Hyundai, Kia debut new models aimed at European market at Paris Motor Show

SEOUL/PARIS, Oct. 2 (Yonhap) — Hyundai Motor Co. and Kia Motors Corp., South Korea’s two biggest carmakers, have debuted their new performance models at the 2018 Paris Motor Show, ahead of their official launches in Europe in the coming months.

At the biennial motor show that kicked off earlier in the day and runs through Oct. 14 in the French capital, Hyundai Motor unveiled its new i30 Fastback N model ahead of its market release later this year. Kia introduced its all-new ProCeed hatchback and Ceed GT models before they go on sale in early 2019.

Hyundai and Kia aim to further boost sales in Europe by launching new and high-performance models. They need to shore up sales there to help achieve their combined sales target of 7.55 million vehicles for this year. They sold 7.25 million units globally last year.

In the January-September period, they sold a total of 5.44 million autos, up 2.7 percent from 5.29 million a year earlier. In Europe, their overall sales rose 8 percent to 715,050 in the first eight months of the year from 662,375 a year ago. Sales data for September are not available at present.

This undated photo provided by Hyundai Motor shows the carmaker’s high-performance model i30 Fastback N displayed at the 2018 Paris Motor Show. (Yonhap)

The i30 Fastback N model is the third model of Hyundai’s high-performance “N” brand, following the i30 N and Veloster N model. Its 2.0-liter gasoline turbo engine and a six-speed manual transmission gives the car a maximum 275 horsepower and 36 kilogram-force meters of torque, Hyundai said.

The model has some advanced features, such as rev matching and launch control, that can make the car attractive to many buyers. Rev matching is used when down-shifting to smooth the transition between gears and prevent shock loads through the transmission. Launch control is an electronic aid to assist drivers of both racing and street cars to accelerate rapidly from a standing start.

Hyundai also displayed 13 other models that include the previous two N lineup models and the NEXO hydrogen fuel cell car to enhance its brand image as premium carmaker.

On top of the ProCeed and Ceed GT, Kia has introduced 14 other models such as the Niro EV and the Sportage sport-utility vehicle, the company said.

The ProCeed is powered by a choice of 1.0-liter, 1.4-liter, 1.6-liter gasoline turbo engines, or a 1.6-liter diesel. It carries some safety features, such as lane following assist, cross traffic collision warning and forward collision avoidance assist. The Ceed GT is mated with a 1.6-liter mill forced induction mill, the company said.

Kia said it plans to launch the Niro EV, its first all-electric model, in Europe later this year, completing its eco-friendly lineup for the common market.

This undated photo provided by Kia Motors shows the carmaker’s ProCeed displayed at 2018 Paris Motor Show. (Yonhap)