Four Letter Korean Words: Niro and Kona.

I'm late today. I was enjoying the sun too much, perhaps. I'm adding this YouTube video without even watching through the entire thing. (Has my blog become just a place for bookmarks? Oh, how the mighty have fallen!)

Next week, I have arranged to visit a Hyundai dealership very close to where we do our weekly grocery shopping. I'm going to take a currently available internal-combustion-engine one out for a test drive. I want to see the form-factor in person. Today, I when we were heading to our Coquitlam Superstore, I drove past the place to ensure I could find the location on Tuesday.


Perhaps it is a blessing that KIA couldn't manage to have a Niro PHEV ready for me in April. From Malaysia, I had contacted a local dealership. Actually, the plug-in hybrid models are STILL not offered in Canada yet.

However, their sister company from South Korea is already taking deposits for delivery of an all-electric Kona. Is it time to request my $1000 Canuk bucks back from Tesla so I can put it down on one of these guys? Coming back from SE Asia after the winter to one might be perfect! It might be a perfect match for what should be in my downstairs parking stall next summer.

Walking. Not Driving Something New.

Neat. I just got back from a walk down through the 'W'. It definitely feels like spring with all the people playing hookey outside in the sun. My love for Pier Park has been rekindled.


This was taken almost exactly two years ago. Today looked the same.
Today is a bit sad though as I requested my KIA deposit back from the dealership. Back in January, I was sure that KIA Canada would have the Niro PHEV available as it already had been released in Europe and the US. Unfortunately, they're a little slow on the uptake here and still do not expect one on the lot until September. I would kick myself if I bought something that didn't plug in! September would be a perfect time of year for many buyers, but not for us. We can be classed as Canadian 'snowbirds' and expect to be off again next November on our 10-year plan. I can't justify buying a new vehicle, running it for a few months, and then storing away it for five.

I guess I hesitantly have decided that it'd be better to replace my old pickup a year from now. Perhaps, there will be an additional choice of a PHEV version or an all-electric by then! We'll see.

Is There a Niro in Our Future?

Day 109 - Okay, the pictures in today's posting didn't come from Cambodia. In fact, they didn't come from my camera either. I copied them from the website of a KIA dealership in British Columbia.

Why did I add these, even though we don't fly from Siem Reap to Vancouver for another month? Well, I have been in contact with a KIA dealership close to home, although not where the following pictures were found. I was searching to see how this particular dark-grey colour looks on a real Niro. I was partial to 'Ocean Blue' but Jay said 'Graphite' was his favourite.







I have been trying to decide whether this would be a good year to get a new vehicle and whether this model would be a good fit for us.

A few months ago, I hadn't even heard of a KIA Niro, but during the winter I've been using the web to find out more and more. I was trying to decide whether to by a new 2018 plug-in hybrid electric vehicle. Unfortunately, KIA Canada nixed that possibility as they will not be offering the PHEV version until the fall. So, I have been left researching as much as I can about the regular, hybrid version. Surely, I could happily live with one of these. It'd mean forgoing the plug but being able to have a moonroof.

You have to understand the vehicle I've been driving for the past 22 years does not even have a standard AM radio. So, the bells and whistles on a Niro SX Touring trim package would keep me happy for at least a decade. By then, maybe completely electric, autonomous vehicles will be affordable.

We Interrupt This Blog for a Commercial Announcement

Day 77 - I hadn't thought about visiting 'KIA Malaysia' to learn about the Niro PHEV here. For all I know, they might be more forthcoming than 'KIA Canada' has been.

I've been trying for a few weeks to get some info from the headquarters in the Great White North. My local BC dealership hasn't been able to provide me with any information yet. The car, in question, has been selling in the US from the beginning 2018, but it has nary a mention on www.kia.ca. No teasers. Nothing. It's as if it doesn't exist.

Today, I may have figured out why. It seems the 'Canadian International Auto Show' in Toronto is coming up. This Friday, it opens and the new PHEV version of the Niro will be announced there. This must be why they have been so tight-lipped.

In today's world of the Internet, such promotional stunts seem increasingly counterproductive. I've been scouring the Internet for the last two months and watching first-hand accounts by a particular Danish owner since last year! It's not easy listening to the guy, but I'm a real trooper. He has many more 'views' than the KIA corporation does on this vehicle. A company should make learning about its products as easy as possible.

An auto show is hardly a necessary premier event in today's global car market, even less so in a country with a geography such as Canada's. It is plain silly to withhold information from potential customers who are unable to make it to an event in Ontario. Dumb, eh?

Perhaps in Silky Silver?

Day 65 - This morning, we went to the Sunshine Plaza to pick up a few things. Getting around Penang by bus is convenient and relaxing even when there's heavy traffic.

However, I cannot help thinking that I should buy a new vehicle upon our return to Canada. Considering our stays in British Columbia will be limited to just seven months a year for the foreseeable future, such a big purchase is a little hard to justify. I'm sure I'll be able to, though.


This was taken on film 21 years ago this month.
I can always proceed on the basis of the safety issues alone. The truck we bought in 1996, when arriving in North America to live, was built early that year. It has no electronics visible when inside the cabin. More importantly, the Ranger has just one airbag for me in the steering wheel. So when Jay sits in the suicide seat, he is completely unprotected as compared to modern vehicles. I'm getting older too; perhaps, I could use the help of 'Lane Assist'.

Moreover, researching and shopping for a new vehicle will be really fun. I think I owe it to myself to splurge a little on transportation. I've already started communication with a dealership at home.

If a Niro is Unused for 5 Months a Year?

Day 60 - The number I just typed means we've already been in Penang for two months! And a glance at the calendar shows that we have exactly one month more! It's been a very comfortable place to spend this part of our winter. We don't head back to Canada until mid-April, however. We will spend the remainder of our time in Siem Reap as a base.

I am feeling much better today. Even though I had a severe case of the flu, its major symptoms only lasted 48 hours. Today, we went out and about. If one is going to be sick, it's better to be sick for a short time.

I shall put a screenshot in today's entry. Even after all these years of having the Internet, I am still delighted by its amazing size and depth. There's nothing one can think of which cannot be somewhat researched. How did people ever find individuals of a unique, perhaps-limited group? We definitely take the benefits of the WWW for granted nowadays.

26 Electric Miles for Local Errands

Day 26 - The Internet provided in this apartment on Penang Island is as fast as our current plan in British Columbia. This means we can stream all our TV content. As well, general Internet time seems just like at home. So, perhaps this is why I started thinking about buying a new vehicle next spring. My 1996 Ranger has served us well.

I already have a $1000 deposit with Telsa for a model 3. Yet, I'm sure they won't be able to make my vehicle for nearly a whole year. Unfortunately, that puts delivery back into a timeframe when we'll be away for winter. By May of next year, I could buy something new. I'm very tempted by the looks of this KIA Niro plug-in hybrid. It'd probably be a more practical vehicle for our needs. I did email the dealership in Coquitlam, BC and received a response from them.