Kia Naimo Electric Concept Debuts

Kia Naimo Electric Concept Debuts: 2011 Seoul Auto Show
Published Mar 31, 2011

The Kia Naimo, an electric concept car that combines high-tech and traditional Korean arts-and-crafts materials, debuted on Thursday at the 2011 Seoul Auto Show.
It is equipped with a 107-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor and a twin-pack battery that uses lithium-ion polymer technology.
The Naimo has a top speed of 93 mph and a driving range of 124 miles on a single charge, says Kia.

SEOUL, South Korea — The chunky-looking Kia Naimo, an electric concept car that combines high-tech and traditional Korean arts-and-crafts materials, debuted on Thursday at the 2011 Seoul Auto Show.

Kia would not confirm any production plans for the car, saying in a statement that it "explores the practicalities of introducing a zero-emissions, five-door, four-seater city car into a future niche market."

Naimo, pronounced "ne-mo," means "square shape" in Korean, said Kia in a statement. It bears a passing resemblance to the Kia Soul, but is more low-slung and substantial-looking.

Key design details include a wraparound windshield, an asymmetric sunroof, headlights that use a dot pattern and 20-inch alloy wheels. Designers skipped the conventional windshield wiper and instead use a high-intensity air jet at the base of the windshield that wipes it clean.

The Naimo is equipped with a 107-horsepower permanent magnet synchronous motor and a twin-pack battery that uses lithium-ion polymer technology. It has a top speed of 93 mph and a driving range of 124 miles on a single charge, according to the Korean automaker.

The cabin gets Korean oak door panels and floor, while Korean han-ji paper is used for the headliner.

"Naimo is a perfect balance of innovation, high-tech and Korean tradition," said Peter Schreyer, Kia Motors' chief design officer, in a statement.

Inside Line says: The Holy Grail for auto designers is being able to successfully weave cultural elements into a vehicle. Looks like the Kia Naimo is a valiant effort in that regard. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent

First Look: Kia KV7 Concept

Kia KV7 Crossover Concept - 2011 Detroit Auto Show - Motor Trend
December 27, 2010
By Andrew Peterson

Kia's Soul -- the funky box-on-wheels that hamsters love to drive -- was one of the Korean automaker's first manifestations of its new design philosophy, spearheaded by its Southern California design studio. Consider its KV7 Concept for the 2011 Detroit show a riff on the Soul aesthetic, with more room and the usual array of concept-style touches thrown into the mix.

The KV7 is adorned with cues similar to that of the 2007 Soul auto show concept, applied to a vehicle slightly smaller than a Ford Flex. It features an elongated version of the two-box Soul design and a new take on Kia's familial face.

"From the outset, we felt the [van] category was in need of an honest reassessment due to the fact that everyone seems so desperate to attach the word 'sporty' to their minivan, even though vans, at their very core, are simply a box," said Tom Kearns, chief designer at Kia Motors America. "Rather than reject the box, we chose to celebrate it, just like we did with the Soul, and the result is a straightforward, yet sophisticated vehicle that retains the functionality vans are known for and meets the changing and diverse needs of today's consumers."

Kia KV7 Concept Front Three Quarters Static
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Like the Soul concept before it, the KV7 features a rounded hood and flared fenders, but the flares flow all the way across the front fascia. The grille and headlights are similar in scope to modern Kias and look as if they were pulled from a 2011 Optima. Kia's designers shortened the grille and hid the headlights, coloring both black but surrounding the cluster with an aluminum accent.

The windshield doesn't wrap around, but the lines from the windshield to the side windows appear to flow across the A-pillar and the side windows and feature the same tapered styling. The doors are the most interesting design element, as they appear to be the same suicide style as the Soul Concept, but with an added twist: the rear passenger door is a gullwing variety.