2005 Kia KCD-II Mesa Concept

Directly underneath the overhead console is a large central tunnel,

With a great deal of glass throughout the cabin, it gives the Mesa an airy ambience. (Photo: Kia Canada)

separating passengers while serving as an armrest and storage compartment at all positions. Integrated inside is a sliding drawer system front and rear, while soft netting can be found under the front four seats for additional storage. The doors feature two-tier map pockets, and the rear cargo area sports "floating" panels that fold out for stowing what-have-you, as well as handy power outlets.

There's a great deal of glass throughout the cabin, giving it an airy ambience, and the Mesa's turret-style wrap-around windshield looks to provide excellent visibility for driver and front passenger.

While the gauges in front of the driver depict classic Swiss timepieces, the

The dash of the Mesa is a combination of fine Swiss-like refinement and heavy rugged toggle switches. (Photo: Kia Canada)

toggle switches on the centre stack are all business, rugged in appearance and looking to be actuated easily, even with gloved hands. Additionally there's a convenient cell phone storage area between the metal bars and I.P. Adding to the robust ambience of Kia's concept SUV is a heavy-duty gear selector, connecting through to a five-speed automatic transmission.

That would be a variation of the new five-speed automatic transmission now available in the updated 2005 Sorento, an important advancement being that the SUV laboured with a 4-speed automatic up until this time.