Elements such as non-radial wheel designs and vertically orientated LED lighting will also be integrated, but potentially including more curves and fewer creases, as previewed in the firm’s Meta Turismo concept.
Paesen also gave us an insight into Kia’s future interior designs, telling us: “We are looking at what’s working well, what’s getting a good response, what’s getting a bad response. Where can we improve, where are the things we can improve on?
“As our digital system gets stronger and better, we still have work to do there. How do we slide these learnings into one another and make sure the system is future-proof, but the system carries you along and doesn’t mean you need to learn new things.”
In contrast to its exterior design, Kia’s interior design has been subject to some criticism for being too similar across its various models. All of its electric vehicles incorporate the same triple-screen layout, but as the manufacturer moves forward, this set-up could change.
Kia isn’t alone in wanting to bring an electric city car to market, but given the razor-thin margins in this segment, there are only a few rivals.
Renault’s new Twingo comes with more than a hint of nostalgia and cool that European buyers have already responded to favourably in the marque’s larger Renault 5. This model has also been developed in record time, with the French company outsourcing to Chinese-based technical partners much of the time-intensive development work that is required to bring any new model into mass production.
The upcoming Volkswagen ID.Lupo could also be a big player in this market, because it’s not just a stripped-out version of the larger ID. Polo. It also introduces a new hardware and software platform from VW’s joint venture with US EV maker Rivian.
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