Do not adjust your television sets, this is actually a Kia – just not as we know it.
The Mazda 121/Ford Festiva has been brought back to life – as a Kia.
While Australians may recognise the city hatchback as a Mazda 121 or Ford Festiva of the late 1980s and early 90s – one of the many products the two brands collaborated on – Kia also sold the vehicle as the Pride in the UK, parts of Europe, and China during that time.
Now, to celebrate Kia’s 80th anniversary, the company’s UK arm has unveiled the Pride EV Restomod – a ‘restoration and modification’ of the hatchback, but with the original 45kW 1.3-litre four-cylinder petrol engine replaced with an 80kW electric motor.
However, rather than the electric motor driving the wheels directly, it’s been mated to the original five-speed manual transmission which feeds power to the front axle – a common method when converting older petrol or diesel vehicles to electric.
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Removing the engine but retaining the drivetrain significantly reduces the complexities of the conversion, and allows the driver the ability to change gears – albeit without a clutch.
An Auto mode is also available around town, allowing the driver to leave the shifter in third gear at all times.
Kia turned to UK company Electrogenic for the job, with dual 10kWh battery packs providing almost 200 kilometres of driving range in Eco mode.
In Eco mode, the electric motor is limited to 45kW and 118Nm, while changing to Sport mode increases power and torque to 80kW and 118Nm respectively.
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Though the headlights and tail-lights have been upgraded, the original 12-inch steel wheels with hubcaps have been retained.
As a nod to Kia’s current range of electric models, the Pride EV’s interior has been retrimmed in grey cloth with lime green piping, with the exterior resprayed in White Pearl.
While Kia produced the Pride from 1986 to 2000, Tunisian manufacturer Wallyscar continues to produce a version of the car to this day.
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