Kia plans to show a concept car at the Geneva auto show next month that will reflect the Korean auto maker’s new design language, which will be used on the next-generation Rio and other “urban” cars of different sizes, the company says.
Kia has released renderings of the concept, but has yet to reveal the car’s size or the market segment at which it is aimed.
The 3-door vehicle has strongly sculpted lines, oversize flared rear-wheel arches and a racy design philosophy that is new for Kia. However, it is difficult to determine whether the car reflects a compact cross/utility vehicle, as the front view suggests, or a sporty hatchback.
A Kia spokesman says only that the vehicle has the auto maker’s “signature tiger-nose morphing into a mischievous yet friendly grille and headlight arrangement, coupled with strong styling lines that exude speed and energy from every angle.”
Pundits see the concept car as a rival to battle the Nissan Juke and Mini Paceman, but Kia is staying mum until March 5, when the wraps come off, the spokesman tells WardsAuto. The auto maker also will debut a GT version of its c’eed at Geneva.
Kia plans to reveal the new Soul in Korea sometime in the first quarter, which will have significant body changes from the current version but retain “an iconic design of its own,” the spokesman says.
– with Giancarlo Perini in Valbonne, France
