Hyundai Atos

Hyundai Atos / Kia Visto
Production period:	1997-2008
Class :	Minivan
Body versions :	Station wagon
Successor:	Hyundai i10

The Hyundai Atos is a small car from the Korean automaker Hyundai Motor Company , originally launched as the Kia Visto by Kia Motors on the South Korean market. This was sold from the beginning of 1998 to the spring of 2002 and from the beginning of 2004 to the beginning of 2008 in a slightly revised version as the Hyundai Atos and Atos Prime in Europe.

The successor in Europe is the Hyundai i10 .

The first generation of the Visto was produced in Pakistan between 2000 and 2004 (or later) by Dewan Farooque Motors as Hyundai Santro . In Mexico, the Atos Prime was sold as the Dodge Atos . In South Korea and Indonesia, the model is still offered as the Kia Visto.

Atos (1997-2002)

Atos
Hyundai Atos (1997-2002)
Production period:	1997-2002
Body versions :	Station wagon
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (40 kW)
Length:	3495 mm
Width:	1485 mm
Height:	1615 mm
Wheelbase :	2380 mm
Empty weight :	810-922 kg

The first generation Kia Visto was produced since autumn 1997 and sold as Hyundai Atos in Germany from the beginning of 1998. It was a practical and relatively large minivan version that the Opel Agila was largely based on.

Hyundai Atos as a special Sky model

Atos Prime (1999-2002)

Atos Prime
Hyundai Atos Prime (1999-2002)
Production period:	1999-2002
Body versions :	Station wagon
Engines:	Otto engine : 1.0 liter (40 kW)
Length:	3495 mm
Width:	1485 mm
Height:	1580 mm
Wheelbase :	2380 mm
Empty weight :	922 kg

The model, which was marketed in Europe as Hyundai Atos Prime from summer 1999, has a sloping tailgate and is no longer as spacious as the original Atos (minivan). It was a modified Kia Vista I. The sale of the Atos (approx. 23,000 units of Atos and Atos Prime sold in Germany within four years) in Europe was discontinued in spring 2002, as this year its actual successor, the Hyundai Getz , was launched on the European market.

Rear of the Atos Prime

Since the latter had increased significantly in all external dimensions (length 3.82 m; corresponds to an increase of 25 cm) and thus addressed a different clientele , many interested parties asked for a smaller microcar positioned below the Getz. Hyundai took this into account in early 2004 with the third generation Atos.

Atos Prime (2004-2008)

Atos Prime
Hyundai Atos Prime (2004-2008)
Production period:	2004-2008
Body versions :	Station wagon
Engines:	Petrol engines : 1.1 liters (43–46 kW)
Length:	3565 mm
Width:	1525 mm
Height:	1570 mm
Wheelbase :	2380 mm
Empty weight :	959 kg

The third generation Atos has been sold in Europe since March 2004. This was also a Kia Visto , but in the second edition.

Like its predecessor, the Hyundai Atos was manufactured in India by Hyundai Motor India Ltd. and is known there under the name Santro Xing .

The Atos III differs only slightly from the second generation, both technically and optically. Above all, the changed light units at the front and rear in clear glass optics point to the successor. The fact that it was more of a facelift in which a new engine (1.0 l replaced by 1.1 l) was introduced is due to the fact that Hyundai wanted to meet the demand described above as cheaply as possible.

Rear of the Atos Prime

The entry-level version of the Hyundai Atos now featured the 1.1-liter four-cylinder petrol engine with a capacity of 46 kW (63 PS) (previously 43 kW (59 PS)), known from the Picanto of the sister brand Kia Motors and from the 2006 model year Valves (three per cylinder) via an engine that is much more modern than its predecessor , via ABS with electronic brake force distribution, driver airbag, power steering , immobilizer and central locking . The Comfort version also includes a front passenger airbag, power windows at the front, loudspeakers in the rear shelf as well as exterior mirrors and door handles painted in the vehicle color. An ESP was never offered. The trunk of the Atos has a volume of 263 l. The specified average or normal consumption is 5.5 l / 100 km, the CO ₂ emissions 131 g / km. Due to its special shape and the high seating position, the Hyundai Atos is sometimes also referred to as a micro-van.

At the beginning of 2008, production of the Atos was discontinued in favor of the new i10 . However, the Kia Visto will continue to be offered in South Korea and other Asian markets.

Remarks

Despite the very poor safety equipment, which only included a driver airbag and an ABS, the Hyundai Atos of the first generation achieved in the renowned Euro NCAP crash test for the time - the test took place in 2000 - and for the vehicle class a remarkable three out of five stars in vehicle occupant protection. Competitive models that were developed some time after the Atos (for example Fiat Panda in 2004) did not achieve a better result. Child safety was not tested; in terms of pedestrian protection, the Atos achieved an average of two out of four stars according to criteria at the time.

Web links

Commons : Kia Visto - collection of pictures, videos and audio files

Commons : Hyundai Atos - Collection of pictures, videos and audio files