Kia Motors sells over 2,500 Niro hybrid SUVs in 10 days

SEOUL, April 7 (Yonhap) -- Kia Motors Corp., South Korea's second-largest carmaker, said Thursday that it has sold around 2,500 units of its recently unveiled Niro hybrid SUV since its launch late last month, suggesting that it is drawing a favorable initial market response.

"Including the 1,500 preorders received prior to its launch, we have sold a daily average of 150 units ever since, which has added up to around 2,500 units," Kim Chang-sik, a vice president of Kia Motors, told reporters at a media test drive event in Seoul.

Kia Motors expects to sell up to 40,000 units of the Niro annually if the current sales pace continues.

The Niro is the automaker's first hybrid SUV model whose production is based on its own platform. It was officially launched on March 29.

The company said that the Niro seems to be appealing to younger male customers with such features as its fuel efficiency, price competitiveness and sporty design.

According to the company's latest sales data, 75 percent of buyers were male, with nearly 50 percent of them in their 20s and 30s.

Equipped with a 1.6 GDI engine, coupled with a 32 kW motor system and six-speed dual clutch transmission, the Niro can produce up to 141 horsepower and a maximum torque of 27 kg-meters, the company said. Its fuel efficiency is 19.5 kmpl.

With its battery placed under the rear seats, the Niro has relatively large luggage space compared with other rival models. Its 2,700 mm-long wheelbase also expands leg room for the driver and passengers, the company explained.

Prices of the Niro range from 23.27 million won (US$20,173) to 27.21 million won depending on trim and options, the company said.

The company earlier said that it will develop the plug-in electric vehicle and pure electric versions of the Niro going forward to beef up its eco-friendly lineup.

kokobj@yna.co.kr
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