Kia Granbird

The Kia Granbird (Korean: 기아 그랜버드) is a high-decker coach produced by the South Korean vehicle manufacturer Kia. It was derived from the Hino S'elega platform and for a brief period of time from former Asia Motors. Production started in 1994, and the exterior look stayed the same until the second generation in 2007, and then finally a refresh in 2020. The Granbird is produced at Kia's Hanam plant, and Kia's commercial and military trucks. The Granbird is only sold in selected markets.

Kia Granbird
Overview
Manufacturer	Kia
Also called	Kia Granbird Royale Kia Super Granbird Kia Granbird Super Premium
Production	1994–present
Assembly	Hanam Plant, Gwangju, South Korea
Body and chassis
Class	Commercial vehicle
Body style	High-decker coach
Layout	Rear-engine, rear-wheel-drive
Doors	1
Floor type	Step entrance
Powertrain
Engine	D6AB, D6AC, D6HA, D6CA, D6CB, D6CC, D6CD, D6CG
Transmission	5/6-speed manual (ZF) 6-speed automatic (ZF)
Dimensions
Wheelbase	5,800 mm (230 in) 6,150 mm (242 in) 6,640 mm (261 in)
Length	11,650 mm (459 in) 12,000 mm (470 in) 12,490 mm (492 in)
Width	2,495 mm (98.2 in)
Height	3,435 mm (135.2 in) 3,555 mm (140.0 in)

First generation (1994–2007)

In 1994, Kia introduced the Granbird, to compete with the Hyundai Aero and the Daewoo BH series. This generation was only offered with direct injection diesel engines.

• 
  Kia Granbird 2000–2007
• 
  Asia Motors Granbird

Second generation (2007–2020)

In 2007, the second-generation Granbird was introduced with the Parkway model. The Granbird and the Hyundai Universe shared a dedicated commercial vehicle chassis. It underwent a first refresh in 2011. The second refresh of the Granbird, the Silkroad model, debuted at the Seoul Motor Show in 2015.

• 
  Pre-facelift
• 
  Facelift

Model name

• Silkroad
• Sunshine
• Bluesky
• Parkway
• Greenfield

Third generation (2020–present)

Third-generation Kia Granbird

Unveiled on 14 May 2020, the third-generation Kia Granbird continues to be underpinned by Hyundai's dedicated commercial vehicle chassis shared with the refreshed Hyundai Universe. It is available in Super Premium Sunshine and Super Premium Parkway trims. It features a large, completely color instrument cluster, and a large touchscreen infotainment system. The interior also features a new flat TV and an entertainment system is standard on the Super Premium Sunshine and Super Premium Parkway versions. The indoor height has been increased by 80mm, and the upper left and right widths of the interior have been expanded by 120mm.

For the first time in its class, a front parking assist device that sounds a warning sound when there is an obstacle in the lower front, a steering haptic that gives attention to the driver through vibration when operating with safety specifications, and automatically opens the door through a sensor when a person or object gets caught when the door is closed. The main entrance touch sensor, a speed-sensitive car height control device that adjusts the height of the vehicle according to the vehicle speed to improve aerodynamic performance, etc., are applied.

The powertrain of the refreshed coach is a Powertech 12.7 liter Hyundai D6CG (Euro 6) (440ps) diesel engine paired to both manual and automatic transmissions.

External links

• Chronological table of Korean Buses
• Kia Granbird at the Internet Movie Cars Database
• Official website