SEOUL, KOREA - Kia Motors plans to release a follow-up model of its popular compact sedan Morning in the second half of next year. The most outstanding feature of the new Morning will be theadoption of new light-weight, high-strength steel plates.
For the 2014 version of Morning, the usage ratio of high tensile steel plates is estimated at 67.5 percent, the highest among compact cars, with the weight of the empty vehicle estimated at 910 kilograms.
The new Morning, however, will come with higher strength and lighter weight compared to the 2014model.To cope with today’s lightweight trend which is sweeping through theautomobile industry, Kia Motors opted to strengthen the frame of the newMorning.
The adoption of newsteel plates will likely to lead to an increase in the prices.At present, the Morning is the secondbest-selling model in Korea’s car market, with its January-September salesestimated at 67,745 units, behind Hyundai Motor’s Sonata.
