Frankfurt Auto Show: Kia cee'd Hybrid

Kia has finally unveiled the cee'd hybrid at the Frankfurt Auto Show, a model that comes with a fresh face and relies on a hybrid powertrain, obviously aimed at cutting emissions and fuel consumption. The hybrid cee'd is developed by the company's European R&D center, kia-world.net wrote, and is based on the previous model displayed by the South Korean manufacturer at the Paris Auto Show.

As you can see for yourselves in the adjacent photos, the car is boasting a new look at the front, including redesigned headlights and an extended grille. But the most important attribute of the new model is obviously the hybrid powertrain.

According to the aforementioned source, the hybrid currently displayed at the Frankfurt Auto Show has the same four-cylinder 1.6-liter engine also available on the Forte Hybrid, but compared to that one, this is powered by gasoline. To maximize fuel efficiency and lower emissions to minimum, the engine is mated to Kia's in-house CVT transmission, specially tweaked for these two particular goals.

The electric unit fitted on the car develops 20 horsepower and has a maximum torque of 105 Nm from 1,500 rpm.

As for performance figures, the aforementioned settings allow the car to sprint from 0 to sixty in 11.8 seconds, with maximum speed going around 185 km/h (115 mph). CO2 emissions have been reduced by 25 percent, which means the cee'd hybrid releases only 96 grams of CO2 per kilometer.

Kia hasn't mentioned when it will start production of the new cee'd, but more information is likely to surface in the upcoming months.