Hyundai And Kia Are Probably Working On Turbo-CNG Cars

This comes in after the Carens and Sonet Turbo were spied with CNG kits

Recently, the top-spec turbo-petrol variants of the Kia Sonet and the Carens were spied with CNG. This sparked rumours suggesting that Kia is making a foray in the CNG space, where many manufacturers are also trying to make a move. 

The Kia Carens was spotted with a CNG kit, a CNG-filler cap on the side, and the turbo-petrol registration. As for the Sonet, it was seen with a ‘CNG’ sticker on the windscreen and the filler cap placed beside the fuel filler cap. Both the models’ top-end variants were spotted.

We believe that Kia, along with Hyundai, is developing turbo-petrol-CNG cars, as a first for India. The turbo-CNG combination will ensure more than adequate performance along with fuel efficiency, as the best of both worlds. 

The Kia Sonet and Hyundai Venue share their 120PS 1-litre turbo-petrol engine, while the Carens, Creta, and Seltos share the 140PS 1.4-litre turbo-petrol unit. When running on CNG, the power figures will be lower by around 10-20 percent. In their petrol guises, you can opt this engine with manual, automatic and iMT (clutchless manual) options, but the CNG variants are likely to be offered with a manual transmission only. 

Another thing noticed through these spy shots is that both the models are top-spec variants, which seems to be the recent trend. Initially, the CNG was an option on the base-spec or mid-spec trims. Offering the cleaner fuel option with the top-end variants will attract buyers who want all the features but with lower fuel expenses. 

• 10 Most Fuel-efficient CNG Cars You Can Buy In India

Even Tata is expected to develop turbo-CNG options, including the Altroz and Nexon. The Indian carmaker is also expected to introduce CNG variants with an AMT (automatic gearbox), which could be another India-first feature. 

Source

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