Kia Quoris Debuts New Tech Features, Explained by Patrick Kia of Richmond

Online, August 1, 2012 (Newswire.com) - Kia recently announced that its new flagship sedan, known domestically in Korea as the K9, will soon come to the United States as the Kia Quoris.

Since everyone has seen the K9 so the design brings few surprises, the most heated topic of discussion is the name. "Derived from the English words 'core' and 'quality', the name of our new flagship sedan hints at the attributes at the very heart of the vehicle. The word 'Quoris' conveys solidity, luxury and high-technology, all resonating together as a chorus," said Thomas Oh, Kia's Executive Vice President & COO of the International Business Division. Love it or hate it, at least it's not a seemingly meaningless stream of interchangeable letters and numbers used by some brands.

The 2013 Kia Quoris will offer many options available for the first time in Kia. It will feature new safety technologies like BSD (Blind Spot Detection), LDWS (Lane Departure Warning System), AVM (Around View Monitoring system), ASCC (Advanced Smart Cruise Control), and (AVSM) Advanced Vehicle Safety Management). Such features have been available in luxury nameplates, but the Quoris will mark their debut in the Kia.

ASCC monitors road conditions using radar, evaluating traffic and speed to determine a safe following distance from the vehicle ahead. The driver can use steering wheel controls to manually adjust the distance. The Quoris can automatically if necessary, and will restart itself if stopped for less than three seconds. Beyond that time, the driver must resume acceleration.

BSD uses two rear bumper mounted radar scanners to alert a driver of the presence of another vehicle in a blind spot area. Blind spots are measured approximately four meters out from each side of the car, continuing back six meters from the rear bumper. If the speed of the oncoming vehicle is determined to be dangerous, the system will alert the driver, with repeated warnings if necessary. This system can be deactivated and only operates above speeds of 30 kph.

LDWS in the Quoris uses a forward-facing camera to see lane markings and to judge the car's position between them. At speeds above 60 kph, a warning is triggered if the car senses deviation from the lane.

The AVM system offers four cameras that provide a true 360-degree view of the car in eight viewing modes on the navigation monitor. This feature increases safety during low-speed maneuvering and parking. Using continuous images from the four cameras, the system creates a from-above view of the car in motion, so the driver can better judge the surroundings.

The above systems, along with stability control and seatbelt mechanisms, are integrated by AVSM to detect and react automatically to collisions. The driver is alerted in three incremental levels (audio, visual on the Head Up Display, and a vibrating seatbelt signal) before the seatbelts lock and the vehicle brakes automatically.

The Korean Kia K9 currently offers these helpful features, but they are subject to change in the Quoris before it hits U.S. roads. To see the technology features available in other Kia cars, visit Patrick Kia in Richmond for a test drive, and follow on Facebook for updates about the Quoris and other exciting Kia news.