The legendary KIA Pride also wants to go electric

Over the past few years, the South Korean manufacturer has been launching some of the most interesting electric models on the market, setting itself apart from its competitors by offering an 800-volt architecture in its models based on the E-GMP platform, with all that this implies in terms of efficiency and supported charging power.

KIA’s latest electric model, however, is something quite different. A nod to the past loaded with nostalgia that will surely have delighted the brand’s fans.

The South Korean company has electrified its most iconic city car, the Pride, which was produced in the United Kingdom between 1987 and 2000. This unique and unrepeatable model has been re-engineered, swapping its combustion engine for a fully electric propulsion system that lets it get around using energy from a battery instead of petrol.

Part of the history

The original KIA Pride was a compact vehicle, extremely affordable and known for its minimal level of equipment. Production of the petrol model, with a length of nearly four metres, began in South Korea in 1987. It was available in three- or five-door versions, without ABS, and offered only power steering or air conditioning as optional extras at an additional cost.

Now, in the United Kingdom, Electrogenic has transformed a unit of this manufacturer’s cult classic into an electric model, with the aim of celebrating KIA’s eightieth anniversary in style. The Restomod electric Pride has a single electric motor capable of delivering up to 80 kW of power, along with two small batteries, each with a capacity of 10 kWh.

KIA emphasises that this model has full approval to be driven on the road and describes it as a curiosity or even a toy, designed to be as exciting to drive as the original model with a combustion engine was in its day.

Of course, we would love to bump into this electric Pride on the street one day, although the chances of that happening are sadly probably about as likely as winning the lottery.