Known for their affordable and reliable models, Kia is working hard to keep their teeming clients satisfied. For the 2021 model year, the South Korean manufacturer had released their new Stinger, Sorento, and Telluride models, but 2022 is shaping up to be even more productive. Like most automakers, Kia has been making plans to increase the number of electric vehicles in their lineup. They plan to build eleven electric vehicles by 2026 while targeting 6.6 percent of the electric car market.
A "Plan S" strategy has been put in place, and the manufacturer intends to lead the popularization of electric vehicles. Seven will be built using Hyundai's E-GMP electric motor architecture platform out of Kia's planned electric vehicles. Kia revealed this on January 14th, 2020. With all these plans being put in motion, 2022 is bound to be an exciting year. Here's what Kia has in the works for 2022.
10 2022 Kia EV6
Kia's 2022 EV6 is probably the most sensational item the manufacturer has for 2022. The compact SUV is all-electric, and the first of eleven EVs Kia plans to build by 2026. There are three trim levels with rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive available.
Just by looking at the EV6, you can tell Kia went all out on the design – both exterior and interior. One of the most important factors for EVs is charging, and the EV6 can charge 10-80% or 210 miles in 18 minutes with an 800v DC fast charger.
9 2022 Kia Telluride
Kia will be releasing the 2022 model of their biggest SUV in 2022, and the Telluride is expansive. The 8-seater SUV comes with Kia's new logo and new technology features. As expected, there's enough legroom in both the second and third rows. You also get under-floor trunk storage and a towing capacity of 5000 lbs.
Kia's Telluride delivers 291 horsepower and an acceleration of 0-60 mph in 7.1 seconds from its V6 engine. There are two panoramic roofs though you can't open the rear roof. The Telluride starting price ranges from $34,015-$43,915, and that's amazing for this hulk of a car.
8 Kia Carnival Hybrid
In March 2021, Kia unveiled their 2022 Carnival, replacing the Sedona. The minivan has been well received because of its features, but the 2022 Carnival is down on fuel efficiency compared to Toyota's Sienna Hybrid. Kia has announced a Carnival hybrid model to be released in 2022.
An all-electric version of the Carnival is expected to follow in 2023. Not much is known about the Carnival Hybrid, but the minivan will likely share a lot of features with the released 2022 Carnival. We're expecting the Carnival hybrid to be more fuel-efficient and match rivals in this category.
7 Kia Niro
The 2022 Kia Niro Hybrid is inspired by the Kia HabaNiro concept car. There's both a hybrid and a plug-in hybrid version for the Niro. The hybrid Niro is fitted with a 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine with a 44.2 kW electric motor and a battery pack of 1.49 kWh.
On the other hand, the plug-in hybrid version is equipped with the same 1.6-liter turbocharged gasoline engine, a larger 66.9 kW electric motor, and a 13.8 kWh battery pack. The Niro hybrid version delivers 229 hp, while the plug-in hybrid variant delivers 261 hp.
6 Kia e-Niro
Kia's e-Niro is similar to the hybrid Niro, but of course, there are differences. One difference is the price range. The e-Niro has a 64kWh battery pack that powers the electric motor that delivers 201 horsepower and 291 lb-ft of torque.
As part of the differences between the Niro and e-Niro, you get rear air vents. There are also impressive features like vehicle stability management, electronic stability with traction control, reverse parking sensors, and more.
5 Programmable Charging
While electric cars are cheaper to fuel than petrol or gasoline cars, they still come with costs. Sometimes, it costs $9 or more to charge an electric car to full percentage, but what if it could be better? What if you could take advantage of cheaper electricity plans?
So many energy suppliers have overnight tariffs, but it would be such a hassle to come out at night to charge your EV. Here's where Programmable Charging comes in. You can simply program your Kia to start charging at a particular time. That way, you can go to sleep and wake up to a replenished car.
4 Safe Exit Assist Feature
Some people have experienced near abduction from their cars, so; it's no surprise that Kia thought about implementing this vital safety feature. Kia's safe exit assist feature focuses on the rear seat passengers, who are most times children.
The Safe Exit Assist feature makes use of radar at the back seat to detect cars approaching. If there are attempts to unlock the child safety lock, the vehicle automatically overrides it and keeps the vehicle locked until it's safe.
3 Remote Smart Parking Assist
The remote smart parking assist is an innovative feature that helps park the car or exit a parking spot while the driver is outside. Kia's parent company, Hyundai, first introduced this feature in their 2020 Sonata.
Hyundai's luxury car brand, Genesis, also has the smart parking assist feature, and they introduced it in their 2021 Genesis G80. Now, Kia has this smart feature, and the 2022 EV6 will be the first American Kia model with the feature.
2 Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control Curve (NSCC-C)
.jpg?q=50&fit=crop&w=750&dpr=1.5)
Kia's navigation-based smart cruise control curve is similar but not to be confused with smart cruise control (SCC). NSCC-C is an intricate driver assistance feature from Hyundai and Kia cars. Smart cruise control works mainly to recognize vehicles in the car's peripheral and operate cruise control, but NSCC-C does more.
There are three functions of the NSCC-C, and they include auto set function, safe zone function, and curve function. Kia's NSCC-C feature works on both expressways and highways.
1 Purpose Built Vehicles
Purpose-built vehicles are flexible vehicles designed to meet the demands of passengers and mobility. In 2017, German startup MOIA built the first ride-sharing purpose-built vehicle. Other companies with purpose-built vehicles include e.Go and StreetScooter.
Kia intends to release their first PBV in 2022 and become a leader in the purpose-built vehicle market. The project is part of Kia's plan to become an industry fast mover. Passengers in PBVs will be able to carry out different activities while the vehicle transports them.