The Kia Granbird is a high-decker coach that Kia has produced since August 1994, when the company was still part of Asia Motors. It is the only independently developed Asia Motors model still in production today, and it has kept the same basic exterior through three generations.
Kia Granbird at a glance
| Maker | Asia Motors, then Kia |
|---|---|
| Production | since August 1994 |
| First generation | AM948/AM949, 1994–2007 |
| Second generation | New Granbird, from 29 November 2007 |
| Facelift | 2020 |
| Based on | Hino Selega FD/FS platform |
| Layout | rear engine, rear-wheel drive |
| Suspension | air suspension as standard |
| Engines at launch | Hino V8 EF750 and F17E |
| Later engines | Hyundai Q and Powertec, 380 and 410 hp |
| Built at | Hanam plant, Gwangju |
History of the Kia Granbird
The Granbird was introduced in August 1994 as the AM948 and AM949, while the company was still Asia Motors. It was created to compete with the Hyundai Aero, the Daewoo BH series and the SsangYong Transstar, and the first generation was offered only with direct-injection diesel engines. Production continued until Kia was taken over by Hyundai, after which the model was renamed KM948 and KM949.
Design and engineering
Although the bus was based on the platform of the first-generation Hino Selega FD/FS, it had an original body design; only the engine and platform came from Hino, unlike the contemporary Daewoo and Hyundai coaches, which also used foreign designs. In 1995 the Granbird became the first Korean commercial vehicle to win the Good Design Award and the Successful Design Award from the Ministry of Trade and Industry. The layout is rear-engine, rear-wheel drive, with air suspension as standard and leaf springs not offered at all.
Engines
Early buses used Hino’s V8 EF750 and F17E engines. After Kia joined the Hyundai Motor Group the coach switched to Hyundai Q or Powertec engines of 380 and 410 hp. The Powertec became an option on the Blue Sky and Sunshine models from 2000 and later standard on Greenfield and above, and the 410 hp unit was available across the range except the Greenfield after the Q engine was dropped in 2004. Seats came first from Asia Motors, later from Hanil Interior and Myungbo Industries, with Myungbo as standard and Hanil optional. The Granbird was used during the 2002 FIFA World Cup.
Variants
The Greenfield of August 1997 was an 11.5-metre standard-deck entry model for intercity operators, upgraded to Super Greenfield in 2004, with 299 built. The Parkway arrived with the 1997 facelift as a 12-metre standard-deck model with the Powertec engine as standard, and most intercity and tour companies ordered it; it became the Super Parkway in 2002. The high-deck HD range came in three forms: Mild Breeze for private and tour work, Blue Sky for standard express service and Sunshine for premium express service. The Super Premium Sunshine was the most popular express coach. Several projects were never sold: the Granbird Mini of 9 metres, shown in 1995 and again in 2002, the Granbird Saloon concept and the Granbird City, an 11.5-metre experiment of 1997 of which about ten ran with Hannam Transportation in Seoul.
A 1997 facelift shortened the distance between the front axle and the front door and brought a more streamlined dashboard. The design stayed largely unchanged apart from minor grille, fog lamp and dashboard updates until the second-generation New Granbird on 29 November 2007, and the range was refreshed again in 2020.
Design and features
- Original body: Hino platform and engines, but a Korean-designed body.
- Air suspension: standard on every Granbird, with no leaf-spring option.
- Many models: Greenfield, Parkway, Blue Sky, Sunshine and Silkroad.
- Long life: in production since 1994 with one full change in 2007.
Kia Granbird versions
- Greenfield (1997): 11.5 m standard deck, 299 built, Super Greenfield from 2004.
- Parkway (1997): 12 m standard deck, Powertec standard, Super Parkway from 2002.
- HD Mild Breeze, Blue Sky and Sunshine: 12 m high-deck models for tour and express work.
- Super Premium Sunshine: the premium express coach.
- Never sold: Granbird Mini, Granbird Saloon and Granbird City.
The Granbird is Kia’s largest coach, above the mid-size Cosmos bus, and it shares its plant with Kia’s commercial trucks such as the Rhino. More Kia models are in the Kia collection.
Sources
- Kia Granbird, English Wikipedia: history, engines, variants, facelifts
