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This is the new Kia Aero-Soul concept car, which promises to improve fuel consumption and exhaust emissions as part of its Eco Dynamics promises. The Aero-Soul concept car showcases a new innovative yet simple and cost effective features called the Air Propulsion and Retardation Installation Line (APRIL).
The system uses small sensors built into the front and rear bumpers to monitor external wind speed and deploy panels when the wind is sufficient enough to help push the car forward. This is a concept taken from airplanes which already benefit from this “tailwind”. Of course, when there is “headwind”, the APRIL panels are retracted to prevent drag that slows the car down, except of course during hard braking, where APRIL panels will also deploy to use the headwind to help slow the car down.
“The big problem with most emission reduction systems is that they are expensive. We wanted to come up with an answer that didn’t cost the earth and could be retrospectively applied to cars already on the road,” said Kia systems manager Avril Babo.
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Miss Babo added that tests of this system at Kia’s Nong Dam facility have shown that during windy weather fuel consumption can be reduced by up to 25% and emissions by anything up 40%. She says that in calm weather, using the system simply under braking can result in reductions of 10% and 15% respectively.
Kia says that in perfect conditions – downhill with a following wind fuel use and exhaust gasses can be reduced to almost zero. APRIL also improves brakepad life, which can be extended by anything up to 50% depending on driver behaviour.
APRIL will also be available as a bolt-on aftermarket accessory officially available from Kia to retrofit to existing Kias. I will suggest to the Naza Group which distributes Kia cars in Malaysia to order these to reduce fuel consumption and emissions of its Zalnas premium taxi fleet. It will surely change people’s perception of public taxis in Malaysia.
After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history. An avid electronic gadget aficionado as well as big-time coffee lover, he's also the executive producer of the Driven motoring TV programme.
what's that antenna at the rear?..some sort of wind sensor reader?.
yes there is one at the front too, to sense tailwind and headwind respectively. if not they deploy the APRIL panels wrongly… then increase drag and waste fuel!
Maybe it's a April fool joke? Even the system is called APRIL…
WoooWWooow..
so innovative..
so could they manage to make the antenna smaller and smarter..
do they calculate the additional weight of the aprils too?
looks big..if it light then it must be expensive..huhu..
This post is screaming April Fools to me.
Hahaha..very cool. Good work from Paul and the designer.
Dear MyviKiller, u have killed the fun already
LOL…
you forgot to add, the APRIL system will be available on all vehicles ordered after midnight on March 31, 2010 and the accessory pack will be available the following day
CocoBear: hey don't give me credit, the press release and images were from kia, must thank their engineers who dare to think out of the box!
maybe it can shove snow on the road side.
surfing car? hahaha.. dont play2 ah paul.
i'm kinda stone right now..but i notice design cue from hyundai matrix,suzuki swift and dihatsu/myvi..shit..nice weed..haha..
This is such an April Fool's joke:)) The image with the back spoiler thingy looks pretty photoshopped:) Good one though
Kia or any other koreans makers outthere should think of how best to innovate on the best engine available instead of this cockamania concoction of wings and stuffs..
Air planes flies in the air.. the key word here is Air. How fast would you think that this kia needed in order to "hardness" the wind to its benefit??
I bet with all the gadgets and stuffs to push or trim the wings, the car could have weighed a ton..!
It looks so funny… Probably just some PS photo… Lol…
The car should have an 'auto sail' on top to further assist propulsion. I don't see the wind turbine in the engine which would generate electricity for the car. This would be the ultimate "earth car"!
errr Paul…..you've contact number of MISS AVRIL BABOOO???
Something fishy I smelt here…:)
Funny la Paul this Miss Avril Baboo…:).
That's a really good APRIL fool joke. Even the registration plate gave it away…
Saw a similar article over at http://www.motortrader.com.my
Who copied who?
Saw a similar article over at the MTM website. Who copied who?
This is an official release by Kia lah. You mean once one website has posted news no one else can post it already? I posted it earlier anyway, and no reason for MTM to "copy".
ah bengs sure lurv the spoiler and front lip
wont pass homologation anywhere on earth. aero-soul – what this is a spray can, ubat nyamuk or something? hahahhahahahahahah
is it this is like last years april fool advertisement?
???
wtf..
i need to read all the comments here 2-3 times..
is it an April fool joke or people here making a joke by making this looks like an april fool..
LOL!!
WAHAHHAHAHAH that's the best april fool's joke i've seen. OF COURSE IT'S A JOKE. look at the pictures. it's so obvious they've been doctored. LOL!!!!!
Good April fool joke Paul, I really enjoyed it! Ha ha ha . . . . .
APRIL FOOL… LOL
good joke.
no one said "i'm 1sttttttt" ? if got one..sure he is the first person that got fooled by this april fool joke
looks like the cars from the cartoon "cars".. reminds me of when lightning mcqueen "jumps" to avoid a crash on the track and he sticks his tongue out like michael jordan.
April Fool !!!!
even te number plate screams 01/04
Kia's system manager is Avril Babo or Avril Satu?…in Motortrader website, it's written as Avril Satu…why is the name Avril Satu?…Avril is April in French and satu is one in Malay…so, 1st of April?…this is such an April Fool joke!
Damn! I was reading the article so seriously until i saw RETARDATION! LOL! That I remembered…
Kia soul design is good but the stupid crazy front bumper will cause problem ! Just stupid idiot accessories! Just watch the photo above carefully, that photo had been modified using the photoshop. Yet, the crazy bumper design will cause serious problems especially motorists if the bumper hit the motorists.
It's fun to see at least one car company not afraid to laugh at themselves during these times of 'doom & gloom' news. At least Malaysian online sites are willing to join in and give people a laugh.
Very funny Paul, very funny….
that is someone driving a harvesting machine on the road ..
it looks silly ..
no cqr mqker will make this:P nice try :p
the size or weight+complicated design+the cost of that thing would never be sensible if it is true..hahaha
Thats why we are long gone compared to Korean mark. We suppose to..
Hahahaha. i cant keep it.. hahahaha
with everything out, this thing looks darn weird and space consuming
It show how fool their engineers could be. This kind of stupid staff only can use on the highway at the top of speed. With the strong wind coming will trow this stupid terbalik into longkong at tepi highway. I bet with two wings, it can fly oversea only on this April.
haha..what a beautiful joke.haha..
[quote comment="226299"]It show how fool their engineers could be. This kind of stupid staff only can use on the highway at the top of speed. With the strong wind coming will trow this stupid terbalik into longkong at tepi highway. I bet with two wings, it can fly oversea only on this April.[/quote]
^ show how fool you could be. lololol
April fool……….
This is one funny car…
I think I will not drive it….unless I have seen many people drive it…it is just weird…
How many of you actually believed it was real?
stupid idea, korean cannot compare to german genius level
[quote comment="226444"]stupid idea, korean cannot compare to german genius level[/quote]
well, it looks like julian-lee a.k.a. alpina-bmw believes it's real
kereta apa ni?? macam sampan… can float on water/
The idea is harness the energy surrounds us and make it into good use, sort of like taichi thingy.
Btw, on an ideal condition where i go down hill with a dead engine, my emission will be absolutely zero on a normal car.
i laughed off my chair reading the first few comments..so obvious…APRIL FOOL..