Kia Motors sets Guinness record for fuel efficiency

Kia Motors’ crossover SUV Niro has set a Guinness World Record for the lowest fuel consumption while driving coast-to-coast in the United States in a hybrid car, the automaker said Friday.

The vehicle posted an impressive fuel efficiency of 32.6 kilometers per liter (76.6 miles per gallon). It used 183.6 liters of gas on the 5,979-kilometer drive from Los Angeles to New York.

The Niro EX, the model’s basic trim, registered an official fuel efficiency of 20.83 kilometers per liter with American authorities. The latest record is 56.3 percent higher than the government-filed reading.

The crossover vehicle will launch in the United States during the first half of next year. It will come in five trims including the basic EX and LX as well as the more fuel-efficient FE.

Kia Motors is no stranger to the Guinness World Records. In 2011, its K5 sedan recorded a fuel efficiency of 27.46 kilometers per liter while driving 12,710 kilometers.