Mobility News. November – December 2020

for customers who favour the
convenience and ease-of-use
of an automatic transmission,
without sacrificing the fuel
efficiency of a conventional
manual transmission.
Several of Kia’s latest
Advanced Driver Assistance
Systems (ADAS) and a range
of new active safety systems
to enhance occupant safety,
make the Picanto one of the
safest cars in its class.
Rio: Updated design,
mild-hybrid technology
and new connectivity
A range of enhancements
has been revealed for the Rio
this autumn, with mild hybrid
technology the headline act,
alongside new ‘Smartstream’
engines and a ‘clutch-bywire’
intelligent manual
transmission designed to
enhance efficiency.
The revised Rio introduces
updated exterior and interior
styling, alongside new
safety equipment, Kia’s
brand new ‘Phase II’ UVO
Connect infotainment system
and a new larger 8-inch
touchscreen.
Changes to the exterior
styling include a narrower
‘tiger nose’ grille, with a
lower, wider front bumper and
bolder fog light surround. A
new 16-inch eight-spoke alloy
wheel design is introduced
for grade ‘3’ models and two
new colours are introduced
– Storm Grey and Azure Blue
– bringing the colour palette
choices to seven.
Inside, the Rio brings
together a range of visual,
material and technological
updates to create a more
upscale and enhanced quality
ambience. The biggest change
is the introduction of a new
larger 8-inch touchscreen on
grade ‘2’ models and above
and a higher-resolution colour
4.2-inch supervision cluster
display.
The Rio is the first Kia
powered by a petrol mildhybrid
electric vehicle
(MHEV) powertrain. The new
‘EcoDynamics+’ powertrain
pairs Kia’s new ‘Smartstream’
1.0-litre T-GDi (Turbocharged
Gasoline Direct injection)
engine with Kia’s 48-volt
MHEV system, maximising
fuel efficiency with electric
torque assistance and
regenerative braking.
‘EcoDynamics+’ has
been engineered to deliver
greater efficiency from
internal combustion engines
on the road, seamlessly
deploying and recuperating
electric power. The system
supplements the engine’s
torque output with power
from a compact 48-volt
lithium-ion polymer battery
and extends engine ‘off
time’ with a new Mild-Hybrid
Starter-Generator (MHSG)
unit.
The MHSG is connected
by a belt to the engine’s
crankshaft, and switches
seamlessly between
‘motor’ and ‘generator’
modes. In ‘motor’ mode,
under acceleration, the
MHSG provides electric
power assistance to reduce
engine load and emissions.
As the car decelerates,
the MHSG has the ability
under certain conditions to
switch to ‘generator’ mode,
recuperating energy from the
crankshaft to recharge the
battery.
The new ‘EcoDynamics+’
powertrain reduces the Rio’s
CO2 emissions, and is offered
on the 118bhp versions of
the new engine. 48-volt
powertrains with sevenspeed
dual-clutch automatic
transmission (7DCT) will be
equipped with a Drive Mode
Select system, giving drivers
the choice to customise their
drive with ‘Eco’, ‘Sport’ and
‘Normal’ modes.
The Rio ‘EcoDynamics+’ is
also one of the first models
from Kia to be equipped with
the brand’s new intelligent
Manual Transmission (iMT).
The ‘clutch-by-wire’ system
contributes to the MHEV
system’s greater fuel
efficiency and lower CO2
emissions, while retaining
the driver engagement
of a conventional manual
transmission. Instead of a
mechanical linkage, the iMT’s
clutch is controlled purely
electronically. It integrates
seamlessly with the MHSG
to switch off the engine
earlier than Kia’s Idle Stop &
Go start-stop system when
coasting to a halt, improving
overall fuel efficiency.
There is a further petrol
engine in the Rio line-up, a
four-cylinder 16-valve unit
featuring Dual-Port injection
technology. The 1.25-litre unit
is from the ‘Smartstream’
family of engines and has
been redesigned compared to
the engine in the previous Rio.
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