cylinder petrol Kappa unit. The engines will be hooked up to a choice of five-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions, depending on model.

Power outputs will range from 69HP to 85HP, with maximum torque between 94 and 121 Nm, with Kia revealing that the bi-fuel 1.0-litre engine will generate 82HP and 94 Nm of torque.

For the standard lineup, fuel economy will range from 4.2 to 5.9 liters per 100 km (39.9 mpg to 56 mpg US), and CO2 ratings from 95 and 105 g/km. Certain European models will also be available with Kia's ISG technologies that include a start-stop system, cutting emissions to between 90 and 100 g/km and further improving fuel economy.

Pricing and equipment details for the UK and European markets will be announced closer to the launch date, but Kia said that features like LED daytime running lights, button-start with smart key, and six or seven airbags, depending on model, will be available.

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