Hyundai & Kia plans to add hybrid models to its SUV line-up from now to 2020 in response to diesel emissions regulations.[ads id=”9″]
Hyundai and Kia will expand their hybrid line-up, mainly based on sedans (except in the case of Niro) to SUVs models which is currently a market trend.
In the case of Electric cars, both brands already bet for SUVs, with the Kia Soul first and now with Hyundai Kona, despite the Hyundai Ioniq EV who is a Sedan and the future Niro EV.
The first model to be launched is likely to be a mild hybrid when the refreshed Kia Sportage arrives to the market. The mild hybrid system consists on a 1.7 CRDi diesel engine and a hybrid system with a 35 KW electric motor and a 48V lead carbon battery.
The lead-carbon battery has a higher output, lower cooling and corrosion rate than conventional lithium-ion batteries, and a longer replacement cycle.
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The displacement will be reduced from 2.0-liter or 2.2-liter to 1.7-liter, at least from 300 cc to 500 cc, and the electronic supercharger will add a 25% of the maximum output.
In other words, the Santa Fe Mild Hybrid equipped with the 1.7 diesel mild hybrid system can deliver 200 hp, like using the current 2.2 diesel and a fuel economy benefit of about 20% better than the average of the model.
The only thing that confuses me is why the recently launched Tucson facelift that finally have not included this system (could arrive later). Kia Ceed and Sportage models with 48V Mild Hybrid system will debut at the end of this year.
But at the same tim this report said Hyundai will wait for the partial change of the Tucson in 2020 to add a mild hybrid to complete the SUV line-up of petrol, diesel and N performance variants.
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Hybrid will also be added to the Santa Fe TM as we said before. On the other hand, Kia has lost the opportunity at least for the moment, of launching a Sorento Mild Hybrid on the recent facelift showing again that the mild hybrid system could not be finished.
Source: (AutoTribune)
