Five years after launching the Kia Venga, Kia will reveal an enhanced version of its popular compact MPV at the 2014 Paris Motor Show on 2 October. The refreshed model features a new-look front and rear, a more sophisticated cabin, new alloy wheels and an expanded range of options.
“On its introduction in 2009, the Kia Venga brought stylish good looks to what was, at that time, an otherwise-unremarkable vehicle segment. As well as winning prestigious design awards, the Venga also ensured that rewarding, fun-to-drive motoring was available to drivers whose lifestyles demand a compact MPV,” commented Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer, Kia Motors Europe.
“The 2015 Kia Venga continues to offer all the practicality, versatility and reliability that European buyers expect, but a mildly refreshed appearance will boost the appeal of our compact MPV in the years ahead,” added Cole.
Kia’s European design team, based in Frankfurt, has given the Venga a larger ‘tiger-nose grille’ with a separate, repositioned Kia badge, and a restyled lower grille with combined fog lights and LED daytime running lights. At the rear, horizontal chrome trim joins the new rear light clusters, which also feature LED bulbs. New designs of the larger (16- and 17-inch) alloy wheels are also available.
Inside, the enhanced Venga is fitted with darker metal trim with bright accents and a choice of two new seat trims to raise the quality of the cabin, plus a new centre-stack fascia. New options include a heated steering wheel for colder mornings and the new generation of Kia’s AVN (audio-video navigation) system with a 7.0-inch display screen, rear-view camera, improved processing speed and faster route calculation (availability of system depends on individual markets).
The 4-metre long upgraded Venga retains the original model’s unusually long wheelbase for its class (2,615 mm) and its 1,600 mm high roofline to maximise cabin space. Skilful packaging also ensures that the Venga delivers levels of interior space typical of many larger C-segment vehicles, but within a B-segment footprint. Every Venga is equipped with a 130 mm sliding 60/40 split-fold rear seat, which also folds flat into the floor to create a versatile and spacious cargo bay.
Depending on individual markets, the 2015 Venga will be offered with a choice of up to six 1.4-litre and 1.6-litre gasoline and diesel engines, generating between 77 and 128 ps, driving the front wheels via five- or six-speed manual or four-speed automatic transmissions.
Every engine in the Venga line-up is available with Kia’s fuel-stretching Start/Stop (ISG) technology and complies with Euro 5 emission standards. ISG equipped models have a CO2 rating from just 114 g/km (models equipped with the 1.4-litre U2 diesel engine).
Designed, engineered and manufactured in Europe for European consumers, the stylish and genuinely spacious Kia Venga, has proven to be a strong seller for the Korean brand since its introduction in late 2009, recording sales of more than 150,000 units so far and 29,000 units sold to European buyers in 2013.
Manufactured exclusively at Kia’s Žilina plant in Slovakia, the upgraded Venga is expected to go on sale across Europe in early 2015, with local availability to be decided by individual markets.
