Kia Motors has a new 3.0L V-6 turbo-diesel on display at its booth at North American International Auto Show this year. The engine is labeled as a clean diesel and is adjacent to the just announced Borrego SUV.

Kia began offering the engine in Korean market models in mid-2007 and plans to eventually sell the engine in the US market as well. According to the information on the display, Borrego is the target installation in 2010.  

Like the diesel engines from the German automakers, the Kia engine is equipped with particulate filters to clean up the soot. It also features a urea injection system with selective catalyst reduction to reduce the NOx emissions to a level that will allow the engine to meet Tier 2 Bin 5 emissions standards.

According to John Juriga, director of powertrain at the Hyundai-Kia America Technical Center near Ann Arbor, MI, engineers are currently running dynamometer tests on the engine at HATCI. There are also diesel engine prototype vehicles being tested at HATCI.  

Juriga says no on-sale date has been determined at this time. Kia is a corporate partner with Hyundai. Hyundai has previously indicated that it plans to develop diesel engines for installation in that brand as well.  Hyundai spokesman Miles Johnson indicates the engine on display at Kia is also being tested for use in Hyundai brand vehicles.  

JANUARY 2008