Like sister brand Hyundai, Kia is working on an electric model on an all-new platform intended purely for EVs. That extraordinarily smoothly lined SUV-like can now be seen for the first time.
In September, we already paid attention to this new EV from Kia, then based on a prediction from our in-house designer. It appears to have predicted the car broadly well, because the one in the photo is also a high-legged model with a remarkably flat, sporty body.
The windows are low and elongated and the side windows optically form a whole with the windscreen, partly because the A-pillar is finished in black. The windscreen itself is remarkably large again, made possible by a short nose. It is still under a thick layer of camouflage material, but under that plastic appears remarkably low and short. The headlights are also remarkably low in the nose, more or less at the height of the wheel arches. In terms of design, the whole is a bit reminiscent of the Jaguar i-Pace, which also has such a strikingly short front.
Obviously, Kia doesn’t want us to know anything about the rear of this car just yet. It is hidden under a layer of camouflage that skilfully conceals not only the details, but also the shape of the butt.
Futuron
The new Kia-EV could be seen as the production version of the Futuron, a concept car from 2019. The production version will not be as unusual as that car, of course, but it is still special. The technology will undoubtedly be shared with the models of Ioniq, a name that has now become a real brand. The first model of that brand is said to be the Ioniq 5, which is again the production version of the Hyundai 45 concept. That retro-like car seems more or less the same size as the new Kia, so a special duo seems to emerge there. Details about the powertrain are not yet known, but as an electric flagship, the newcomer can of course not be inferior to the existing EVs in the range. So count on a driving range of at least 500 km and above-average smooth acceleration figures. They are also undoubtedly ahead of the pack in terms of technology.
There is no shortage of EVs at Kia. The e-Niro and e-Soul are good offers in the electric car world, but they are also ‘normal’ electric versions of models that are also available with an internal combustion engine. In the future, Kia, like many other brands, wants to come up with a model that appears purely as an EV. This approach means that you can make maximum use of the advantages of an EV, while such a ‘dedicated’ EV simultaneously functions as a showcase. For example, consider the difference between the BMW iX3 – an electric X3 – and the new iX.