Hyundai announced Tuesday its 1.6-liter hybrid engine that will likely appear in the company’s Prius fighter when that car goes on sale around 2017. The company also unveiled a new 8-speed automatic transmission for front-wheel drive cars.
The new Kappa 1.6-liter GDI engine runs on an Atkinson cycle and uses cooled exhaust gas recirculation to increase fuel efficiency.
Hyundai said the engine would produce 104 horsepower and 108 pounds-feet of torque and would be used in hybrid applications.
In addition to the new engine, Hyundai also announced an 8-speed automatic transmission fit for front-wheel drive applications. The new gearbox will increase fuel economy by 7.3 percent, according to the automaker, and replace the 6-speed automatic transmission currently fitted in its large and luxury cars .
According to Hyundai, even with two additional forward gears and one more clutch than the 6-speed auto, the new transmission weighs 7 pounds lighter than the outgoing transmission.
The automaker didn’t specify where the transmission would likely appear, but you and I know it’s probably the Azera and everything else.
Their 6-speed is very nice. I’m not sure I want the busy-ness of 8 speeds, but it can’t be worse the the FCA 9-speed.
Their mythical dedicated hybrid is a candidate for my next car. An engine with those power ratings could be very economical in a hybrid. And although we like our Optima Hybrid, something more compact (and driveable) would be welcome.
If KIA does the Trail’ster E-AWD system and the 8 speed auto, I’ll buy one as soon as it hits the dealer floor.
Having been a prior Prius owner (2012), but now a 100% Hyundai Customer (two fairly current Hyundai’s in my lane-way), I look forward to their upcoming Prius fighter. The Prius is a great three season car, however it has limitations that make it far from ideal for Canadian winters.
“limitations that make it far from ideal for Canadian winters.”
Please elaborate. Do you mean ride height/traction issues or powertrain?
I’d be curious to know how different the Hyundai’s performance envelope would be with such a similarly sized engine for this proposed hybrid.
What happened to the 10 or 11 speed they were working one?
As I’m rapidly turning into a regular Kia customer for daily drivers, I’m looking at this one with great interest. Stick it in the Forte platform, or a dedicated hybrid based on the same size, and I’ll be very interested.
At the moment, I only own two Kias. I’d love a mythical Forte Hybrid (a handsome car with no bad angles, in my opinion), but I suspect its platform will be bypassed for the dedicated hybrid.
I’ve read the next Sportage (due soon) could offer a hybrid option. This would be great, and would provide a competitor to the RAV4 hybrid coming soon. MPG for CUVs is stuck in the 20s and needs to improve.
KIA will be offering a vehicle called the “Niro”; it will be a hybrid CUV based on the dedicated hybrid platform that Hyundai will be using for the Prius looking fighter.
For comparison purposes, the ’08-’12 Ford Escape Hybrids got about 33mpg with AWD, and better for the fwd version. This is actual mileage, not the rating. And the mileage was pretty well the same regardless of whether it was city or highway driving. Hopefully technology 10 years newer can do better, plus more streamlined styling.
Glad to see that Hyundai/KIA have not joined the turbo/ CVT craze that is so pervasive in today’s car market.
Off the top of my head, the Sonata, the K5/Optima, the K3/Forte, Veloster, Genesis Sedan, Genesis Coupe, Sportage, Santa Fe and Sorrento are all offered with turbocharged engines. More if we include turbodiesels.
Turbocharging isn’t a craze, it’s the future.
And has been since the late ’70s ;)
+1 dolorean top kek
Key word here is offered, not the base standard engine, big difference.
“I like their use of unnecessary quotes”
Maybe that’s closed-captioning for the English-speakers. Heh.
I was watching a Korean movie once, and the English subtitles suddenly switched to Hangul. Broke my brain for half a second before I realized the characters had begun speaking in English.
I think they’re clapping prompts.
“Crap when say this!”
Guess which executive in the photo is not a native of South Korea.
I know right?? That light gray suit would never be worn in South Korea!
106HP? That seems low even without the electric add. I wish manufacturers would offer more powerful small hybrids. The Prius with the Camry Hybrid drivetrain would be pretty sweet…. kind of a green Camry V6. It doesn’t make sense to me that choosing a hybrid means having to accept (comparatively) glacial performance.
How much lower fuel economy do you want to trade off? If you reduce it to less than 35mpg what is the point of even buying a hybrid?