Los Angeles motor show - Kia's clean diesels

Kia will start to introduce a range of cleaner, more efficient diesel engines on both sides of the Atlantic next year.

The plans are due to be unveiled officially at the Detroit Auto Show in January, but What Car? has learned some of the details of what the Koreans intend to do.

In Europe, there will be a 2.2-litre four-cylinder unit delivering high performance with low fuel consumption and emissions. It will run alongside the 1.6- and 2.0-litre units Kia currently employs in its European cars.

In America, Kia plans to adopt a clean diesel strategy – with engines that exceed emissions regulations not due to come into force in Europe until 2014 ­similar to that being pursued by German and Japanese companies.

The announcement is being made to coincide with the arrival of a big 4x4 called Borrago at Detroit. It probably will not be offered in Europe due to its size.

News of the 2.2-litre diesel destined for Europe slipped out when Kia unveiled a compact 4x4 concept car called KND4.

Though there are no production plans for the car – it is about the same size as the company's current Sportage model – it is another indication of the design language being introduced by chief design officer Peter Schreyer, the man Kia recruited from Audi.

'Let's just say it allows us to keep our hand in,' said Schreyer. 'Our aim was to make a 4x4 that eliminates the boundary between the city and the outdoors.'

Kia is making design a major priority as it seeks to ensure its future cars appeal to a wider audience.

'These days things like reliability and customer satisfaction are just the price of an entry ticket to the dance,' says the company's British-born American chief executive, Len Hunt.

'Design can inspire passion, and passion is the first thing that attracts people to cars. I can promise you that our future cars won't get lost on the road.'