Kia Futuron concept revealed

Kia’s Futuron concept all-wheel drive SUV coupe indicates the brand’s new designs for future EVs.

The Futuron – a combination of ‘future’ and ‘on’ – is on display at the 2019 China International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, November 5-10.

Its lightweight body built around an aero-efficient ‘360-degree’ design incorporates a fully-electric all-wheel drive powertrain with a flexible, high-tech interior.

At 4850 millimetres in length, 1550mm tall and with a 3000mm-long wheelbase, the Futuron’s elevated ground clearance is matched with a low, lean body to create a dynamic, confident posture.

A high-capacity battery mounted low in the vehicle’s body provides energy to four powerful in-wheel electric motors.

With comfortable, lean-back seats, Futuron offers users a new type of interactive driving experience suitable for urban city environments, Kia says.

The concept’s roof is a diamond-shaped panoramic glasshouse in the best traditions of UFO and flying saucer design. While flooding the cabin with natural light, it also extends down the bonnet to give drivers an unparalleled view ahead. The glasshouse also incorporates a network of lidar sensors capable of providing Level 4 autonomous driving features.

A new feature, lighting responds to physical gestures and movements made outside the car, while the front has a new reinterpretation of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille which incorporates the headlamps, an innovative ‘Star Cloud’ design incorporating Chinese legend which gives the car a new night-time identity, inspired by nebulae in the night sky to create a geometric patchwork of matrix LED lighting.

A spacious cabin includes two front seats created out of flexible materials and can offer an upright ‘driving’ position or a reclined ‘rest’ position – the latter as autonomous driving features kick in and the steering wheel retracts.

The ‘cockpit’ area around the driver has a graphical user interface (GUI) flowing out of the driver-side door and wrapping around the steering wheel in a seamless arc. This merges the instrument cluster directly with the audio-visual display at the centre of the dashboard and is linked to the display integrated within the surface of the steering wheel itself.

The GUI is operated by artificial intelligence (AI) technologies, displaying useful information.

Availability, pricing and other specs have not yet been released.