Kia is developing a powerful petrol engine
Korean carmaker Kia is developing a new modular petrol engine to be used in internal combustion engine (ICE) car models and hybrids. In addition, the turbocharged four-cylinder unit will also serve as a generator for future extended range electric vehicles (EREV).
Here's What We Know
Kia shared some details about the new petrol engine during the 2025 Kia Investor Day event, which also announced the development of a new electric pickup truck for the US market.
The official image shows the new 2.5T-GDI unit. Kia claims this motor differs from its current counterpart with a 5% higher thermal efficiency. It is also 12 per cent more powerful. Given that the current motor develops 281bhp in the Sorento and 290bhp in the K5 GT, you can expect more than 300bhp. Maximum torque is also expected to increase from the current 422Nm.
Kia's new turbo engine. Illustration: Kia
For hybrid cars, Kia promises more dynamic acceleration and a smooth interaction between the electric and petrol engines. In addition, the powertrain efficiency of electrified models is expected to increase by 4 per cent thanks to a new series hybrid system.
As for Kia's extended range electric vehicles (EREV), they will use a "highly efficient power generation system with a new 2.5-litre petrol-based generator module". The internal combustion engine is designed solely to charge the battery pack - without any mechanical link to the wheels. The concept is reminiscent of Nissan's E-Power, Ram Ramcharger and BMW i3 REx technology.
The new petrol and hybrid powertrains are part of Kia's goal to sell 4.19 million cars a year by 2030. That's an ambitious project, considering last year already set a record of 3.1 million vehicles. To achieve this result, Kia plans to produce 15 electric car models and 10 hybrids (including plug-in hybrids) by the end of the decade, while increasing its global production capacity by 17 per cent to 4.25 million vehicles.
Source: Motor1
