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Economical performance
Venga goes on sale in the UK with a choice of three torquey and fuel-efficient engines and the option of manual or automatic transmissions. Diesel versions feature EcoDynamics, Kia's fuel-saving, CO2-cutting technologies that include Intelligent Stop and Go (ISG). This switches off the engine when the car comes to rest and the gearlever is put into neutral, and restarts it the instant the clutch pedal is depressed.
All three engines meet EU5 emissions standards not due to come into force until 2011. The two petrol engines in Venga are 1.4-litre 89bhp (90PS) and 1.6-litre 124bhp (125PS) units from Kia's Gamma family. The 1.4 is familiar from the Kia cee'd. In Venga it is mated to a five-speed manual gearbox. The 1.6 is the same engine used in the Kia Soul, but in Venga it comes with a four-speed automatic transmission.
A new 1.4-litre 89bhp U2 diesel engine, related to the 1.6 in the Kia Soul, makes its debut in Venga. It has been designed and engineered in Germany and will be manufactured at Kia's Zilina plant in Slovakia.
It is cleaner, quieter and more fuel-efficient than the engine it succeeds, while ensuring no loss of response or performance. Thanks to a standard six-speed manual gearbox and EcoDynamics technologies, it can cover 62.8 miles on a single gallon of diesel in the official combined cycle, and emits just 117g/km of CO2. This is sufficient to give it significant tax advantages for both private and fleet users. Benefit-in-kind taxation for company drivers is only 13 per cent, while the annual Vehicle Excise Duty is a mere £35.
The essential figures
|
Engine |
Transmission |
Power - bhp |
Torque – lb/ft |
mpg (comb.) |
CO2 |
|
1.4-litre petrol |
5-speed man. |
89 @ 6000 rpm |
101 @ 4000rpm |
45.6 |
147 |
|
1.6-litre petrol |
4-speed auto. |
124 @ 6300 rpm |
115 @ 420 rpm |
40.4 |
164 |
|
1.4-litre CRDi |
5-speed man. |
89 @ 4000 rpm |
163 @ 1750-2750rpm |
62.8 |
117 |
The running gear is based on that devised for the Kia Soul, and benefits from Venga's unusually long wheelbase and wide track. Venga therefore has a similar lively, fun-to-drive character while delivering excellent comfort and refinement.
Motor-driven electronic power-assisted steering is standard as a further fuel-saving measure, and all models have an all-disc braking system with anti-lock brakes (ABS) and Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD). Also standard, unusually in a B-segment car, is Electronic Stability Control (ESC) and Traction Control (TC) with Brake Assist (BAS) to ensure the car always remains under control, even in the most difficult conditions, and can stop in the shortest possible distance in an emergency. As a convenience function, Hill-Assist Control (HAC) is also fitted as standard.
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