GAPYEONG, Gyeonggi Province -- Defying the common perception of compact cars, Kia Motors’ third-generation smart compact car All New Morning features enhanced safety along with a bigger interior.

The company hosted a media test drive encompassing 109 kilometers to and from the Grande Walkerhill Hotel in Gwangjin-gu, eastern Seoul to a cafe in Gapyeong of Gyeonggi Province. 

The All New Morning’s interior provided enough space for a 190-centimeter tall person to drive and a 172 centimeter-tall participant to enjoy a spacious ride in the backseat, comparable to the brand’s compact sedan K3. There was ample leg room for the driver and front passenger, allowing a 190-centimeter tall person to drive without stooping.

Although its back seat was not as spacious as the K3, it was roomier than other similar compact vehicles, such as the Chevy Spark.

The compact car was relatively safe and stable on a highway when driving at a speed of about 100 kilometers per hour. The third-generation compact car is made of high tension steel expanded by 44.3 percent, the highest among compact cars. 

To strengthen coherence within the car body, Kia also applied a total of 67 meters of structural adhesive, compared to the 8 meters used previously. Indeed, there was not a hint of shakiness when driving on the highway, often noted as a drawback of compact cars.

“Between January 4, when preorders for the Morning began, and February 6, we secured contracts for an accumulated total of 8,925 units. The figure surpasses the monthly sales target of 7,000 cars,” said Seo Bo-won, a marketing director of Kia Motors, at the test drive event.

According to Kia Motors, female customers accounted for 43 percent of the number and 57 percent were in their 20s. By color, 31.8 percent chose white, followed by milky beige at 29.8 percent.

The prestige trim showed to be the most popular, making up 37.8 percent, followed by the luxury trim at 32.8 percent and the lady edition at 8.9 percent.

The new Morning comes in five different trims, priced between 10.7 million won ($9,100) and 14 million won. It is up to 2 million won more affordable than rival compact cars.

The Morning also demonstrates 5.9 percent better efficiency at 15.2 kilometers per liter compared to previous models, with maximum output of 76 horsepower and maximum torque of 9.7 kilograms per meter.


The Korea Herald rating (out of 5 stars):

Design: 3 stars
Safety: 4 stars
Gas Mileage: 4 stars
Price: 5 stars

Overall: 16/20

(lisakim425@heraldcorp.com)