Kia has announced that a B-segment concept car will be unveiled to the world at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month. Although Kia has no plans to put the unnamed car into production, we will at least get to see design cues that have the potential to make it onto next generation models.
Exterior
Well the teaser shot you see above is all we have to go on at the moment. From the outset it appears to have a coupé-style profile. The colour scheme consists of a black body, silver roof and green detailing on the signature grille, front bumper and very slim door mirrors. New LED headlights are made up of four individual squared-off lights - a design that appears to be carried forward to the fog lamps as well.
Interior
In true concept form, the interior is spectacular. If the cabin of Kia's next B-segment offering looks the same as the concept then I will happily eat the laptop I wrote this article on. The two front seats and centre console are fashioned as one item with no gearstick or handbrake in sight. It's also clear from the sketch that the doors cut into the roof in the style of the Ford GT. From the angle of the picture, the dashboard does look fairly normal, tidy and uncluttered.
Mechanicals
As this is a prototype, nothing is likely to power Kia's creation. The company has used words such as "playful" and "gutsy" to describe the car though. which could hint towards new chassis and engine technologies for future models.
Anything else?
The B-segment prototype is said to be the "compact-car for the individualistic and demanding driver for whom size is an issue". Make of this statement what you will, but Kia's design department has certainly been throwing out some gems of late; and we can only hope for more of the same with this one.