Kia Motors has a new 3.0L V-6 turbo-diesel on display at its booth at North American International Auto Show this year. The engine is labeled as a clean diesel and is adjacent to the just announced Borrego SUV.
Kia began offering the engine in Korean market models in mid-2007 and plans to eventually sell the engine in the US market as well. According to the information on the display, Borrego is the target installation in 2010.
Like the diesel engines from the German automakers, the Kia engine is equipped with particulate filters to clean up the soot. It also features a urea injection system with selective catalyst reduction to reduce the NOx emissions to a level that will allow the engine to meet Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards.
According to John Juriga, director of powertrain at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center near Ann Arbor, MI, engineers are currently running dynamometer tests on the engine at HATCI. There are also diesel engine prototype vehicles being tested at HATCI.
Juriga says no on-sale date has been determined at this time. Kia is a corporate partner with Hyundai. Hyundai has previously indicated that it plans to develop diesel engines for installation in that brand as well. Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson indicates the engine on display at Kia is also being tested for use in Hyundai brand vehicles. [Source: Dieselforecast.com]
January 22nd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Thats great! but whats Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards?
January 23rd, 2008 at 11:57 am
It’s an emission standard like Euro4, used in Europe, that limits vehicular pollution and it’s effects on environment and our health.
Tier 2 / Bin 5 diesel emissions standard is considered to be the world’s strictest emission standard and was adopted by US States including California, Massachusetts, New York, and others.
Diesel vehicles that not meet Tier2 /Bin 5 tandards are not allowed to go on sale in US. I think there are only two automakers (VW and Mercedes) that have passed “US emission tests” and are already offering diesel engines in some of their models.
January 23rd, 2008 at 1:24 pm
O OK. thanks.
January 23rd, 2008 at 8:53 pm
The only chance for Kia to achive high sales numbers on US market, will be offering a diesel variant of Borrego! Large SUVs market is shrinking due to the floods of crossovers and high fuel costs. But there are still many people who’d buy a large SUV if it had a reasonable consumption. I think, until Ford sells more than 500.000 units of it’s pickup truck (or is it Explorer) in US, there is still chance for Kia to steal some of it’s customers.
But as I said, the vehicle should have a good mileage! And this can be achived only by new diesel engine that Kia is developing for US market. That engine is already on sale in Korea, but will be improved to pass strict US emission tests.
Let’s hope those tests running right now will be ok and Kia introduces it’s first diesel engine on US market by 2010, as planned.
January 23rd, 2008 at 10:10 pm
I saw that on display!
January 18th, 2011 at 7:59 pm
So… How about that Clean Diesel turbo engine Kia has in the USA?