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Kia Forte LPI Hybrid Comes in August

The Korean market will be the first one to witness a Kia made hybrid, as the manufacturer will release its LPI in August. In addition, the manufacturer plans to introduce a mid-sized full hybrid vehicle sometimes in 2011 and goes as far as saying it will begin early sales of a hydrogen fuel cell vehicle in 2012.

The new Kia Forte LPI hybrid runs on a mixture of Liquefied Petroleum Gas (LPG), a very popular fuel in Korea and electricity. The vehicle uses a hybrid system to support the internal combustion during engine start and acceleration.

The Forte is powered by a 1.6l Gamma LPI HEV engine, which develops a maximum of 114 horsepower with a fuel consumption of 5.8l/100 km (40.5 mpg), for the version equipped with a CVT transmission.

Kia Forte LPI will be, according to Kia, the first car in the world to use lithium polymer batteries. This type of battery provides more power than the nickel-metal-hybrid (Ni-MH) ones, even if it comes in a smaller, more compact package.

The new hybrid will make its first public appearance at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show, set to open its doors on April 2.

The Forte LPI is not the only weapon Kia plans to use in the battle for the eco market segment. The Korean manufacturer unveiled what it calls the Eco Dynamics brand, a "green label which signifies the adoption of environmental management as a new growth strategy for Kia." The label will be made up of all of the company's hybrid, plug-in hybrids and hydrogen fuel cell vehicles.

The 2009 Geneva Auto Show already showed us the Kia c'eed ISG (Idle Stop & Go), a first for the Korean manufacturer. Kia cee'd ISG offers up to 15 percent fuel savings in city mode using various fuel-reduction technologies, including the aforementioned ISG.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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