Kia has celebrated its eightieth anniversary with an electrical restomod of considered one of its longest-running automobiles.
The Kia Satisfaction was a Korean-built model of the Mazda 121 which was produced from 1987 to 2000; it was offered right here by Ford because the first-generation Festiva.
The Satisfaction EV is the work of British EV powertrain and conversion specialist Electrogenic, in partnership with Kia UK.
Kia’s unique Satisfaction is important in that market because it was the Korean model’s first mannequin there in 1991.
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The road-legal restomod relies on a 1996 Satisfaction 1.3 LX from Kia UK’s heritage fleet, and as with different manufacturer-sponsored retromods like Nissan’s Bluebird-based Newbird and Hyundai’s Grandeur Heritage Collection, it doesn’t preview a manufacturing car.
Whereas the petrol engine has been changed with an electrical motor and a battery, the Satisfaction EV retains its unique five-speed handbook transmission.
That is uncommon for an EV, although different firms like Jeep have revealed related ideas.
Kia says the Satisfaction EV is meant to be “as participating to drive as an early sizzling hatch”, and weighs solely 20kg greater than the car it’s based mostly on regardless of the addition of a pair of 10kWh battery packs – one beneath the bonnet, one under the boot flooring.
Electrogenic laser-scanned the car and CAD modelled the battery and management programs, earlier than eradicating the engine, gasoline tank, gasoline traces and filler neck, and putting in the battery packs, electrical motor, and a charging socket beneath the filler flap.
The Satisfaction EV contains a 3.3kW onboard charger.
The five-speed handbook is matched with a “performance-oriented” clutch equipment, whereas the throttle pedal’s mechanical linkage has made manner for a drive-by-wire setup.
Right here’s how the Satisfaction and Satisfaction EV examine:
Kia Satisfaction 1.3 LX | Kia Satisfaction EV | |
---|---|---|
Weight | 850kg | 870kg |
Energy | 45kW at 5500rpm | 45kW (Eco) 80kW at 3600-4800rpm (Sport) 60kW (Auto) |
Torque | 118Nm at 3500rpm | 118Nm (Eco) 234Nm at 0-2500rpm (Sport) 176Nm (Auto) |
0-100km/h | 11.8 seconds | 8 seconds (estimated; Sport mode) |
Kia UK claims the Satisfaction EV has 196km of vary “when pushed sensibly in Eco mode”, and this determine will “fall considerably” in Sport mode.
Regenerative braking is minimal in these modes, however extra akin to fashionable EVs in Auto mode. That is activated by pushing the clutch pedal, shifting the gear lever into third, after which pushing the drive mode swap to Auto.
Regardless of the large overhaul beneath the pores and skin, the Satisfaction EV is nearly similar to the donor car. That features the unique 12-inch metal wheels with covers, and the analogue instrument cluster.
Look intently, nevertheless, and you’ll see some adjustments like lime inexperienced brake calipers, upgraded lights entrance and rear and lime inexperienced piping for the era-appropriate gray fabric upholstered seats.
The analogue gasoline degree dial stays, however now reveals the battery’s present state of cost.
Kia UK says the unique construction, as with all Electrogenic conversions, has been fully preserved and all modifications are fully reversible.
The Satisfaction was an vital car for Kia.
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1998 Ford Festiva Avila (Venezuela)
Whereas the first-generation Ford Festiva, because it was badged right here, was changed in Australia in 1994 by a rebadged Kia Avella, the unique lived on in different markets.
For instance, Iranian agency SAIPA constructed the Satisfaction beneath licence properly into the 2000s.
First conceived by Mazda as a hatchback, Kia and SAIPA ended up constructing sedan, wagon, ute and van variations.
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Kia Satisfaction manufacturing in 1986
Kia is celebrating its eightieth anniversary this yr, but it surely isn’t celebrating 80 years of constructing vehicles.
It was based in 1944 as Kyungsung Precision Trade, a bicycle parts producer.
It was renamed Kia Industries in 1952 and shifted to producing bicycles, not producing a motorised car till 1962 with the three-wheeled Okay-360 mild truck.
The corporate’s first passenger automotive was the Brisa in 1974, based mostly on the Mazda Familia. This was constructed till 1981 when army dictator Chun Doo-hwan pressured Kia to finish passenger automotive manufacturing and focus fully on mild vehicles.
It restarted quantity passenger automotive manufacturing in 1987 in collaboration with Ford, with the Satisfaction being its first car. It was exported extensively, together with not solely to the UK and Australia but additionally the US (because the Ford Festiva) and to Europe.