Kia has revealed the first exterior and interior design images for its upcoming electric car, the Kia EV6 – and it certainly looks like a vehicle built for the new era of electrification.
Set to become the first of the South Korean manufacturer's cars to be available exclusively as an EV (rather than alongside a hybrid model), the EV6 – which is scheduled for an official unveiling later this month – is packed to the rafters with gadgets and gizmos that Kia says will embrace interactions between humans and machines.
We'll know more on the car's technical specifications – and what these interactions might mean, exactly – when the EV6 is officially announced worldwide, but these images do provide a glimpse at what sort of tech to expect from Kia's latest entry in the EV market.
- The range of the new Volvo C40 electric car will get better with time
- The Audi e-Tron GT is the most powerful Audi EV to date
- Everything we know about the Apple Car
The exterior is said to be modelled on a 'Digital Tiger Face', which looks to combine a smart, futuristic aesthetic with practical technology while also keeping aerodynamics in mind (as well as looking like a Tiger, apparently).
At the front of the car, dynamic headlights sit above Kia's new 'Tiger Nose Grille' – which focuses on low air intake and channeling airflow underneath the car – while the windshield seems positioned at a noticeably sharper angle than you'd usually expect.
The rear of the EV6 is adorned with a particularly futuristic-looking set of tail lights, while a roof spoiler adds a sportier feel to an otherwise minimalist crossover SUV.
It's what's on the inside that counts
The interior, though, is where things really take a turn for the Blade Runner.
From a technology point of view, the inside of the EV6 is the first to be designed using Kia's new Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). While we don't yet know exactly what this new system will bring to the car, the EV6 is nonetheless the first vehicle to benefit from the manufacturer's latest interior technology.
What we can pick out from these images is a dual-screen, curved HD navigation display of the sort we’ve seen from Mercedes. Extending from the steering wheel across to the centre of the car, the AVN (audio-visual navigation) system appears to display a route map in front of the driver, with infotainment content placed above the centre console.
Interestingly, there looks to be a minimal number of physical buttons on this dual-screen setup, suggesting drivers might navigate the AVN system using only steering wheel controls and voice commands.
For the passengers, HVAC (heating, ventilation and air conditioning) settings can be controlled using a series of haptic buttons, while Kia says all five seats are created using recycled plastics.
Karim Habib, Senior Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design Center, said of the upcoming car: "With EV6 we aimed to create a distinctive, impactful design by using a combination of sophisticated, high-tech features [...] while providing a unique space as a futuristic EV."
It's not yet clear what the EV6 will look like under the hood – or indeed the exact nature of the technologies to be found inside it – but it's obvious that Kia has designed its latest EV with the future in mind.
- Check out the tech inside McLaren's new 205mph supercar
