Kia Motors has revealed its new Futuron Concept, an
illuminating all-wheel drive SUV coupe which proposes new designs for future
electric vehicles.
In a release, signed by JH So, Global PR Team and made available to OpenLife, the Futuron
Concept represents the modern and confident image of a progressive electric SUV
coupe envisioned by Kia. The Futuron name itself is a portmanteau of ‘future’
and ‘on’, hinting at the switched-on, electric nature of future SUV designs
from the brand.
With a design based around the notion of dynamic purity, the Futuron
Concept merges elegant proportions with pure shapes and surfaces. Its
lightweight SUV coupe body incorporates a fully-electric all-wheel drive
powertrain, wrapped in bold yet modern exterior surfaces, and with a flexible,
high-tech interior.
The Futuron makes its public debut on November 5 at the 2019 China
International Import Expo (CIIE) in Shanghai, where it was on display to the
public until 10 November.
The Kia Futuron Concept is built around a single, strong ‘360-degree’
design notable for its pure, smooth form devoid of ornament. The delicate
diffusion of the body’s surfaces creates a series of taut, flowing shapes which
twist, expand and contract around the body. The result is a sleek and
streamlined shape, creating an aero-efficient profile.
The novel proportions of the car are immediately striking. Its
low-profile SUV coupe body makes a strong statement of intent for Kia’s future
cars, which will be confident, sporty and modern, yet also elegant. At 4,850 mm
in length, 1,550 mm tall and with a 3,000 mm-long wheelbase, the Futuron’s
elevated ground clearance is matched with a low, lean body to create a dynamic,
confident posture.
The Futuron’s fully-electric powertrain makes this shape possible. A
high-capacity battery is mounted low in the vehicle’s body, beneath the cabin
floor, providing electrical energy to four powerful in-wheel electric motors.
The elevated stance of the car is therefore matched with a low center of
gravity and a cutting-edge e-AWD system which delivers lightning-fast responses
to driver inputs.
A sports car on an SUV platform, combined with comfortable, lean-back
seats, Futuron offers users a new type of interactive driving experience
suitable for urban city environments. Various elements of the vehicle’s
structure and design foster the important connection and interaction between
car and driver.
The front fender flows backwards from the front of the hood before
plunging into the cabin itself, establishing a connection between the driving
seat and the road ahead. The concept’s roof is a diamond-shaped panoramic
glasshouse which sits atop the 360-degree core, 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 (light detection and ranging)
sensors capable of providing Level 4 autonomous driving features, enabling
hands-off and eyes-off driving in most conditions.
Furthermore, the 360-degree theme is evident in the lighting that
illuminates a sharp character line encircling the Futuron’s body. A playful and
interactive new feature, this lighting responds to physical gestures and
movements made outside the car, eliciting a close connection between vehicle
and driver before they even set foot in the cabin.
The front of the Futuron features a new reinterpretation of Kia’s ‘tiger
nose’ grille, a signature for Kia design now for over a decade. While
maintaining the basic principle of the design – a clear outline with tabs in
the middle – Kia’s designers have expanded the boundaries, widening the shape
across the front of the car to create a restrained, yet elegant ‘tiger face’.
The newly-designed front of the car, like that of the Imagine by Kia
Concept first revealed earlier in 2019, expresses a new design interpretation
for Kia’s future electric vehicles.
With a wider ‘tiger face’ shape, the grille incorporates the Futuron’s
headlamps, an innovative ‘Star Cloud’ design which gives the car a dazzling new
night-time identity. The concept’s Star Cloud lighting not only highlights a
new design form for the front of the car, but also embodies a new lighting
concept for Kia, taking inspiration from nebulae in the night sky to create a
geometric patchwork of matrix LED lighting. The Star Cloud is also incorporated
into the rear of the car, displaying a distinct light signature to anyone following
the Futuron.
Revealed for the first time in Shanghai, the Futuron also incorporates
Chinese legend in the design and form of its new Star Cloud lighting. The
Dragon Skin surface which covers the lighting area emulates the scaled armor
that adorns Chinese dragons, both in mythology and modern-day cultural
celebrations. The Star Cloud lighting incorporates a kinetic surface, enabling
the car to alternate between daytime running lights and full-beam headlamps as
the scales open and close.
About Author
