起亚近日发布了两张Niro hybrid跨界车趣图，该车将于明年上半年上市并将销往全球市场。预计概念内部核心硬件与现代针对普锐斯开发的混动车一样，包括一台1.6升四缸自然进气引擎和一台电机，搭配六速双离合器变速箱和1.56千瓦时电池组。其中普通引擎的热效率达到40%，功率77千瓦/105马力，扭矩147牛米。起亚表示，该车最初将采用普通混动系统，在其生命周期后半程将增加一款插电混动版，以便使起亚车系在2020年实现平均油耗下降25%的目标。起亚在2013年发布的概念车采用三门规格，但量产版则是更实用的五门布局。从趣图看，该车外观非常顺滑，但车顶很低，同时采用突出的车顶扰流器。前大灯造型类似捷豹F-Type，车尾底部采用铝制护板，尾灯组一直延伸到尾门。起亚表示，所有车身面板都进行了空气动力学优化以降低阻力。车身侧面增加塑料防擦条以提升粗犷感。
Kia Niro hybrid crossover first teasers are out ahead of 2016 launch
Kia South Korea has released a couple of teaser images of the Niro hybrid crossover set to be launched in the first half of 2016.
Previewed by a namesake concept back in 2013, the Niro is just about ready to show its production face as Kia has released a couple of teaser images along with preliminary technical specifications concerning their hybrid crossover. As we suspected, it will have the same hardware arrangement as Hyundai’s Prius fighter, so it will team up a four-cylinder 1.6-liter naturally aspirated engine to an electric motor, a six-speed dual clutch gearbox, and a 1.56 kWh battery pack.
The conventional engine will have a thermal efficiency of 40% and is going to deliver 105 PS (77 kW) and 147 Nm (108 lb-ft). Kia says the Niro will be a hybrid, but most likely the model will also receive a plug-in hybrid version later on during its life cycle as part of the company’s objective to increase average fuel economy across the range by 25% until the end of the decade.
Unlike the concept which had a three-door configuration, the production version will adopt a more practical five-door layout and will also have a larger footprint. Like with pretty much all teasers nowadays, these design sketches don’t tell the whole truth, but from what we can see so far it’s going to look pretty sleek by adopting a relatively low roofline and a prominent roof spoiler.
The headlights send out a Jaguar F-Type vibe while the rear end has an aluminum underbody protection and sizable taillights that extend onto the tailgate. Kia says all of the body panels have been aerodynamically optimized to boost efficiency and they also added plastic body cladding around the wheel arches along with side mouldings to make the Niro look somewhat rugged.
Set to be a global model, the Kia Niro is programmed to go on sale in the first half of next year.