Motoring Discussion > KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro
Thread Author: Stroudie Replies: 15
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 11:10 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Stroudie
This morning on BBC Breakfast Fiona Lamden reported on the Brechin floods.
A couple of Rescue Service ribs brought some residents from their flooded houses.
Then, from the road down from where they had come a Kia Niro floated into view, with the front lower down in the water then the back.
It veered to the right and appeared to ground, then moved out of the flood under it's own "steam".
I wonder if this was in EV mode, and what might have happened to the ICE.
As I am in the process of changing our 66plate Niro 2 for a 23 plate version I was encouraged by it's amphibious capabilities!

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 Fri 20 Oct 23 14:42 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - tyrednemotional
....I've just attended two appointments.

The first, early on, was at my Opticians which is in the next village. Though the roads are straightforward, the drive was mildly interesting due to "run-off" from a large new housing site (still building) leaving a good few inches of standing water across the width of the road for 1/4 mile or so. The potential problems were obvious at the planning stage, as they've built a large "collection pond" next to the road. Oddly enough, when I returned 40 minutes or so later, the road was virtually clear, despite no let up in precipitation. I wonder whether some extra drainage channels had been opened?

The second was more challenging, being at my dentist 20+ miles or so away in North Nottingham. I considered cancelling, but this was already a rearranged appointment, so I decided to give it a try. First problem was I couldn't get out of the village via the normal route (I could see flashing blues in the distance, and then the road was coned off - having investigated it on my return I can vouch for the fact it was impassable). Accordingly, I diverted via the road I'd used earlier. The main road to Nottingham was atrocious, with run-off from the fields deeply obscuring the full width at many locations. As I reached the A614/A60 roundabout, everything stopped, so, having waited for a bit I U-turned and diverted. As I know the roads, that was rather straightforward apart from one dip that had water flowing rapidly across, and about a foot deep!

I made the appointment on time, and decided to head back North on the main road. (avoiding my previous diversion). I crawled for a good few miles to the A614/A60 roundabout, and it really should have been shut!. Queues in all directions; standing water up to maybe 18 inches in the camber, slightly less if you used the "shoulder" and at least 7 cars abandoned and immovable (I swear the penultimate one, A BMW 1 series, was floating).

There are some advantages to having an SUV (ground clearance being relevant here) and also having some memory of the road camber. I carefully bided my time to get a clear run between "islands" and got round successfully, though I chickened the last section (complete with stranded car) as it looked too deep, and took the A60 exit, and u-turned as the A60 entry to the roundabout was dry. (The A60 itself was flooded several hundred yards further down, making the u-turn easy as very little oncoming traffic was attempting it).

I'm quite glad to be home now!
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 15:14 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Runfer D'Hills
Lots of standing water here in south Cheshire. Some of it pretty deep. Just heavy and persistent rain. Saw an Audi A6 at traffic lights up to its wheel centres in water this afternoon. Might take the wee Jeep when I have to go out later. Sits a bit higher up than my estate car.
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 16:31 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - tyrednemotional
...it would appear that a large stretch of all the roads surrounding the roundabout I mentioned above has now been closed for the rest of the day.

Glad I don't have to commute North of Nottingham, as, given the state of the possible diversionary routes, that's going to be a Friday night of chaos.
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 16:52 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Runfer D'Hills
Another reason to retire I suppose, for those of us who haven’t quite yet!
Feet up and Pointless followed by House of Games while the normos queue in traffic in the pouring rain eh?
;-)
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 17:31 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - tyrednemotional
...I can't say I miss it.

My daily commute was around 20 miles each way, but most of it, if not exactly enjoyable, a reasonably pleasant drive. Mind you, I spent less time in my "home base" than elsewhere.

The one major issue I had over the years (disregarding a bit of snow disruption) was getting away from work one time in conditions similar to today's. Due to major flooding and congested diversions I finally managed via a flooded minor road littered with abandoned vehicles (and with the local factory staff out "encouraging" people to risk it). Again, with a CRV the slightly raised height helped.

Checking Google maps just now, it looks like the conditions are even worse than they were then! there are an awful lot of closed (even major) roads around, and pictures/webcams look pretty dire.

Definitely a commute from hell.

So, Pointless it is then!
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 19:13 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - legacylad

>> Feet up and Pointless followed by House of Games while the normos queue in traffic
>> in the pouring rain eh?
>> ;-)

Feet up ? Other alternatives are available :-)
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 19:41 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Runfer D'Hills
Not while watching Pointless surely? Wouldn’t feel right.
;-)
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 22:26 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - bathtub tom
No problems here, walked to the shops (with a gamp) less than a mile away (not worth getting the car out, although others didn't see the same way as the car park was rammed).

Postie was wearing shorts!
Last edited by: bathtub tom on Fri 20 Oct 23 at 22:28
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 Fri 20 Oct 23 23:36 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - zippy
Mad Miss Z has driven up from the south coast to Leeds today for a girl's weekend. Something her and her university housemates do every year.

She won't get the train after being stuck on a nightmare journey in a storm a few years back (I had to collect her from a remote station at an ungodly hour when her final train just stopped and wouldn't go any further and no alternative was put on).

One of her girlfriends made it to Reading from the West Country before the rest of her trains were cancelled, so Miss Z picked her up and at least had company.

Door to door, the trip took over 10 hours!
Last edited by: zippy on Fri 20 Oct 23 at 23:37
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 06:56 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - legacylad
That’s quite a journey….

Meanwhile, Senor LL had a wonderful journey, avoiding motorways, from Moraira on the C Blanca to Monreal del Campo, 4 hours south of Burgos, which is probably tonight’s stopover.

Some amazing scenery & driving roads, especially the N330 from Utiel to Teruel, winged it as usual and found myself 19:00 at an old flour mill, now a 2* hotel. No English spoken, only Brit in the place, but it is off the beaten track.

Santander tomorrow
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 11:05 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Dog
>>Postie was wearing shorts!

I wear shorts all year round.

Just sayin'

:)
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 11:11 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Duncan

>> I wear shorts all year round.
>>
>> Just sayin'

Damn and blast it!

Now I will never get rid of that image.
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 12:28 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - bathtub tom
>> Now I will never get rid of that image.

Pass the mind bleach please!
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 14:59 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Runfer D'Hills
Still a few roads around here closed due to flooding. We wanted to travel somewhere this morning (to go mountain biking) and many main routes were blocked in a few places but we know the “back lanes” quite well and managed to avoid the problems. Some of those little B roads had obviously been flooded judging by the mud and other debris on them, but were now passable. The car now looks like it has been on the Paris/Dakar though!
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 Sat 21 Oct 23 15:17 
 KIA - Amphibious Kia Niro - Bromptonaut
A lot of knock on problems affecting the trains.

Kings Cross closed to clear overcrowding. Power lines down in Manchester area and multiple issues around Leeds probably due to flooding.
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