Kia focused on its ‘Green Car Roadmap’ at the recent Chicago auto show, displaying hybrid and plug-in vehicles, including its much-anticipated production version of the 2017 Niro compact tall wagon. Based on an all-new eco-car platform that the automaker plans to use as its electrified vehicle base going forward, Kia says its goal is to use the platform to triple its electrified lineup by 2020.The Niro’s equally all-new gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain showcases the direction Kia is taking with electrification. The new platform is engineered specifically to offer lighter weight and greater strength for heavier hybrid and plug-in powertrains without adding more weight to the vehicle’s structure.
The Kia Niro is based on a new platform that will underpin a number of new electric models by 2020. (PHOTO: KIA)
