What’s the flashiest new car interior in your
opinion? Hold that thought for a moment, because you might want to take a look
at Kia’s new electric car concept first. The study features no less than
21 individual screens inside. That’s no typo: 21 screens! And to answer your
question, no, the automaker hasn’t gone crazy. In fact, this is supposed to be
“a humorous riposte to the industry’s current obsession with ever increasing
dashboard screens”.
A teaser image released by Kia reveals the way these
light up the otherwise minimalist interior. It also shows the uniquely styled
steering wheel of the vehicle that’s said to “draw together elements of a
muscular sports utility vehicle, a sleek and athletic family saloon and a
versatile and spacious crossover”, which has been “intentionally designed to
not sit within the industry’s predefined vehicle categories”.
While the cockpit of the show car is dominated by
the smartphone-like screens mounted on top of the dashboard, the exterior has a
unique lighting signature at the front. Moreover, Kia’s designers used a single
sheet of glass for the windscreen and roof, which flows over the cabin from the
base of the A pillars, creating an interior that’s both airy and full of light.
The yet-unnamed concept is, according to the press
release, Kia’s first pure electric four-door passenger car. Details about the
powertrain will be announced next week, when it will make its world premiere at
the Geneva Motor Show. However, expect it to pack sufficient punch, since it
will make “the hairs on the back of your neck stand up when you drive it”
according to the brand’s VP of Design, Gregory Guillaume.
