Paving the way for enhanced future mobility with more autonomous, connected and eco/electric vehicles

Dubai, United Arab Emirates, 17 January 2018:  KIA Motors Corp., through its sole UAE distributor Al Majid Motors Co., has revealed its ‘Boundless for all’ vision and ‘ACE’ strategy for future mobility, which were presented at the 2018 Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas on 8th January. KIA’s manifesto envisions a future in which opportunities for mobility and transportation are limitless, while its ‘ACE’ strategy aims to make its cars more Autonomous, Connected and Eco/Electric.

As part of its ‘ACE’ strategy, KIA will commercialise Level 4 autonomous driving technology, adopt connected car technologies across every vehicle segment, and make every single model a connected car by 2030. The company will also introduce 16 new advanced powertrain vehicles by 2025, including a range of new hybrids, plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles, as well as an all-new fuel-cell electric vehicle in 2020. 

At the show, KIA demonstrated its vision for future mobility with a range of interactive displays that showed customers what they can look forward to. Visitors interacted with KIA’s developing autonomous drive technologies through a VR simulator and experienced a V2X diorama demonstrating how cars could connect with other vehicles and the urban environment. The company plans to operate a large-scale test fleet for autonomous technology on public roads from 2019, paving the way for a ‘Smart City’ autonomous vehicle testing pilot in 2021 and ultimately commercial production of the technology.

As part of its strategy to expand its electric vehicle portfolio, KIA exhibited the Niro EV Concept at CES 2018. Combining the stylish design of a modern compact SUV with the high efficiency of an advanced battery-electric powertrain, the KIA Niro EV Concept represents the next step in the brand’s ongoing journey to electrification.

The company’s electric vehicles were showcased alongside its latest HMI technologies, autonomous drive features and the world’s first in-car 5G connection, which visitors experienced through a set of interactive cockpit-style experiences and simulations via VR headsets.

In addition to showcasing these new technologies, KIA announced its plans to roll-out its ‘WiBLE’ car-sharing service – first launched in Korea in 2017 – to new regions from 2018, starting with Europe. The service will enable urban and suburban mobility by providing vehicles to customers who need to drive but may not own a car of their own or who want a more convenient drive in city centres. KIA will announce the first European locations for the launch of WiBLE later in 2018.