Here are some of our favourite KIA concepts cars designed over the past decade or so, moving forward in time.
Kia Kee (2007)
Image Source: www.kia.com.au
Going all the way back to 2007 we have the sleek, eye-catching coupe – the Kee. Unlike many concept cars, this vehicle was actually quite realistic. With a 2.7 V6 engine and 6-speed transmission, it has various elements that have influenced the KIA road vehicles of today.
Kia Ray (2010)
Image Source: www.topspeed.com
Released in 2010, the Ray is a classic example of a daring concept car with futurist design elements. Looking as much like a spaceship as it does a road car, this four-seat prototype was put together with recycled materials, and was in fact inspired by aircraft designs.
Efficiency was the primary concern here – this is a plug-in hybrid vehicle with a fuel economy rating of 86 km per litre. It also reflects sunlight, meaning there is less of a need to burn energy using an air conditioner. KIA really thought of everything here.
Kia Track’ster (2012)
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The highly praised Track’ster caused a lot of buzz at the time. The reason behind this will be clear when you find out the making concept of Kia Track’ster. We now understand this was a sampl e of the direction that KIA has since taken with its Soul models.
Described as being ‘tough’ and ‘like a bulldog’ by its chief designer, the Trickster is great to look at and has a strong engine to back it up, boasting a 2.0-litre turbocharged engine with 186 Kilowatts of power! We would have loved to see this one mass produced.
Kia Niro (2013)
The Kia Niro, which was presented at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show, is a sleek, compact vehicle with vertical doors and front-wheel-drive capability. Featuring a 1.6-litre engine and seven-speed, dual-clutch transmission, the Niro has been designed to rival smaller European compact cars of a similar type.
Kia Trail’ster (2015)
Image Source: www.topspeed.com
The Trail’ster was Kia’s most rugged concept Kia Cars when it was introduced back in 2015. This off-road beast comes with a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, delivering up to 220 hp and an electric all-wheel-drive (e-AWD) system with 1.2 kWh lithium-ion polymer battery powering a 27 kW electric motor. It’s a true off-road concept king with a rough and tough exterior and a breathtakingly refined interior.
Kia Niro-EV (2018)
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The descendant of Kia Niro is the newest addition to the KIA fleet. The Niro-EV was first revealed at CES (Consumer Electronics Show) 2018. It’s a real car of the future; not so long ago virtual reality, self-driving cars, and full vehicle connectivity were all considered technologies of the distant future.
But the Niro-EV features innovative human-machine interface and advanced ‘motion graphic’ lighting systems, giving us a glimpse at the future. Apart from the spectacular design and futuristic concept, this beauty includes the world’s first in-car 5G connection as well.
Concept cars are the perfect examples for years of R&D efforts coming to life. Kia is always bringing the future closer with their innovations.
