Kia Cee’d gains idle stop-go technology
Kia will introduce ISG (idle stop-go) technology on all six models of the new Cee'd - offering a claimed 15 per cent fuel saving - when manufacturing commences at its Slovakian facility this month.
The Cee'd will be the brand's first production model to benefit from such technology. Kia hope this will demonstrate its commitment to eco-friendly technologies for the future.
Kia also has intensive Research and Development programs under way developing hybrid, fuel cell and electric vehicles for volume production in the next decade.
"The new Kia Cee'd ISG models confirm our commitment to creating more environmentally friendly and fuel-efficient production models," said Hyoung-Keun Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of the International Business Division, "without losing sight of customer expectations for Kia cars to feature a sporty design, fun-to-drive performance and a strong appeal to the young-at-heart."
Kia's innovative ISG system automatically switches the engine off when the car is stopped in traffic and restarts the engine instantly when the driver wishes to move again. In typical city driving conditions, with heavy traffic and constant stop-start motoring, the ISG system dramatically cuts fuel consumption and emissions.
As part of the ISG system for Cee'd, a new smart starter motor is linked to an upgraded ECU, which monitors the car's status at all times. When the car comes to a stop, such as at traffic lights, the ECU uses information from various other control systems around the vehicle to decide if switching the engine off is appropriate.
A new high-efficiency alternator suppresses electric power demand during acceleration and recharges the car's battery during deceleration. As a fail-safe, if the car's battery power drops below 75 per cent of maximum for any reason, or there is insufficient energy available for the next start-up, the system will abort its ISG sequence.
While the car is stationary, if the clutch pedal is depressed, the engine is instantly re-started - automatically - so there is no delay in setting off as the engine re-starting process is accomplished in the time it takes the driver to select first gear.
"In Europe, the Kia Cee'd has rapidly established itself as a genuine rival to class-leading vehicles in the C-segment," said Mr Panu Vainamo, General Manager Marketing, Kia Motors Europe. "Now, we are proud to transfer some of the 'green-performance' features shown on earlier Kia concept cars into our 2009 production models. The ISG innovation will maintain the Cee'd as a highly competitive challenger in its class, with a CO2 rating from just 137g/km."
The new ISG-equipped Kia Cee'd cars will also benefit from a new-generation, lighter weight manual gearbox which more than offsets the small extra weight of the ISG system components, this new five-speed transmission weighs five kilograms less than the previous unit and features a new selector mechanism. Gear-changing forces are reduced, reverse is synchronised with fifth gear for easier selection and the overall feel of the transmission is significantly improved.
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