1 Feb 2023
Premier’s search for the finest vehicles led to the efficient, spacious and purpose built vehicle
SINGAPORE, 01 FEBRUARY 2023 - Cycle Carriage Singapore signed an agreement
today with Premier. The two companies will jointly roll out the brand new Kia Niro Plus
Hybrid, a car tailor-made to exceed the needs of taxi and private hire drivers and
passengers alike.
Premier
launched a search last year for a modern, fuel efficient and spacious vehicle to offer
their hirers. Premier takes pride in delivering the highest quality rides offered in the country
and aims to distinguish itself as a leading car rental and fleet management operator by
selecting only the most reliable vehicles.
The
Kia Niro Plus Hybrid beat all competition, thanks to features that maximise taxi hirers
business opportunities while reducing fuel expenses.
“As
vehicles that undergo long mileage and heavy usage, taxis have to meet greater
demands than ordinary cars. They must be safe and comfortable should have extensive
space to transport luggage and bulky items and need to be both reliable and fuel efficient to
keep operating costs at a minimum,” said Ms Dawn Pan, Director of Multi franchise
Operations, Cycle & Carriage Singapore. “The Niro Plus Hybrid is Kia’s first ‘purpose built
vehicle’, made for fleet operators to fulfil modern day business demands, which often can be
a mixed bag of delivery and logistics services and people mover purposes, including ride
hailing.”
As
a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider, Kia is exploring diverse ways to help people
and businesses move beyond traditional automotive products, and the company expects its
purpose built vehicle models to be an important part of future mobility.
The
Niro Plus is a firm part of Kia’s plans to be a leader in building such vehicles. It also
reflects a greater public demand for more sustainable means of working and travelling. To
address this demand, the general, non taxi version of the Niro Plus will play a key role.
“Not
just fleet operators but private hire owners can use it for bot h recreational and business
activities. For example, it could be a mobile office in the day and double up as private
transport after work hours, since this purpose built Niro is designed to be highly versatile,”
Ms Pan said. “We are expecting more of such eco-friendly purpose built vehicles from Kia to
arrive on our shores in time to come.”
“The Kia Niro Plus Hybrid is not only built to be the ideal taxi, it fits perfectly with our goals to
deliver the highest levels of customer service, said Mr Teo Kian Men g, Managing Director of
Premier Taxis At Premier we believe that safety and comfort are vital for drivers and
passengers alike. We strive to provide the best vehicles available to our hirers because that
helps them to play their part in delivering smooth, enjoyable journeys.
A
comprehensive redesign of the previous generation Niro, the all new Niro Plus focuses on
greater usability with an 80mm heightened roofline. The increased roof height brings
significant enhancements to passenger comfort and load space, along with improvements in
rear legroom and headroom.
BUILT
WITH SAFETY IN MIND
To
keep all occupants safe at all times, the Kia Niro Plus Hybrid comes with a suite of active
safety features (which help s to prevent collisions from occurring and passive safety features
(which protect s everyone on board in the event of an accident
Among
the key safety features are:
Advanced
High Strength Steel
The
monocoque frame of the Niro Plus uses more than 53% advanced high strength
steel ( an d hot stamped steel. These greatly improve the body strength to
enhance cabin protection. The stronger body also improves dynamic performance by
providing a stable foundation for the suspension.
Smart
Cruise Control
The
smart cruise control system allows the Niro Plus Hybrid to maintain a safe
distance from the vehicle ahead by automatically adjusting the driving speed. It
allows the driver to set an appropriate distance to the vehicle in front and then
automatically maintains a safe following distance according to road conditions and
vehicle speed.
Forward
Collision Avoidance Assist
Using
radar and camera data, the Niro Plus Hybrid is able to detect a potential
collision with another vehicle, pedestrian, or object ahead. It then warns the driver
with visual and audible alerts and vibrates the steering wheel, and if necessary it
applies emergency braking to avoid a collision or reduce the effects of one.
Lane
Keep Assist System and Lane Following Assist
These
features assist the driver and can help greatly with reducing fatigue. The Lane
Keep Assist System is designed to alert the driver when it detects that the vehicle is
about to stray from a traffic lane without the turn signal activated. If a collision is
imminent, it may also intervene with automatic steering assistance to help the driver
stay squarely within the lane of travel.
A
prelude to full autonomous driving technology, Lane Following Assist ( is most
useful during traffic jams where it controls acceleration, braking and steering in
relation to the vehicle in front. The system uses radar and a camera to maintain a
safe distance to the vehicle ahead and detects road markings to keep the Niro Plus
Hybrid in its lane on the motorway.
UNBEATABLE
PRACTICALITY
With
a significantly taller roof, the Kia Niro Plus boasts all the practicality of a purpose built
vehicle, with these useful features designed to delight passengers:
Generous
headroom
The
high roof design creates an enormous amount of room in the back, leaving even
the tallest passengers to luxuriate in space and comfort. Large windows also create
an airy atmosphere to add to the roomy ambience and make each journey a
pleasure.
Large
boot space
Although
it isn’t physically bulky the Niro Plus Hybrid is shaped to be a load carrying
champion. With a tall roof and upright tailgate, the Niro Plus Hybrid can take on
board three large pieces of luggage in addition to one folded wheelchair. The
enormous boot ensures that few passenger journeys come with too much to handle.
BUILT
IN COMFORT
While
cabin room and boot space are vital, the little things count, too. The amazing features
that make the Niro Plus Hybrid such a delight to ride i n include:
Wide
door opening
The
rear doors swing open to a wide angle to make entering the Niro Plus Hybrid a
breeze.
B
pillar assist handle
A
perfectly positioned handle on each B pillar makes exiting the cabin safe and
secure for rear passengers.
Rear
aircon vents
A
must have feature here (that not every taxi or ride hailing vehicle has), the aircon
vents mounted at the rear of the centre console help to ensure that passengers
always travel in cool comfort.
MAXIMUM
CONVENIENCE, MINIMUM FUSS
The
Niro Plus Hybrid helps to make every journey smoother and more pleasant by ensuring
its driver has access to the latest features. These thoughtful features include:
Keyless
entry
The Smart Key and Start button make the beginning of every drive in the Niro Plus
Hybrid an easy affair.
Wireless
Apple CarPlay and Android Auto
Whichever
smartphone Operating System the driver uses, the Niro Plus Hybrid
readily becomes an extension of it, thanks to Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. And it
does so wirelessly, so no more messy cables.
Auto
Light Control
Set
the light control to Auto and the headlights and taillights come on automatically at
dusk or in dark places, leaving one less thing for the driver to worry about.
Rain
sensing wipers
With
a sensor to measure rain intensity, the Niro Plus Hybrid automatically activates
the windshield wipers and adjusts t he wiping interval as needed.
Electronic
Parking Brake with Auto Hold
With
a fully Electronic Parking Brake, the Niro Plus Hybrid has an Auto Hold function
that allows the car to be held stationary without having to keep the brake pedal
depressed. Pressing on the accelerator pedal releases the EPB automatically,
making it a convenient feature for reducing driver fatigue in situations with long
stationary periods, such as a traffic jam or in heavily built up areas. When stopped on
a steep incline, the driver can use the EPB Auto Hold button to prevent the vehicle
from rolling back.
Tyre
Pressure Monitoring System
This
keeps track of the pressure inside each of the tyres, and tells the driver which
tyre is under inflated by displaying its pressure value on the cluster screen. No more
guesswork, and a better outcome down the road: properly inflated tyres last longer,
grip the road more securely and keep fuel consumption optimal.
LOW
CONSUMPTION, LOW EXPENSES
The
Niro Plus Hybrid’s advanced powertrain consists of an electric motor and an efficient
1.6L, four cylinder direct injection engine working seamlessly together.
Apart
from providing powerful acceleration, the hybrid powertrain boasts exceptional fuel
efficiency, needing only 5.3 litres of petrol to travel 100 kilometres. This low fuel
consumption is not only in line with Kia Motors well proven eco credentials, but is also a
boon to the Niro Plus Hybrid’s intended users less money spent at the fuel pumps means
more money in the pockets of Premier Taxis ’hirers.
The
new Kia Niro Plus comes in both Hybrid and EV (electric vehicle) versions. As part of its
commitment to zero emissions and the Singapore Green Plan 2030, Cycle Carriage will
launch the Kia Niro Plus EV later this year, offering a green solution to taxi and ride hailing
companies that aims to offer zero emissions mobility.
