Kia Pride EV Revealed: The Humble Resurrection We Didn’t Know We Needed
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Kia Pride EV. (Image source: Kia)
Kia UK is resurrecting the humble Pride from the 90s with a green plate. The Electric Pride will mark the company’s 80th anniversary and we support the choice. The original tiny petrol engine will be exchanged for an electric powertrain, but Kia says that it will have a power-to-weight ratio that is similar to the hot-hatches from the 70s. But more on that later.
I agree; not much has changed on the outside, but the heart is different. The tiny 60bhp 1.3-litre unit is now swapped for an electric motor, which puts out 70 per cent more power and 99 per cent more torque. While the 107bhp might not look too good on paper, the car is also light.
Interestingly and rather unusually, Kia has managed to send the drive to the front wheels, not with the traditional single-speed transmission, but a modified version of the car’s five-speed manual. Meanwhile, the juice comes from a compact 20kWh battery pack, offering three drive modes. Coming back to the character of the engine, which Kia claims to be engineered to be playful and engaging, rather than the dull focus on efficiency.
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On the inside, the Pride EV gets retrimmed green highlights inspired by the EV6 GT. Apart from that, the styling is mostly true to the original. Did we mention the original plastic wheel trims?
Kia is celebrating its 80th anniversary this year after its formation back in 1944. The Pride was introduced in the UK in 1991. While the cars were built in North Korea, it was a rebadged version of the Ford Fiesta. The Pride shares most of all its components with the Fiesta except for a different badge and front grille. Interestingly, the car is sold in overseas markets as the Ford Festiva and even as the Mazda 121.
