Kia has developed its own Gasoline Direct Injection engine based on the new Theta II family of units that will be used in the next generation of Kia vehicles. The company said the project had been developed at a cost of  170 billion won (£88 million) over a 46 month-long research period.

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The first unit is a 2.4 litre four cylinder unit with a compression ratio of 11.3:1, and delivers 201ps at 6300rpm and 25.5kg.m of torque at 4250rpm in its initial Korean domestic market specification.


“The Theta II GDI convincingly demonstrates our advanced powertrain engineering capabilities,” said Dr Lee Hyun-Soon, Hyundai-Kia Motor Group vice chairman and chief technology officer.


The 2.4 Theta II GDI engine will make its Korean debut in the first half of 2010. It is expected to appear in Kia products in the UK in 2011.

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