Kia reveals next generation Borrego fuel cell vehicle and production Soul at Los Angeles Auto Show

( SEOUL ) November 20, 2008 — Kia Motors Corporation’s Fuel Cell Electric Vehicle (FCEV) program takes a major technological step forward today with the global unveiling of the all-new Kia Borrego (known as ‘Mohave’ in some markets) FCEV at the Los Angeles International Auto Show.

Numerous innovations including a higher output 154 horsepower fuel cell and a new 450-volt Supercapacitor give the Borrego FCEV higher performance, a greatly extended driving range and cold-weather starting capability to operate in sub-zero temperatures.

Available with two and three tank systems with 70MPa pressure, the Borrego FCEV’s power plant is located under the center floor and boasts an additional 47 horsepower of power to produce a peak output of 154 horsepower (a 44-percent increase compared to the previous generation) and propel the vehicle to a top speed of 161 kph while boasting a best-in-class system efficiency of 62 percent.  With a 202-liter hydrogen storage tank located underneath the vehicle and ahead of the rear wheels, this latest Kia Motors research vehicle has a range of around 685 km.

 

“Entering this new phase of our program is really exciting,” said Dr. Hyun Soon Lee, president of research and development for the Hyundai-Kia Automotive Group. 

 

“Now we will be able to build fuel cell electric vehicles in higher volumes and lower cost for fleet testing and the latest Borrego FCEV drives us closer to making fuel cell vehicles available for consumers.”

Demonstrating its ability to conduct engineering of both gasoline/diesel production models and fuel cell research vehicles simultaneously, Kia Motors will be able to significantly improve the efficiency and quality control of future fuel cell vehicle manufacturing processes.

 

With the use of lightweight aluminum body shell components, the Borrego FCEV has a power-to-weight ratio that is similar to the new production model SUV.  The FCEV also retains the roomy cabin, low noise levels and overall driving refinement of its new gasoline/diesel-powered sibling.

 

Soul production car revealed

Soul has now gone full circle – originally designed in California , the production version is unveiled at the Los Angeles Auto Show as Kia continues to develop into a design led brand.  It will go on sale in the US in March 2009.

 

The US specification Soul will be available in four trim levels – Soul, Soul+, Soul!, and Soul sport.  The range enjoys a host of street-cool features including body colored bumpers, privacy glass, sport-tuned suspension, a rear spoiler and 18-inch alloy wheels.

 

The Soul’s interior design is decidedly influenced by the car’s highly specified audio system – Bluetooth® hands-free connectivity, MP3 capability, SIRIUS Satellite Radio, USB and iPod connectivity and a 315-watt sound system with external amplifier, trunk mounted sub-woofer and dash mounted centre speaker will all be available.

 

Soul will be powered by a pair of gasoline engines in the USA .  A punchy 1.6-litre four-cylinder engine, mated to a five-speed manual transmission, produces 120 bhp and a 2.0-litre with a five speed manual or four speed auto transmission, offers 140 bhp.  Both engines return around 30 mpg.

 

High levels of safety will feature on Soul as standard with front seat active headrests, dual front advanced airbags, front seat-mounted and full-length side curtain airbags and a tire pressure monitoring system (TPMS).  An antilock brake system (ABS) with electronic brakeforce distribution (EBD), electronic stability control (ESC), and rear disc brakes are available in the range.

 

Editors’ note: Standard equipment and specifications based on U.S. model and may vary depending on country.

 

Borrego FCEV vs. Sportage FCEV Technical Specifications

 

	Sportage FCEV		New Borrego FCEV
Power supply type	Fuel Cell Stack with lithium ion polymer battery		Fuel Cell Stack with super capacitor
Fuel cell output	80 kW /	107 hp	115 kW /	154 hp
Motors	1 x 80 kW		1 x 110 kW
Max speed	150 kph /	93 mph	160 kph /	100 mph
0-60 mph	15 seconds		12.8 seconds
Max. range	300 km /	186 miles	685 km /	426 miles
Economy	20.7 kpl /	49 mpg	23 kpl /	54 mpg
Hydrogen tank size	152 liters		202 liters

 

GM, Ford, Chrysler Depart From Congress Empty-Handed

Nov. 20 (Bloomberg) — U.S. lawmakers deadlocked on a plan to bail out the Big Three automakers, leaving General Motors Corp. facing the prospect it could run out of cash before a new Congress can come to the rescue next year.

Democratic congressional leaders disagreed with Republicans and President George W. Bush’s administration over how to provide $25 billion in aid to GM, Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC. Only two days remain in a lame-duck session for lawmakers to resurrect a compromise, though Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid said today Congress might return in December to complete its work.

“We are in a situation where we don’t know procedurally what we are going to be able to accomplish today,” the Nevada Democrat said on the Senate floor.

Reid earlier suggested the situation was dire and refused to set aside time today to debate a compromise proposed by Senator Kit Bond, a Missouri Republican. Reid said Bond’s plan hasn’t been put in writing and the House of Representatives is about to adjourn.

Bond and fellow Republican George Voinovich of Ohio insisted they weren’t giving up on their proposal to speed up and broaden access to $25 billion already approved for fuel-efficient vehicle development that was a compromise.

“We’ve made great progress,” Bond said. “We are down to the point now where wording challenges are about the only remaining things to deal with.”

Plunging Shares

GM’s German-traded shares fell 7.9 percent to the equivalent of $2.57 as of 11:09 a.m. in Frankfurt. GM has plunged 89 percent this year in New York trading. Ford shares rose 3.2 percent in Germany. The stock has declined 81 percent this year in the U.S.

A Democratic plan to help the automakers with funds from the recently approved $700 billion bank-rescue package stalled in the face of Republican opposition and a Bush veto threat. It may be revived next year after President-elect Barack Obama takes office in January and Democrats install a strengthened majority in both houses.

GM Chief Executive Officer Richard Wagoner said automakers would like action before Obama takes over because a global credit crunch that has slammed sales in the U.S. is spreading to global auto markets.

GM, the biggest U.S. automaker, said Nov. 7 it may run short of the $11 billion minimum cash it needs to pay its bills each month by the end of this year and will fall “significantly” short of that level by the middle of next year.

Cash Augmentation

The Detroit automaker burned through $6.9 billion in cash in the third quarter and had $16.2 billion on Sept. 30. Wagoner said yesterday he expects the automaker to slow its cash use to the $3.6 billion a quarter rate of the first half of this year.

“We’re continuing to do everything we can to augment our cash position,” Wagoner said in an interview yesterday after eight hours of testimony split between the U.S. House and Senate over two days.

“We’ve been stretched to do stuff that we thought was very difficult and painful to do already this year,” he said. “People are thinking every day of new ideas.”

Wagoner, Ford CEO Alan Mulally and Chrysler CEO Robert Nardelli left the Capitol after two days of appeals for help were rejected.

The companies are seeking aid as industry-wide sales have plummeted to a 17-year low. GM this month said it lost $4.2 billion in the third quarter and almost $73 billion since the end of 2004.

One Chance for Aid

Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky urged lawmakers to let automakers shift the previously approved loans intended to promote fuel efficiency for day-to-day operations instead.

“It is the only proposal now being considered that has a chance of actually becoming law,” he said.

White House spokeswoman Dana Perino endorsed the Bond- Voinovich plan yesterday. “If the Congress fails to act, the most logical interpretation would be that they don’t agree that an additional $25 billion needs to be given to the auto industry,” she said.

Reid responded that the White House has authority to funnel the financial-rescue money to car companies without congressional action.

“No one should be overly concerned if we are unable to reach agreement,” Reid said in a statement. “It will still be up to the White House and the Treasury Department to take the steps that I believe are necessary.”

Environmental Initiatives

“There will be a great deal of resistance in the House” to redirecting the fuel-efficiency loans without previously approved environmental safeguards, said House Financial Services Chairman Barney Frank, a Massachusetts Democrat.

Wagoner wouldn’t rule out shifting the previously approved funds to keep his company afloat. “It could work,” he said.

Representatives including Democrats Gary Ackerman of New York and Bradley Sherman of California criticized the auto chiefs for taking private jets to Washington to plead their case.

“Couldn’t you all have downgraded to first class?” Ackerman said. Added Sherman, “I don’t know how I go back to my constituents and say the auto industry has changed.” The auto chiefs didn’t talk about their jet use in response.

Representative Peter Roskam, an Illinois Republican, challenged Wagoner and Mulally to forgo pay for a year, saying he understood Nardelli was agreeable to the idea.

Wagoner said he had “no position” on that. Mulally said, “I think I’m OK where I am.”

Jets and Salaries

The GM CEO got $14.4 million in compensation in 2007, including a salary of $1.56 million. Mulally received $21.7 million for 2007, including $2 million in salary.

Wagoner said he recognizes the government will play a greater role in telling the automakers how to run their business in the future, if aid is approved.

“Certainly at minimum they are going to want to look at your future plans and how are you delivering against those future plans as steward for the taxpayers,” he said.

“In a certain way, being able to lay out the business issues as we see them, in some sort of setting where confidential data can be shared, I think people would understand our business and maybe that in the end would be helpful.”

The Canadian divisions of all three automakers have asked for loans or loan guarantees from that country’s government, the Globe and Mail reported. Chrysler is seeking C$1 billion ($797 million) in aid, the newspaper said, citing people familiar with the discussions.

`Back at the Trough’

U.S. federal aid for the Big Three would remove much of the urgency for tough restructuring decisions, said Representative Michele Bachmann, a Minnesota Republican.

“It’s easy to predict that you will be back at the taxpayers’ trough in no time at the rate that money is being burned in Detroit,” she said.

Carmakers are cutting production to cope with declining demand, including a 33 percent reduction in North American output by Ford this quarter. GM said today it’s suspending production of cars and trucks in Thailand for a month and cutting 8 percent of the workforce there because of falling demand in Asia.

Wagoner said the trip to Washington taught him that Detroit’s plight isn’t translating well outside the Midwest.

“What I learned, I think we get out and tell our story pretty well, and then something like this happens and you say `Well geesh’ it’s like nobody knows what we did,” Wagoner said in the interview. “Well, then, it has to start with us. We have to do a better job, a more regular job, of keeping people update, listening to their concerns, trying to respond to them.”

Before calling it quits for the year, the Senate plans to approve a seven-week extension of unemployment insurance benefits that would cost around $6 billion.

The New Peugeot 407 Test Drive Campaign Continues…

Saturday, November 08, 2008  By Sue   

KUALA LUMPUR – To those who have missed the recent new Peugeot 407 Test Drive Me campaign, don’t worry. Nasim Sdn Bhd is now back with its second round of the new Peugeot 407 Test Drive Me campaign at more venues with a lineup of more fun activities during the event.

Now, Nasim Sdn Bhd is proud to once again invite customers to participate in its Peugeot 407 Test Drive Me campaign at Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie, Peugeot Bangsar, Peugeot Klang, Peugeot KS Blue Box, Peugeot JB (Plentong) and Peugeot Penang from 10am until 7pm on 15 & 16 November 2008. This Peugeot 407 Test Drive Me campaign gives customers an opportunity to better appreciate the new Peugeot 407, not just by looking at the car but to experience the new Peugeot 407 dynamically as well.

Customers who have missed the previous event are encouraged to slot some time for the weekend to visit any of the participating showrooms to test drive the new Peugeot 407. Mystery gifts and refreshments await those who visit Peugeot Blue Box Glenmarie, Peugeot Bangsar, Peugeot Klang, Peugeot KS Blue Box, Peugeot JB (Plentong) and Peugeot Penang on 15 & 16 November 2008. For more information on the event, customers are advised to contact Peugeot Careline at 1-800-88-6292.