Kia Reveals Futuron Concept

Kia Motors has revealed its new Futuron Concept, which is an all-wheel drive SUV Coupe and it shows the future design of the company's electric vehicles. 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. The Futuron concept is a lightweight SUV coupe body which incorporates a fully-electric all-wheel drive powertrain. The Futuron makes its public debut at the 2019 China International Import Expo in Shanghai.

The Kia Futuron Concept is built around a single, strong '360-degree' design notable for its pure, smooth form devoid of ornament. The body's surfaces creates a series of taut, flowing shapes which twist, expand and contract around the body. It therefore looks more streamlined and sleek. Its low-profile SUV coupe body makes a strong statement of intent for Kia's future cars, 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 which makes it look dynamic as also adding presence.

The Futuron's fully-electric powertrain is a high-capacity battery which 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 centre of gravity and a cutting-edge e-AWD system which delivers lightning-fast responses to driver inputs.

The body's surfaces creates a series of taut, flowing shapes which twist, expand and contract around the body

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.

The Futuron's fully-electric powertrain is a high-capacity battery which is mounted low in the vehicle's body, beneath the cabin floor, providing electrical energy to four powerful in-wheel electric motors.

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'.

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.

The Kia Futuron's two front seats are created out of flexible materials and can offer an upright 'driving' position

The layout of the electric powertrain and incorporation of Level 4 autonomous driving systems has enabled the creation of a spacious and flexible cabin unlike any other vehicle on roads. The two front seats are created out of flexible materials and can offer an upright 'driving' position, or a reclined 'rest' position, similar to the flexibility afforded to first-class airline passengers. With the activation of the Futuron's autonomous driving features, the two front seats recline as the steering wheel retracts. The zero-gravity seating position this creates helps to reduce fatigue on long journeys.

One of the most prominent features of the cabin is the 'cockpit' area surrounding the driver. The graphical user interface (GUI) of the cockpit flows out of the driver-side door and wraps around the steering wheel in a seamless arc. This merges the instrument cluster directly with the audio-visual display at the centre of the dashboard and is linked to the display integrated within the surface of the steering wheel itself. The GUI is operated by artificial intelligence technologies, displaying useful information about the car various autonomous driving, powertrain and navigation features to create a unique user experience. The apex of the cockpit arc sees the GUI lunge forward towards the road, creating an interactive Star Cloud light display at the very front of the cabin.