Blend of Performance and Economy

The all-new turbo charged version of Kia's popular 'Kappa' petrol engine which promises an appealing blend of performance and economy will be making its debut on Kia's Geneva Motor Show stand alongside the new Kia Rio and Kia Picanto models.

The new 998cc engine is Kia's first three-cylinder unit to be fitted with a turbocharger to deliver impressive performance of 110ps for its capacity, while keeping key fuel economy benefits of a small displacement engine.

Kia's engineers have carefully tuned the new unit so it delivers maximum torque of 137 Nm from just 1,500 rpm up to 4,500 rpm, for excellent 'real-world' driveability, the design has also been optimised to ensure smooth and responsive operation at all engine speeds. The new is expected to be fitted to Kia production vehicles from June 2012.

A Diamond-Like Carbon (DLC) coating is applied to this Kappa's tappets to reduce friction, and thereby improve efficiency, other changes include the use of progressive rate 'beehive' valve springs, an optimised Continuous Variable Valve Timing programme, low friction piston rings and an off-set crankshaft centre to reduce the horizontal force acting on the piston head, and therefore cut power loss.

By using an aluminium block with a cast iron liner, integrating the cylinder head and air filter and integrating the engine support bracket with the timing chain cover the weight was reduced and packaging was improved.
The new engine also offers low maintenance costs throughout the vehicle's lifecycle, the unit is fitted with a chain-driven timing system to ensure low maintenance, with a 7 year / 100,000 miles guaranteed lifespan.