This previous week, Kia celebrated its eightieth anniversary with an exhibition that honored the model’s historical past, on the heart of which was the Imaginative and prescient Meta Turismo, a bonkers idea that foreshadows what Kia refers to as “a brand new period of mobility.”
Unveiled on the Kia Imaginative and prescient Sq. in Yongin, South Korea, the sports activities sedan idea will probably change into the EV8. And had it not come via the model’s official channels, I’d’ve believed I’m taking a look at AI-rendered photographs of the idea.
Yup – it’s that wild. It carries a futuristic four-door grand tourer silhouette characterised by an elongated torpedo-like design and rakish windscreen, which sweeps previous the entrance doorways. Aerodynamic fins emerge from the entrance finish and movement towards the A-pillar. No door handles, skinny cut up headlights, with cameras changing conventional mirrors. It’s wild!
Kia
The taillights intently resemble these discovered on present manufacturing Kia fashions, such because the K4. The yellow/gold paint is contrasted superbly by that black panel below the windshield, which supplies you the phantasm that the hood is shorter than it’s.
It follows what Kia calls “Opposites United” design theme, which is what its latest electrical autos, the EV4, EV5, and EV6, are based mostly on. Every little thing wild apart, it does appear to be a non secular successor to the Stinger, and that’s not dangerous, is it?
Transferring to the inside, the cabin is fiercely “lounge-inspired,” due to its roomy structure. That ethereal, lounge-like cabin is additional accentuated by the flowery glass roof, which seems like an costly restore if you find yourself cracking it. The dashboard, steering wheel, and driver’s seat are all wrapped in stunning leather-based, whereas the lounge chair-type passenger and rear bench seats get a unique end fabricated from off-white cloth.
Kia
On the heart of that inside is a yoke-style steering wheel, which, based on Kia, “reimagines the next-generation intuitive driving interface.” Properly, we’ve seen tons of such yoke-style steering iterations – some are a fan of them, some aren’t, so I’ll depart it as much as you to be the decide of it.
The idea sports activities three digital driving modes: Speedster, Dreamer, and Gamer. You get an AR Head-Up Show (HUD) that exhibits all pertinent information on the windshield and gives a custom-made, participating driving expertise.
As for the technical specs, there are hardly any particulars for now. It’ll almost certainly be an electrical. It’s too quickly to say for positive if this idea will change into a manufacturing mannequin, however Kia does say “full info on the automotive shall be launched within the close to future.”
Kia
If it does certainly find yourself seeing the sunshine of day, it’s going to probably come because the flagship EV8 GT, presumably to compete towards the likes of the Tesla Mannequin S or Porsche Taycan.
This idea comes at a time when Kia America posted its best quarter and highest year-to-date gross sales in firm historical past. It delivered 65,507 items in September of this yr alone, an 11% improve over September 2024, whereas reporting a sale of 219,637 items in that specific quarter – a brand new document for the corporate. Thrilling instances for the South Korean carmaker!
Supply: Kia
