Kia Motors will be kept busy at this year’s Geneva Motor Show, with a host of cars being prepared for launch. In March the all-new Sorento will be available, as well as an upgraded Venga. Sometime this month we should see a face-lifted Rio and towards the end of this year/early next year we should see a brand new Optima.
Kia has announced this week that they will reveal an updated Picanto at the 85th Geneva Motor Show. According to the manufacturer the updated Picanto will feature visual and dynamic improvements. The exterior and interior will be updated and their 1.0litre petrol engine will also be altered. To the front and rear will be new bumpers and the option will be there for customers to choose a new 14-inch alloy wheel design. The nose of the Picanto will don the ‘tiger-nose’ grille.
Inside will be some new chrome surroundings around the instrument binnacle and dashboard air vents. The car will also benefit from new upholstery and a “more modern” facia around the audio system. Customers will also have the option of including Kia’s most recent AVN (Audio-Video Navigation) system which comes with a 7-inch display screen. We’re told that one of the improvements in the car will be in the braking system. Larger brakes have been installed and according to Kia these will help reduce the stopping distance of the vehicle. The engine has also been upgraded and modifications have been made to their 1.0litre Multi-Point Injection engine – which brings the engine up to Euro 6 emissions standards.
The new Sorento, which premiered at the Paris Motor Show in 2014, is set for an Irish launch in March and already it is picking up awards for its new design after the SUV scooped an ‘iF Design Award’ this week. The new Sorento is a smoother looking car than before featuring a more spacious interior. The wheelbase is longer and it will be available with five or seven seats.
We’re told that a major focus for the chassis engineering team was to improve ride comfort, high-speed stability and handling response. The Sorento will maintain its fully-independent suspension – which uses MacPherson struts at the front and Kia’s multi-link system to the rear - with some modifications thrown in. There will now be bigger bushings to the rear and larger shock absorbers will be present – all of which should improve body control.
Next Thursday Kia Motors America will reveal a new electric all-wheel drive (e-AWD) car at the Chicago Auto Show. The car itself was said to have been designed with "city dwellers seeking the ultimate urban escape" in mind. Our guess is that this might make the stand in Geneva too, but that's to be confirmed.
