Driving to Oslo proved an electrifying experience when Kia UK hosted an exclusive driving day for members of the Southern Group of Motoring Writers.
More than 20 SGMW members, an excellent two-thirds of the group’s total membership, attended the driving day based at Burley Manor hotel, near Ringwood in Hampshire’s New Forest, and a host of test-drives saw them covering the distance from the hotel to the capital of Norway in weather than ranged from warm sunshine to torrential downpours.
The 14 Kia demo vehicles, most of them electrified, were:
- EV6 77.4kWh GT-Line RWD and GT-Line S AWD.
- Niro 1.6 GDI hybrid electric vehicle in 2 and 4 trim levels.
- Niro 1.6 GDI plug-in hybrid electric vehicle in 3 and 4.
- Niro 2 64.8kWh pure electric vehicle 2WD.
- Sportage 1.6 T-GDi 2 2WD and GT-Line S HEV AWD.
- Soul EV 64kWh Maxx
- Stonic 1.0 T-Gdi 2.
- ProCeed 1.5 T-GDi GT-Line.
- Stinger 3.3 T-GDi GT S.
Dan Sayles, Kia UK head of Press and public relations, said it was a pleasure to host SGMW, its ‘local’ group of motoring writers, for the day.
It gave members a chance to drive some of the latest important models to join Kia’s UK range, for the first time or to reacquaint themselves with them, and spend quality time with PRs from its friendly, efficient team.
Before dinner, Dan highlighted some fun facts.
During the day, SGMW members had:
- Driven 14 different cars.
- A total of 805 miles – the equivalent of the distance to Oslo.
- The EV6 was the individual model driven by most members.
- The new-generation Niro range of hybrid, plug-in hybrid and pure electric SUVs had the most test drives.
When the pleasure of driving the new Kia cars finished, it was down to business as SGMW members held their AGM.
