Kia Motors launches All New Morning minicar in S. Korea

All News 14:55 January 17, 2017

SEOUL, Jan. 17 (Yonhap) -- South Korea's No. 2 automaker Kia Motors Corp. launched its All New Morning minicar on Tuesday, setting a clear goal of retaking the title of best-selling minicar in the country.

The official launch came nearly two weeks after Kia Motors began taking preorders for the third-generation Morning.

"The All New Morning offers the best quality in terms of space, convenience, safety and economy that exceed those of all other cars in its segment," Kia Motors President Park Han-woo said in a press event marking the launch of the vehicle.

Kia Motors President Park Han-woo (R) introduces the All New Morning minicar in a press event held in Seoul, South Korea on Jan. 17, 2017. (Yonhap)

"The company seeks to set a new standard for minicars with the All New Morning," he said, adding the company seeks to sell 85,000 Morning cars this year.

The annual sales target, if reached, will be about 7,000 units higher than the 78,035 of the Chevrolet Spark sold in the local market last year, becoming the best-selling minicar here.

Already, some 4,000 preorders have been placed for the first refreshed version of the Morning in six years, according to company officials.

The new Morning comes with a new 1-liter Eco Prime gasoline engine that produces 75 horsepower and has a fuel economy of 15.4 km/l, up 5.9 percent from that of its previous model, the company said.

Kia Motors Corp., the South Korean manufacturer of the All New Morning, launched the vehicle in Seoul, South Korea on Jan. 17, 2017. (Photo courtesy of Kia Motors)

The brand new Morning also has a new look.

The next-generation Morning appears to be bigger and "more confident" than earlier models, while it also has a new stylish outlook with a design that is meant to highlight even the smallest detail and characteristic of the car, its manufacturer has said.

In terms of safety, the carmaker said the All New Morning will certainly be one of the safest in its segment, noting the proportion of advanced high-strength steel in its body has doubled to 44 percent from 22 percent in earlier models.

It is also the first vehicle in its segment to be equipped with a vehicle stability management system, which helps maintain the vehicle's stability by detecting or reducing loss of traction.

The vehicle has a price range of between 10.75 and 14 million won (US$9,131 to $11,891).

bdk@yna.co.kr
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