What's all this about?
Kia is letting us all know what will be on its stand at the Paris Motor Show next month.
Excellent. So?
Well, there are three standard production cars, the key model of this trio being the third-generation, all-new Sorento SUV. It's bigger, more luxurious and quieter than the old one, but still comes with either five or seven seats.
And the other two?
Facelifted versions of the Rio, Kia's best-selling car worldwide, and the Venga MPV, which has been on sale for five years now. Both are tweaked inside and out, with a bit of extra tech and some new colours. The Sorento, Rio and Venga will all be on sale in the first half of 2015.
Is that it, then?
No. The fourth car announced is most intriguing of all - called the Optima T-Hybrid (the 'T' stands for turbo), it features a 1.7-litre CRDi engine and an electric motor for Kia's first practical application of a mild hybrid drivetrain. It can run in zero-emissions mode and an electric supercharger, which torque-fills for the CRDi unit, helps to improve power by between 15- and 20 per cent, while 'significantly reducing' CO2 emissions.
That sounds good. When does it go on sale?
Ah. There is no firm plan for this to enter production, although Kia seems to hint that it is considering two things: making the Optima T-Hybrid into a production reality; and transplanting the diesel-electric drivetrain into other Kias in the near future. It's a case of 'watch this space'.
Matt Robinson - 22 Sep 2014