Kia’s all new Rio based K2 sedan, a model developed exclusively for the Chinese market has been unveiled today at the 2011 Shanghai Motor Show.
The Kia K2 Sedan will be assembled at the Dongfeng Yueda manufacturing facility in Jiangsu starting from June, with a 5-door hatchback version also expected to enter production in August.
The new Kia K2 measures 4,370 mm in length, 1,700 mm in width, 1,460 mm in height, and has the longest wheelbase in its class (2,570 mm), plus it offers an ample luggage capacity of 500 litres. Power will be provided by either a 1.4-litre or a 1.6-litre Gamma petrol engine, both available with manual or automatic transmissions, and once it will hit the market, the car will be offered in six trim levels.
At the exterior the Kia K2 features the automaker’s ‘tiger nose’ grille, newly designed fog lamps, a larger air intake and dynamic swept back headlamps. Some of the more discrete features that add to the K2’s character include a side line, side air vents, a trunk edge line plus a two-tone rear bumper with modern looking lamps.
The K2 will compete in a segment that accounts for 16 per cent of all new car sales in China, and when speaking about this new sedan, Hyoung-Keun Lee, Vice Chairman of Kia Motors, said, "We are confident
that this all-new model for China will provide the momentum needed for
Kia not only to remain as one of China’s fastest growing automotive
brands but also to become a top 10 automaker in the local market in
terms of quality and customer satisfaction."
