LPG-Hybrid Cars coming up

The biennial Seoul Motor Show opens its doors to the public today, with carmakers focusing on the latest eco-friendly vehicles and technologies. The event will run through April 12 at the KINTEX exhibition center in Goyang, Gyeonggi Province.

Hyundai Kia Automotive Group's two carmakers are displaying a total of 53 vehicles including eight concept and show cars, eight eco-friendly vehicles and 30 production vehicles. For Hyundai Motor Co. the highlight of the show is the liquefied petroleum gas-electric hybrid version of the compact car Avante that was unveiled for the first time at the press preview yesterday. Along with Kia Motors Corp.'s LPG hybrid Forte, the new Avante is the world's first hybrid electric vehicle to combine LPG and an electric motor powered by lithium polymer batteries, giving the car a fuel economy of 21.5 kilometers per liter of fuel. The country's largest carmaker, which plans to begin small scale production of hydrogen fuel cell vehicles in 2012, is also using the event to debut the plug-in hybrid concept car Blue Will. Kia Motors, which revealed the LPG hybrid electric version of the compact sedan Forte on March 24, took the opportunity to launch the Sorento R. The Sorento R, which replaces the Sorento SUV that was first launched in 2002, is available with a 2.2-liter diesel, 2.4-liter gasoline or a 2.7-liter LPG engine that respectively generate 200, 175 and 162-brake horsepower. The car's prices range from 23.8 million won ($17,700) to 36.15 million won and the company hopes to sell 30,000 units on the local market and export 110,000 units starting next year.

The organizers of the show are also operating a prize draw through which a vehicle will be given away on each day of the 10-day event. Vehicles up for grabs include the compact cars Avante, Forte and the crossover utility vehicle Soul. Also on offer are Honda Civic hybrid, GM Daewoo's Lacetti Premiere and the Ford Escape.