The new Kia K2900 CRDi follows in the footsteps of the venerable but successful K2700 light truck that has served so many tradespeople with different needs right across Australia.

The K2700 has been Australia's most versatile light truck virtually since its introduction in October 2002. It was built to perform and built to last, and its 3.11 metre long drop-side tray made it ideal for anyone who needed lots of space without having to buy a bigger and more expensive truck.

Thousands of owners including tradespeople such as plumbers, electricians and landscape gardeners, right through to small fleets such as local government and motorway maintenance crews found the K2700 to be their ideal truck.

With more than 4,200 units sold in Australia since introduction, the K2700's popularity demanded that any replacement for that truck would need to promise something fairly special. The new K2900 CRDi delivers on that promise - it's the new age workhorse for tradespeople and small fleet users.

"The K2700 developed a great following amongst many different tradespeople right across Australia since its introduction here in 2002," said Bill Gillespie, Director of Sales and Marketing at Kia Motors Australia.

"The K2700 heritage was built on simple pillars - straightforward diesel engine, highly manoeuvrable, one-tonne payload, comfortable and airy cabin and spacious, optional drop-side long tray."

"Until now, the only thing most owners have wished for is more power and torque to complement the carrying capacity of the long tray. The new K2900 CRDi delivers on those wishes with 59 percent more power and 49 percent more torque, as well as increased payload, and greater refinement and versatility."

"The K2900 CRDi is now an even better new age workhorse," Mr Gillespie concluded.

Engine and transmission

Kia is committed to building best-in-class powertrains and taking on the technical challenges of designing diesel engines that reduce CO2 emissions while at the same time improving driving performance.

Kia has more than 30 years experience in designing and mass producing diesel engines for many applications. The company has been at the forefront of high speed direct injection diesel engines and continues to work towards the development of even 'cleaner' diesel powertrains in the future, including NOx after-treatment systems and more cost-competitive diesel powertrains.

The new K2900 CRDi is equipped with a larger 2.902-litre four-cylinder engine that features double overhead camshafts (DOHC), Common Rail Direct injection (CRDi) from Delphi, a waste gate turbocharger (WGT) and an intercooler.

The Euro-IV compliant turbo-diesel produces maximum power of 92 kW @ 3,800 rpm, an increase of 59 percent over the previous K2700, and powers the K2900 CRDi to a top speed of 140 km/h, a 10 percent improvement over the K2700.

The CRDi engine also produces maximum torque of 245 Nm @ 2,000 rpm, an increase of 49 percent over the K2700, with more than 90 percent of torque available from 1,500-3,200 rpm.

The greater torque ensures the engine runs more often in the heart of the torque curve while still delivering up to 10.2 litres per 100 kms (official ADR81/01 test), a six percent reduction over the K2700. This gives a maximum possible range of 637 kilometres from its 65-litre tank.

The new CRDi powerplant is matched to an easy-to-use five-speed manual transmission that makes best use of the increased power and torque while still delivering better fuel economy and nearly five percent lower CO2 emissions than the outgoing K2700.

The new engine has been designed to be both more responsive and more refined with better throttle control and lower levels of noise and vibration at idle and while driving.

Chassis and exterior

The K2900 CRDi is built around a heavy-duty ladder-frame that offers increased strength and rigidity.

Gross vehicle mass (GVM) of the cab-chassis model has been increased to 3,290 kg, an improvement of 13 percent over the K2700.

Payload(*) has been increased up to a maximum of 1,740 kgs (cab-chassis) or 1,481 kgs with the optional factory steel tray. The steel tray offers 3,110 mm of length and 1,630 mm of width, with the functionality of a low 761 mm deck height and side and rear drop panels for easier loading.

(*) Payload includes occupants, luggage and fitted options (including tray or body). The weight of these must be deducted from the payload to determine actual load carrying capacity. Front and/or rear axle weights must not be exceeded.

Front suspension of the K2900 features double wishbones with torsion bars and gas shock absorbers and a stabiliser bar, while the rear suspension features multi-leaf springs with gas shock absorbers.

Front wheel size has been increased and now features 15-inch 5.5J steel rims with 195/R15/8PR tyres, guided by power-assisted, tilt-adjustable steering with an overall gear ratio of 16.28.

Dual rear wheels are retained with 12-inch 3.5J steel rims and 5.00/R12/8PR tyres.

The K2900 CRDi is fitted with ventilated, power-assisted front disc brakes and rear drum brakes that deliver powerful and fade-free stopping power, even when fully loaded, aided by tandem brake boosters.

The increased GVM and better power and torque of the K2900 CRDi give the new truck a braked towing capacity of 1,400 kg.

The K2900 CRDi has a turning circle of 10.04 metres and a steering wheel lock of 3.32 turns.

Exterior colour options are Clear White or Marine Blue.

Interior

There was little need to improve on the practicality and design of the K2700's cabin when it came to planning the K2900 CRDi.

However, some minor changes to the centre console area have enhanced the comfort and appearance of the interior.

The K2900 CRDi comes with standard manual air-conditioning, a single disc DIN CD player and AM/FM radio with twin speakers, Urban Grey cloth interior, remote central locking, power front windows, twin grab handles for easier access, and twin dual-pane convex exterior mirrors for improved rear visibility and manoeuvring in tight spaces.

The cabin features a drop-down centre seat that provides a lipped storage tray and twin cupholders.

The light and airy cabin has comfortable seating for three people, with two ELR 3-point seat belts for the driver and outboard passenger and a lap-belt for an additional centre seat passenger.

The cabin offers excellent visibility for all driving situations, with the latest NRMA Visibility Index showing that the K2700 (and now the K2900) is the best tray-top or ute for safe reversing, being the only vehicle in its class to score more than three out of five stars.

Standard equipment

Kia has long been renowned for offering great value and a complete package of standard equipment and the new K2900 CRDi light truck is no different.

The new K2900 CRDi features:

• 2.9-litre in-line four-cylinder diesel engine with common rail direct injection (CRDi), waste gate turbocharger (WGT) and intercooler
• Five-speed manual transmission only
• Manual air-conditioning
• Single disc DIN CD player with AM/FM radio and twin speakers
• Urban Grey cloth seat trim
• Central locking with remote keyless entry
• Power-assisted brakes with tandem boosters
• Power front windows
• Body-coloured bumpers
• Centre seat with storage tray and twin cupholders
• Driver's footrest
• Twin grab handles for easier access
• Tilt-adjustable power steering
• Headlight leveller
• Tinted glass
• Optional 3,110 mm-long factory steel tray

Warranty

The new K2900 CRDi comes standard with the confidence of Kia's new 5-year/130,000 kilometre warranty for business and commercial vehicles.

The new five-year warranty, better than most factory new commercial vehicle warranties available in Australia, reflects the rapid improvements to the quality and reliability of Kia vehicles in recent years.

Provided factory servicing requirements are met, the balance of the five-year warranty is fully transferable to a new owner should a K2900 CRDi be sold during the warranty period, further enhancing that vehicle's value.

In addition to new vehicles, all Kia approved parts and accessories fitted prior to, or at the time of, delivery of a new K2900 CRDi will also be covered by the same warranty applying to that vehicle.

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