Ucan2 - Drive 24

Kia Stonic - the small SUV with big ideas

Sleek on the outside with distinctive traits, the Stonic is a bold statement in fun driving and available on Motability with a range of options and adaptations.

The upgraded Stonic offers drivers a range of efficient ‘Smartstream’ powertrains, with innovations that enhance efficiency. Among these, the Stonic offers Kia’s petrol 48V mild-hybrid ‘EcoDynamics+’ powertrain, available with manual or double-clutch transmissions.

Updated in 2020, the interior and exterior design of the Stonic remain largely unchanged since its launch in 2017. However owners have even greater choice in terms of new body and roof colours and colour schemes, and new wheel designs. Inside, there is a large 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system with the latest Kia Connect telematics features. Safety and driver support are further enhanced with the adoption of high-tech advanced

driver assistance systems (ADAS).

Introduced to the European market at the end of 2017, the Stonic has become one of Kia UK’s more popular models, the sixth best-selling model in the country just after the XCeed and Ceed line-ups.

The Stonic is based on a version of the Rio supermini platform, and is powered by high-efficiency, high-technology ‘Smartstream’ petrol powertrains. It was designed in Europe at the company’s Frankfurt studios, with input from the main design centre at Namyang in Korea. Originally intended as a car solely for Europe, it is also now sold in Korea, such was the reception it got when shown there.

In the UK there is a standard four-model line-up based on ‘2’,

‘GT-Line’, ‘3’ and ‘GT-Line S’ trim levels. In early 2023, a ‘Quantum’ special edition model is also available. All versions offer an extensive package of connectivity features, including links to Android Auto™ and Apple CarPlay™ via pre-downloaded smartphone apps, while advanced electronic driver assistance systems such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist, Lane Departure Warning and Automatic Headlight control. There are no plans for an EV or hybrid model in the Stonic lineup. More generally, under Kia’s long-term ‘Plan S’ strategy, the brand will launch a range of 14 EVs globally by 2027, which will cover a wide range of vehicle sizes and segments. Several of these will launch in the UK and Europe.

Image courtesy of Kia

Designing the next-generation of electric Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles

Two students selected to explore design & engineering solutions that could help thousands of disabled motorists

Two talented students have been selected by Motability Operations and CALLUM to help design and engineer an electric Wheelchair Accessible Vehicle (eWAV) prototype with the aim of encouraging industry innovation and helping to ensure future EV mobility is accessible for all.

Zoe Graham, a fourth-year Bachelor of Engineering student of Product Design Engineering at The Glasgow School of Art/Glasgow University, and Yikuan Zhang, a third-year Bachelor of Arts student studying Automotive and Transportation Design at Coventry University, impressed the judging panel with their eWAV concepts developed at ‘Design Hacks’ held at their respective universities. Both students will receive a paid placement at Warwickshire-based

design and engineering business CALLUM to progress an eWAV prototype under the guidance of its design director Ian Callum CBE and engineering director Adam Donfrancesco, as well as the support of Motability Operations and insight of its customers.

The project is also being supported by selected automotive OEMs along with some of the WAV industry converters who will share engineering insight into vehicle models to assist the design and engineering project.

Dumfries-born Zoe Graham (22) says: “Upon reading the eWAV brief I felt inspired. It’s such an important and interesting design and engineering problem that could really benefit people. Even as a school child, I wanted to make robotic limbs for people with disabilities: I would like to use

my skills to design products that continue to improve the quality of people’s lives. With my initial eWAV design, I wanted the user to have the best experience possible while also offering something ‘cool’ that has the new-age, exciting feel that most electric cars have today.”

Yikuan Zhang (24), from Xiamen, China, and currently studying in Coventry, says: “I entered the Design Hack to challenge myself with this interesting and meaningful design task. In my career I want to understand our society, solve problems with better design and ultimately bring positive changes to society. I believe that key to a successful eWAV design is an idea that is practical, can be mass produced and makes as little impact as possible to the vehicle architecture so that more car manufacturers will be willing to

support it. I’m excited to work with CALLUM to design, engineer and bring an eWAV into reality.”

Motability Operations supplies approximately 30,000 WAVs through the Motability Scheme, with around 4,000 applications each year for the small and medium WAVs that are generally less cumbersome and cheaper to run. However, these customers face additional practical challenges and higher costs as the industry moves towards EVs. The architecture of an EV, with the battery located in the floor, proves problematic for eWAV conversion as it reduces internal height and usable space in the cabin while also limiting the available payload.

Almost 150 students took part in Design Hacks organised by CALLUM and Motability Operations at both Coventry University and the Glasgow School of Art, where they proposed solutions to this complex issue with the aim of providing accessibility and utilising internal space.

Ian Callum, design director at CALLUM, was impressed by the ingenuity of the solutions suggested by attendees: “This is an incredibly complex problem that needs to be addressed today to ensure that no one is left behind as the automotive industry moves towards its next electric evolution. It’s wonderful to get a glimpse at the next generation of talent and ideas that will soon enter the sector.”

During the judging process, the teams at CALLUM and Motability Operations were impressed by

Graham’s creativity and how she conveyed her novel solution, which has the potential to create more space for users. Zhang also piqued the teams’ interest with how he addressed the battery packaging and provided a creative solution with stackable seats.

“Both Zoe and Yikuan stood out for their understanding of the brief, their novel and creative ideas, and how well they were able to

communicate these. At CALLUM we understand the importance of supporting the next generation of talent, of nurturing the innovators of tomorrow and sharing ideas and knowledge. We are looking forward to working with them to develop a viable, scalable eWAV solution to drive further innovation in the field and support all motorists to make the transition to EVs.”

Andrew Miller, CEO at Motability Operations, says: “WAVs provide freedom and independence for lots of our Motability Scheme customers every day. Solving this problem is vital, so we can support our WAV drivers when they switch to an electric vehicle in the future. Everyone at Motability Operations is excited to see this opportunity come to life and we hope Zoe and Yikuan, along with the team at CALLUM, can develop a working solution for the WAV industry.”

Graham and Zhang will begin work with the CALLUM design and engineering teams in March to develop an eWAV prototype that will be revealed in late autumn 2023.

Images courtesy of Motability Operations

PB Conversions

We are a small friendly family run business who value customer service and we offer a professional and personal service. Our moto ‘Giving You Freedom’ is what we strive for and we aim to achieve this for all our customers. We are constantly updating and training our staff in all the new equipment that is available.

We adapt many different types of vehicles. We fit all variations of controls from simple driving aids to fully adapted drive from the wheelchair conversions. We only fit the best adaptations and the ones that are right for you.

We manufacture our own hand controls and left foot accelerators and interface boxes. We also fit many different types of equipment from hoists, seats, radio remotes, wheelchair stowage for manual wheelchair, advanced driving controls. We also adapt vehicles so you can drive from your wheelchair or as a passenger wheelchair accessible vehicle. We fit Space Drive equipment which means you can drive from your wheelchair and drive from a fitted joystick or mini wheel or lever. This is a very advanced system using microprocessors and can even be voice activated.

We have a good relationship with all our local garages covering Leighton Buzzard, Luton, Dunstable, Milton Keynes, Bedford and Northampton. We also go further afield. We also go to local shows and assessment centres to

keep people informed of what is available.

We have 4 demonstration vehicles with numerous adaptations fitted as well demo stands at our fully equipped unit in Leighton Buzzard, we will be delighted to show you all that we can offer.

We service our customers adaptations free of charge at our fully equipped workshop in Leighton Buzzard. We offer free advice and quotes, a list of our full services can be seen on our website www.pbconversions.co.uk. Our website has videos of many types of the adaptations we fit so you can see how they work. Please call us to discuss your needs and we will happily point you in the

right direction. We are very proud of our Google and Yell scores which are both 4.9 out of 5. We would be happy to hear from you so why not call and see what we can offer and book an appointment where we will be able to show you what is available.

We are also now going to be stocking a powered walker and an electric wheelchair with a scooter coming soon so we will be able to offer you a complete package all under one roof. Keep an eye on our website for updates as to when these will be available.

We look forward to hearing from you and welcoming you to our workshop where our friendly team will be happy to help you.

PB Conversions was set up in January 2001, we have over 30 years experience within the industry and have grown organically to a team of 12, we have some very experienced members of staff that have been with us for many years as well as investing in training for our trainees.

Images courtesy of PB Conversions

• Auto Wipers and Lights

• Climate Control with Auto De-Fog

• Forward Collision Assist and Lane Keep Assist

• 120 PS DCT Automatic

• Heated Front Seats and Steering Wheel

• Rear Parking Sensors and Rear View Camera

• Touchscreen Navigation and Audio Display with Smart Device Integration

A TRUE MOBILITY SOLUTION: DACIA JOGGER IS THE UK’S ONLY WHEELCHAIR ACCESSIBLE FAMILY CAR

The Dacia Jogger’s award-winning practicality is now available to all, thanks to an innovative Wheelchair Accessible Car conversion by Sirus Automotive.

The conversion makes it currently the only new Wheelchair Accessible Car for sale on the UK market.

Sirus Automotive has been designing and manufacturing forwardthinking mobility solutions for more than 20 years and is the industry leader of Drive From Wheelchair and Upfront Passenger Wheelchair Accessible Vehicles. In the Dacia Jogger, its engineers found a platform that allowed them to deliver favourable levels of interior space for a car of this size that are usually reserved for van-based conversions. The result is an industry first, a family-

friendly car based on the Dacia Jogger designed to accommodate up to six people, including one wheelchair passenger.

Simon Pearson, Sirus Automotive Founder and Managing Director commented: “We selected the Dacia Jogger so we could offer our customers all the benefits of a family car at an affordable price. We were impressed with the quality and reliability of Dacia’s range, so the Jogger was the ideal car for us, giving us a choice of trim levels which includes the latest driver assistance and infotainment technology.”

The conversion enables wheelchair access via a lightweight, counterbalanced ramp. By lowering the floor, Sirus Automotive has been able to achieve a seated head height of 139cm with the Dacia

Jogger’s space and generous headroom ensuring a wheelchair user can sit comfortably. The mid-row seats –capable of seating one, two or three people and with integral ISOFIX mountings for two car seats – can be safely folded out of the way to create additional space or left in place so a wheelchair user can sit with other rear-seat passengers. An anti-slip coating on the ramp ensures safe access even in wet weather, while a variety of wheelchair restraint systems –including manual or automated locking and winch-assisted loading –are also available.

“Just because you are in a wheelchair doesn’t mean life stops,” explains Andrew Russell, one of the first customers of the Dacia Jogger Wheelchair Accessible Car. “We still need a car that is nice to drive, offers flexibility, has rear seats for our grandchildren, and ISOFIX for two child seats. To be able to fit myself plus another five people in the car is fantastic. We will use all the rear seats on the occasions we are taking our grandchildren on holiday. The modular roof bars also mean we can easily transport our luggage.

“Travelling in the back is very comfortable and there is plenty of

headroom, and I am 5 ft 10,” he continued. “I also need flexibility and plenty of space in the rear as I use different wheelchairs. I had been using accessible taxis and with some of them you just felt like a piece of luggage travelling in the boot! I don’t feel like that in the Dacia Jogger as I am sat further forwards, so I can sit with my grandchildren and just feel like part of the family. My wife loves it too, as its dimensions mean it’s easy to manoeuvre and drive, and with it only taking a couple of minutes for me to get in and out, it means we can now take going out for granted. There’s now no need to weigh up whether the effort is worth it, and that’s the appeal of it – it’s a standard car that happens to have wheelchair access.”

The conversion is fully supported by Dacia, is PAS Approved and has National Small Series Type Approval. In addition to Dacia’s three-year manufacturer warranty, Sirus provides a threeyear conversion warranty for extra peace-of-mind. The new Dacia Jogger Wheelchair Accessible Car is available through the Motability Scheme from £4,495 Advance Payment, or for private purchase priced from £26,995 (ex VAT).

The Dacia Jogger underlines its famed versatility as it becomes the UK’s only Wheelchair Accessible Car, while many other conversions often rely on larger, commercially derived vehicle platforms.

Image courtesy of Dacia

Disability minister visits Motability HQ on fact finding mission

In recent years, Motability has expanded its reach beyond that of just those who use the Motability Scheme, with projects to help all 14.6m disabled people in the UK. Alongside its well known car leasing scheme Motability also awards grants to other charities and organisations who provide different types of transport, or work towards making transport accessible. Currently there are over 650,000 disabled people on the Motability Scheme.

It also funds research, in partnership with disabled people and key stakeholders in the industry, to inspire innovations that continue to champion accessible transport for all. We co-sponsored a world leading national accessible EV charging standard, in partnership with the UK Government’s Office for Zero Emission Vehicles (OZEV). Produced by the British Standards Institute (BSI), the standard provides industry with a clear

specification of how to make public EV charging accessible.

Over the past year, Motability has also launched six new grant programmes to help other charities and organisations to provide transportation solutions to disabled people and funded the new £20m National Centre for Accessible Transport (NCAT), which will be run by Coventry University and a number of consortium members.

Latest Motability deals revealed to include updated £750 New Vehicle Payment rule

Motability renegotiates its prices with manufacturers every three months and the current list of 650 brand new vehicles is valid until the end of June 2023.

There are over 140 cars available with an Advance Payment starting at less than £500. These include Suzuki S-Cross (starting from £199) and Toyota C-HR (starting from £495 previously £1,695).

To make it even easier for you to order a new car, you now have the option to send your £750 New Vehicle Payment directly to your dealer to help towards the cost of your Advance Payment. If your Advance Payment is more than £750, you’ll just need to pay the difference to your dealer. If it’s less than £750, we’ll send the remaining amount to you after you get your new car.

Cars that cost some of your mobility allowance

You can choose to use just some of your allowance. This means you can spend the rest of your

allowance as you want, including if it goes up in the future. This is known as a fixed or ‘constant’ lease.

From £63.50 a week: Kia Stonic

1.0T GDi 99 GT-Line 5dr

From £64.50 a week: Toyota Aygo X 1.0 VVT-i Pure 5dr

Your total allowance and weekly rental amount might be the same right now. This means we’ll receive your entire allowance, however if your allowance increases, you’ll receive the difference between your weekly rental payment and your total allowance from your allowance provider.

Cars that cost all of your mobility allowance

You can choose to use all of your allowance. We’ll always receive your total mobility allowance, even if it goes up during your lease. Allowance rates can change each

year, usually in line with inflation. When inflation rises, the cost to bring you the Scheme rises too, so we put this amount towards covering those costs. This is known as a variable lease. You will not need an Advance Payment –this means you will not need to pay anything upfront.

Suzuki Vitara 1.4 Boosterjet 48V

Hybrid SZ-T 5dr

Corsa Vauxhall 1.2 Turbo Ultimate 5dr Auto Hatchback

Nissan Leaf 110kW Acenta

39kWh 5dr Auto Hatchback

Mini Cooper 135kW S Level 2

33kWh 3dr Auto Hatchback

Vauxhall Mokka 1.2 Turbo 136

Ultimate 5dr

Skoda Scala 1.0 TSI 110 SE L 5dr

SEAT Arona 1.0 TSI SE

Technology 5dr

Kia XCeed 1.5T GDi ISG 2 5dr

The Minister of State for Disabled People, Health and Work, Tom Pursglove MP, visited Motability’s offices in Harlow, Essex, earlier this year to learn more about the organisation’s work, including the types of grants Motability can award to disabled people, how assessments take place and the diverse range of beneficiaries it supports.

‘3’: Combined 48.7 (5.8), CO2 emissions 131g/ km. ProCeed ‘GT-Line’: TBC. Sportage ‘2’: Combined 42.2 (6.7), CO2 emissions 152g/km. Combined not applicable. Niro EV 3, CO2 emissions 0 g/km and electric combined range of up to 285 miles, to a city range of 375 miles. Soul EV ‘Urban’, CO2 emissions 0 g/km and electric combined range of up to 171 miles, to a city range of 402 miles. These figures were obtained after the battery had been fully charged. The Niro EV and Soul EV are battery electric vehicles requiring mains electricity for charging. Range based on test conditions and may vary. Charge time quoted based on 350kW DC Rapid Charger. MPG figures are official EU test figures for comparative purposes and may not reflect real driving results. Fuel consumption and CO2 emissions are tested using WLTP. Only compare fuel consumption, CO2 and electric range figures with other cars tested to the same technical procedures. For more information about WLTP please refer to kia.com/uk. Specification varies across the range and is subject to change without notice. For further information and full details, please contact your local Kia Motability Accredited Dealer. Motability is offered on selected vehicles across the Kia range, find out more at www.kia.com/uk. 7 year / 100,000 mile manufacturer’s warranty.