The automotive industry has seen significant changes
in recent years and the future is looking increasingly electric and autonomous.
Kia has certainly noticed this trend as they have introduced the HabaNiro
concept in New York.
Billed as a “prescient look into the future of
mobility,” the HabaNiro is an electric crossover which features a Level 5
autonomous driving system and “more advanced tech than what helped land men on
the moon.”
Created by Kia’s California design studio, the
concept has a streamlined white exterior with chunky metallic grey cladding.
The latter extends into the grille which Kia says resembles a shark’s snout
complete with gloss black aluminum ‘teeth.’
Other unique features include contrasting red aero
panels and butterfly wing doors which open to reveal a four-seat interior. The
HabaNiro also has satin aluminum skid plates, billet aluminum tow hooks and
20-inch wheels with red accents. Last but not least, the model has been
outfitted with daytime running lights that have a unique “heartbeat pulse.” The distinctive styling continues
in the Lava Red interior as there are Bouclé trimmed front seats that appear to
float above the geometrically-patterned floor.
More notably, the concept is devoid of traditional
screens and switchgear. They have been replaced by a futuristic head-up display
that spans the entire width of the windshield. It is controlled by a concave
acrylic instrument panel which features an interactive touchpad display with
sensory light feedback. The concept also has a Technical Option Sharing System
(TOSS) system which allows users to “swipe and move vehicle options across the
HUD screen as though moving chess pieces.”
That’s pretty neat and so is the fact that the
HabaNiro’s steering wheel and instrument panel retract when the car is in
autonomous driving mode. This creates more room for front seat occupants and
they can use this extra space to sit back, relax and watch a movie while they
travel to their destination.
The concept has also been equipped with Kia’s
real-time emotion adaptive driving system which optimizes and personalizes the
cabin based on the driver’s emotional state. Artificial Intelligence and
eye-tracking cameras are also used to project a rearview video onto the
windshield when the driver’s look at where a traditional rearview mirror would
be located.
Kia didn’t say much about performance
specifications, but the automaker confirmed the concept has an electric
all-wheel drive system with front and rear motors. This, combined with
state-of-the-art battery technology, allows the HabaNiro to travel more than 483 km on a single charge. While the HabaNiro is a concept,
Kia suggested people shouldn’t be “betting the farm” against a production
variant. However, they did say a road-going model would likely eschew the
butterfly doors.
