Kia Syros Flex Fuel concept showcased; Set to get a 1.0L turbo engine

South Korean automaker Kia recently showcased its first flex fuel vehicle concept, the Syros FFV, in India at the sidelines of the Kia Sorento launch. The Syros FFV concept showcases the company’s readiness for adopting alternate fuels, while working on ethanol-blend compatibility for the Indian market. The development comes as India continues to accelerate its shift towards ethanol-blended fuels.

This comes on the back of the government encouraging greater ethanol adoption as part of its efforts to reduce the country’s dependence on crude oil imports. Earlier this year, updated standards for higher ethanol blends were notified, while regulations governing E100 fuel for vehicles have also been cleared. However, the company has remained tight-lipped about the production timeline of the Kia Syros FFV concept.

Kia Syros FFV Concept

The Kia Syros flex-fuel concept is powered by the 1.0L TGDI, three-cylinder, direct-injection turbocharged petrol engine. However, the engine receives several mechanical and electronic changes to make it compatible with varying petrol-ethanol blends. These include a revised engine control unit (ECU) and modifications to the fuel system. Kia has not yet disclosed the power and torque figures for the flex-fuel version. The company is also yet to reveal details about its fuel-blend compatibility and whether the concept could eventually make its way into series production.

Interestingly, the biggest change comes in the transmission department. While the regular turbo-petrol Syros is offered with a seven-speed dual-clutch automatic (DCT) gearbox, the flex-fuel concept uses a six-speed torque-converter automatic transmission. This setup is likely to be an improvement to handle the different combustion characteristics of higher ethanol percentages in the fuel.

Kia Syros FFV Concept: Rivals

Toyota has been one of the early movers in flex-fuel technology in India, showcasing and working on vehicles that can run on higher ethanol blends. A few other manufacturers have also expressed interest in the technology, suggesting that flex-fuel vehicles could become more prominent in the Indian market as the decade progresses.

Kia’s Syros flex-fuel concept comes amid this growing industry interest. The company, however, is not the first manufacturer to take flex-fuel technology beyond the concept stage. A few months ago, Maruti Suzuki became the first carmaker to introduce a flex-fuel vehicle for sale in India. The model uses a 1.2-litre petrol engine designed to operate on ethanol blends ranging up to E100.

With Kia showcasing its own ethanol-compatible powertrain, flex-fuel technology appears to be emerging as another area of development and competition among Indian automakers.

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