Kia's Paris Show Mini Car Concept

Kia has released new photos of his concept of POP mini electric car a week before his scheduled world premiere at the Auto World 2010 in Paris. The study too futuristic for a small electric vehicle was written by Kia design team in Europe, led by Peter Schreyer, Chief Designer Kia Manager, and Gregory Guillaume, chief designer of the company in Europe.

"A concept car that POP can only come from us," says Gregory Guillaume. "Designers have rarely an opportunity to start from a clean piece of paper and it's nice to be able to function with such freedom. "

This translates into freedom in a car is only three feet long, 15 mm or longer than the Toyota iQ / Scion, with doors and seating for three with a seat next to a sofa as before and only one seat in the rear, which seems perfect for 'out' or young people in revenge for his mother-in-law.

South Korean manufacturer must keep a tight lid further details.

POP concept car from Kia is the Paris Motor Show with a number of production models, including the new Optima sedan, which will debut Euro before going on sale in some European countries this year. Kia said sales in Western Europe beginning in 2011. EU-spec Optima will be offered with a choice of two power plants, a 1.7-liter turbo diesel of 136 hp and a 2.0-liter engine delivers 170 horsepower.

 

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IAA 2011: Kia's RWD GT Concept Gets Turbo V6, Peter Schreyer Hints at Production Version

The all-new Kia GT Concept that will make its first public outing tomorrow at the 64th IAA is the South Korean company's first ever attempt to create a rear-wheel drive model. It is also the most powerful thanks to a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 engine that delivers an output of 390HP and 534 Nm (393.8 lb-ft) of torque that are sent to the rear wheels via an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

Even though development of the concept began less than a year ago, in November 2010, Kia’s European design team has been considering a rear-wheel drive car for quite some time.

The South Korean manufacture's chief designer Peter Schreyer explains: “This concept allows us to explore exciting new design directions, as using a rear-wheel drive layout creates very different proportions compared to a front-wheel drive car. The classic front-engined, rear-wheel drive layout of a performance saloon has distinct appeal not just for the domestic Korean audience, but also for the European and American markets.”

According to Kia, the GT Concept draws inspiration from the 2007 Kee concept and the iconic GTs of the 1970s. Schreyer’s goal was to make sure that the GT’s proportions could not be mistaken for anything other than a rear-wheel drive performance saloon, that is why he pushed the front wheels as far front as he could, placed the cabin further back and created a short rear end.

Now all this sounds to us like Kia is paving the way for a production version. Schreyer’s comments about the four-seater sedan reinforces this impression: “One of the great things about working on this project was that this is a very real car. It felt good to work on a car that could roll down the road tomorrow,” says Schreyer.

So does this mean that Kia is actually mulling a production model? Schreyer certainly hopes so.

“It would be a dream to put it into production," says Kia's head designer. "It has a logical layout, with four seats and good luggage space, and it’s also engaging and dynamic and makes a strong statement.”

The last statement of the man who transformed Kia’s design is even more revealing about the chances of a production RWD saloon from Kia: “This is exactly the kind of car Kia should be making.”

 

PHOTO GALLERY

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Kia design head “caves” to Korean influence with Naimo concept

The Korean-made cars of the 1990s and early 2000s looked very… Korean. Not exactly a bad thing, mind you, but it’s tough to sell vehicles around the globe that cater to a specific region of the world. That’s likely one of the reasons why Kia hired former Audi designer Peter Schreyer to inject some much needed style into its lineup.

Schreyer tells Automotive News that there is no “Koreaness” about the Kia lineup, adding “to be honest, we don’t want the cars to look Korean.” A quick look at the 2011 Optima and you can see Schreyer is succeeding, but what about the Naimo EV concept? AN tells us that the jade color is reminiscent of Celadon-style pottery. The interior is covered in Korean oak. Schreyer tells AN that, at least in this case, the Korean factor is strong, adding it has design cues inspired by art specific to that country.

While the Naimo concept is a definite change of pace versus the rest of the Kia lineup, we’re thinking the little concept doesn’t mean to reveal a new styling direction. The show car was, after all, designed with the Seoul Motor Show in mind. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with playing to the home crowd.

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