The Kia Sportage is blazing a trail as the latest recruit to join Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service.

Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service (MAWWFRS) is responsible for providing public safety information, prevention and protection programmes, and emergency response for mid and west Wales, covering nearly 12,000 square kilometers – almost two-thirds of Wales.  With 58 stations across six counties, MAWWFRS attends around 255 incidents weekly on average.

The five Kia Sportage PHEV ‘GT-Line’ in eye-catching infra-red paint, were bought from business specialist Gravells Kia Bridgend.  As part of the selection process, a number of different vehicles were tested and the Kia Sportage offered the best mix of practicality, performance and economy to meet the Service’s requirements.

As Deputy Chief Fire Officer, Iwan Cray affirms “The Service continues to demonstrate its ongoing commitment to reducing its environmental impact by expanding the use of Ultra-Low Emission Vehicles (ULEVs) wherever possible. This initiative is part of the Service’s broader objective to work towards Net Zero Carbon Status by 2030.”

The latest fifth-generation Kia Sportage was introduced at the start of 2022. It was the UK’s sixth best-selling new car last year. This is the first generation of Sportage to offer hybrid and plug-in hybrid options and, like all Kia cars, comes with a seven-year/100,000-mile warranty as standard.

The vehicles have all been fitted with emergency lighting and siren systems, as well as full conspicuity markings.  Four of the five new ULEVs have been incorporated into the Service’s training fleet, which will assist with ongoing emergency response driver training.  The remaining car will soon be introduced to the fleet of emergency response vehicles and will be used to attend some of the varied incidents the Service is called to.

Richard Owens, Deputy Head of Fleet, Engineering and Logistics at MAWWFRS, said: “We’re thrilled to have introduced these vehicles into the Service’s fleet, this is yet another example of how MAWWFRS is embracing the latest technologies available in its emergency response and ambitions to reducing its impact on the planet.”

Mike Green, Group Fleet Sales Manager at Gravells Kia, said: “Mid and West Wales Fire and Rescue Service’s unique and untypical type of usage is proof that the Sportage is capable of going far beyond where its family-friendly SUV appearance may suggest. We are proud and delighted to have been able to help the team get into the right car for their job requirements and deliver an essential and life-saving service throughout Mid and West Wales.”

Lucy Allberry, Regional Business Sales Manager at Kia UK Limited, commented: “Dynamic looks, plenty of practical space and a great range of the latest and most efficient powertrain options are among the many strengths of the Sportage. Add to this the Sportage PHEV’s eight per cent Benefit-in-Kind tax class, thanks to a 43-mile electric range and low 25g/km CO₂ and we feel this makes it a clear winner for fleets.”

To help with the unique requirements of fleet and business customers, Kia has invested in a network of 31 Business Specialist Dealers (BSD). Each has a dedicated department or staff member that has been expertly trained in all things relevant to business users. Business specialists offer authoritative advice and help customers find the right Kia for their needs – whether for a small local business or a large national company.

Alongside expert advice, to make sure the car is right, BSDs have dedicated business demonstrators, as well as access to the Kia central demonstration fleet should a customer wish to try a car for a longer period or a model that’s not currently at their local dealership.