Kia has announced plans to build a test fleet of 4,000 of it's newest Rio Hybrid, A.K.A. the Kia Pride (first displayed at the Geneva Motor Show last March), for the South Korean government. Full production is planned by 2009.

The Kia Pride will pack a 88-hp 1.4L engine; a 16-hp electric motor with a 1.6L /20hp electric option will be available as well. The electric motor, mounted between the flywheel and the gearbox, aids the petrol engine during starting, accelerating and hill-climbing with regenerative braking to store energy and recharge its power pack during deceleration.

The Pride is the first Kia to employ a CVT (continuously variable transmission) and also features computer-controlled stop/start motoring, which kills the engine when the car is idle. This eco-friendly Kia achieves a fuel economy of 53.4 miles per gallon, reducing air pollutants by 37 percent and improving fuel efficiency by 44 percent, according to a Kia press release.