On April 25, Kia unveiled its new electrification technology, new products and all-star lineup at the 18th Beijing International Automobile Exhibition. At this auto show, Kia's EV5, a blockbuster model of electrification transformation, shined all over the venue, and the world's best-selling entry-level SUV Sonai was also officially launched in China, with a limited-time smart option price starting at 88,900 yuan. In addition, an all-star product lineup consisting of EV6, Liontop, Setus, and Carnival was unveiled on the same stage, demonstrating Kia's strong product lineup covering gasoline and electric, including sedans, SUVs, and MPVs.
It is worth mentioning that at this year's auto show, Kia also released its innovative black technology - UNI WHEEL in China, and demonstrated Kia's outstanding comprehensive strength and brand technology charm in an all-round way with industry-leading technologies such as L4 intelligent driving technology and ten essential sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly materials.
This year, Kia celebrates its 80th anniversary. Over the past 80 years, Kia has developed into a car brand that is loved by consumers around the world based on its relentless pursuit of technological innovation and quality manufacturing. In 2023, Kia sold more than 3.08 million vehicles worldwide, ranking 7th in the world and setting a new all-time high. In the face of the new energy transformation trend in the Chinese market, Kia has always unswervingly practiced the business strategy of "In China, For China", adhered to the user-centric and market-oriented concept, planned the future through forward-looking technology, and continuously provided Chinese consumers with innovative technologies and mobility experiences that lead the era with high-quality and high-value fuel and pure electric products.
As Yang Honghai, Chief Operating Officer of Kia China, said: "Since its 80th anniversary, technological innovation has been Kia's eternal pursuit. Despite the surging wave of new energy and Kia's electrification transformation in China, the fundamentals of the fuel market still need to be stable, so 'petrol and electricity parallel' is our layout for the present and the future. ”
The star model EV5 is leading the way, and Kia's booth is full of firepower
As a strategic model specially launched by Kia to celebrate its 80th anniversary, and the core model of Kia's electrification transformation, the EV5 has brought a unique new experience of electric mobility to Chinese families who love to explore a new life with its efficient three-electric technology, the only 720km ultra-long range in its class, practical and versatile living space, a healthy and environmentally friendly cockpit, a comfortable driving experience, and a wealth of intelligent technology configurations.
At this auto show, Kia also ingeniously adopted the form of a musical, through more vivid and scene-based artistic techniques, integrating elegant art with the owner's story, and perfectly interpreting the product charm of the EV5 Versatile Life Smart Cabin.
As a major strategic model that debuted in China and is oriented to the world, the Kia EV5 is not only developed by nearly 400 elite Chinese engineers, but also sold worldwide with high quality standards. On April 1, the EV5 export model has been mass-produced at the Yancheng 4.0 Intelligent Manufacturing Plant in Jiangsu Province and sold to developed markets around the world, including Australia.
It is rare in the same class to be equipped with an L2 intelligent driving system, and the new generation of intelligent SUV Sonai is launched
Although the transformation of electrification has been the general trend, fuel vehicles still occupy a larger market size, Kia has a precise insight into the current young consumers' demand for diversified travel, this auto show, Kia's global hot-selling entry-level SUV Sonai was officially launched in China, providing two models: comfort version and luxury intelligent version. At the same time, Kia also brought a deposit doubling gift, an easy car purchase gift, a worry-free travel gift, and an old friend feedback gift, with the price of Sonai Smart Choice starting at 88,900 yuan for a limited time.
In this era of "no technology, no life", intelligence has penetrated into all aspects of everyone's life, and Kia has a deep insight into the needs of consumers. As Kia's "new generation of smart SUV" created for the new independent youth to enjoy themselves, Sonai is a rare model in the same class equipped with L2 intelligent driving assistance system, so that consumers can enjoy the convenience brought by the latest technology at a lower price, and implement "technological equality"; At the same time, Sonay also understands the pursuit of young people for driving experience, with smooth and silky power output, combined with four driving modes, making poetry and distance become close at hand. With the new standard of "smarter, better looking, and better driving", Sonai will redefine the first smart SUV for young people.
At the press conference, Yang Honghai, Chief Operating Officer of Kia China, emphasized: "The integration of Kia's world-leading quality, intelligence, safety and driving pleasure is the greatest sincerity we have shown to Chinese young people, and it will redefine the new standard of 80,000-level SUV intelligence!"
The innovative UNI WHEEL decodes the future trend of electric vehicles
As we all know, technological innovation is the key to the sustainable development of car companies, and it is at the heart of Kia's ability to continue to lead the automotive industry for 80 years. Just like the newly released UNI WHEEL technology at this auto show, it takes originality and subtraction as the core to maximize the balance between structure, cost and experience, and realizes real technological innovation.
UNI WHEEL, also known as the "Functional Integrated Wheel Drive System", splits the traditional drive system into independent modules, moves parts such as universal joints, half shafts, and reducers inside the four hubs, and places a compact single motor near each wheel, so that each of the four wheels has a completely independent driving force. Such an innovative transmission system not only realizes the "all-wheel drive torque vectoring distribution" of the car, but also completely breaks the physical limit and structural limitations of the automobile transmission system, subverts the traditional transmission mode, and will lead the chassis technology revolution of electric vehicles!
The UNI WHEEL consists of a central sun gear and four planetary gears on either side of it, which mesh with each other and rotate in the ring gear. When the power generated by the motor is transmitted to the sun gear, the planetary wheels on both sides will mesh with each other to rotate the ring gear, which is then connected to the wheel to provide power for the rotation of the wheel.
It is based on this working principle, as well as the structural advantages of the UNI WHEEL system and the wheel hub that the power can be transmitted directly to the wheels with almost no loss of transmission efficiency, and at the same time, because the planetary wheels always maintain synchronous movement with the wheels under the action of the integrated linkage assembly, the UNI WHEEL will not produce torsional vibration, no matter how bad and complex the road conditions, the car can drive steadily with stable transmission.
In addition to higher transmission efficiency and more stable driving, electric vehicles equipped with the UNI WHEEL system also have more riding space and longer range. By moving many of the traditional components inside the wheel hub and reducing the size of the electric motor, UNI WHEEL frees up a lot of space in the interior of the car that would otherwise be unavailable to the user, maximizing the passenger space. In addition, the space saved by the UNI WHEEL can also be used to carry a larger battery, providing a much longer range than other models in its class without increasing the size of the vehicle.
In addition, in the technology exhibition area, Kia's industry-leading technologies such as L4 intelligent driving technology and 10 essential sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly materials were also unveiled, fully demonstrating the technological charm of Kia. L4 intelligent driving technology will be deeply integrated with the needs of Chinese users and the research and development of the traffic and road environment, which will better meet the needs of Chinese consumers for intelligent driving, and the ten essential sustainable, healthy and environmentally friendly materials will also be applied to more new models in the future to achieve large-scale sustainable development and provide consumers with a new green and environmentally friendly travel experience.
Take advantage of the momentum and start a new journey. As a mainstream joint venture car company that has been deeply involved in China for decades, Kia has always adhered to the strategy of "In China, For China", and continues to introduce the world's leading technology to the Chinese market to provide consumers with an endless stream of high-value and high-quality products. In the future, Kia will continue to drive the future with innovative technology, comprehensively renew the brand image, and create a travel experience that exceeds users' expectations.