We had been given a quick first glimpse of the model last week, but now we get the full monty. At the Geneva Motor Show today, Kia presented its “Imagine By Kia” concept, a design study meant to preview the direction Kia is taking with its future electric vehicles and technology.
Kia Europe’s VP of design, Gregory Guillaume, said during the presentation that the concept is meant “to not only get your pulse racing, but to also signpost our holistic and emotional approach to electrification.” He added this:
“Today's drivers understandably have many questions about electric cars. They're concerned about range, the recharging network, and whether electric cars will still be dynamic and engaging to drive. (…) we knew that the best way to answer those questions and address those concerns was by approaching electrification purely from an emotional point of view.”
- Gregory Guillaume
The definition provided by the Kia executive explains why so few technical details were forthcoming today in Geneva. The main objective was to elicit an emotional response. The automaker said only that the Imagine By Kia concept would sit on a platform designed for electric powertrains. Among the systems to be included, an induction system for recharging.
Inside, the tone is unsurprisingly forward-looking, if not taken right of out science-fiction. The centre console holds no fewer than 21 synchronized screens. For the moment, nothing about them is functional; at the presentation they served to revisit past concept models presented by Kia at the Geneva show. Of course, it’s easy to imagine the possibilities inherent in such a set-up - which was exactly Kia’s point.
The takeaway from the reveal of this futuristic prototype is that Kia wants all to know it is serious in conquering the electric-car domain, not by introducing just one or two models but by developing a platform that can support many different products in the coming years.
Kia will be a company to watch in the EV sector. We’ve seen in the past that the Korean automakers generally don’t deal in half-measures.
