Kia has shown off a new concept SUV, called the Futuron.
Not Futurama, sadly
No, it's not an animated TV series about a delivery boy who becomes frozen and wakes up in the year 3,000. That's Futurama. The Futuron is Kia's vision of a next-generation all-electric SUV-coupe, with autonomous driving capability. Possibly more importantly, it's also a big hint as to how Kia models are going to look in the future, with a new interpretation of the 'Tiger Face' styling.
Kia's new 'Tiger Face'
Up till now, that Tiger Face has been about the shape of the grille, but for the Futuron, Kia has widened that out to the entire front fascia of the car, so it's now a full width styling element, but featuring the familiar shape of the existing tiger face. Lighting is now taken care of by Matrix LEDs and those are set into the outer edges of the 'face' in a patchwork style. Kia says that the lighting style take inspiration from nebulae deep in space. That 'star cloud' lighting style is also copied on the rear of the futuron
Those lights also get a dynamic 'dragon skin' effect, as little panels open, like the scales of a dragon, to reveal different lighting components underneath.
Wraparound infotainment system
The rest of the Futuron's shape is very sleek and drawn back, with almost no cutlines or styling flourishes. This minimalist look is said to be the way Kia design will go in the future. The idea was to create as streamlined a shape as possible, but one where the lines of the front of the car merge seamlessly with those of the cabin, drawing - as Kia says - a direct link between the road and the driver.
That sort of flowing shape is carried over to the cabin, where the driver sits in front of a GUI or Graphical User Interface, which flows from the door panel, over the top of the steering wheel, and seamlessly into the central infotainment display. The display has been designed so that it 'lunges' towards the road ahead, another way of creating a connection between the driver and the road.
The front seats have been designed to switch between upright and laid-back seating positions, depending on whether you're doing the driving or letting the Futuron's autonomous systems take the strain. Kia alludes to first class airline seats in how it describes the Futuron's comfort and says this this 'zero gravity' seating effect helps to reduce fatigue on longer journeys. The cabin also gets some of the dragon skin, star cloud lighting effects as the exterior.
The roof and glasshouse have been designed to flow seamlessly together, and Kia says that the roof has been placed over the exact centre of the car; "in the best traditions of UFO and flying saucer design." OK...
The roof also incorporates LIDAR sensors that are critical for autonomous driving, as they allow the car to 'see' its environment. Kia says that the Futuron is Level 4 autonomous capable.
There's also an interactive exterior lighting system, one that reacts to your movements as you approach the car, and one that Kia says creates a stronger bond between car and driver.
Not that you'll be able to drive the Futuron - it's not a preview of a new production model. Kia says that it has a 'high capacity' battery and four in-wheel electric motors, but doesn't give any technical nor performance details beyond that - really, it's a styling concept.