AbgTutor dot Com: Kia Niro – hybrid drive concept bows in at Frankfurt

Tuesday, 10 September 2013

Kia Niro – hybrid drive concept bows in at Frankfurt

More details on the Kia Niro concept that’s being showcased at the ongoing Frankfurt Motor Show. The “urban lifestyle” hybrid study, as the company badges it, explores the possibility of a B-segment crossover contender of the future.

The 2+2 seater, designed by Kia’s Frankfurt-based design studio, measures in at 4,185 mm long, 1,850 mm wide and 1,558 mm tall, with a 2,590 mm wheelbase and 1,630 mm track. The car sits on 20-inch five-spoke milled aluminium wheels, wrapped with 225/40 profile tyres.

It wears a two-tone exterior made up of a shade called Nightfall, with contrast provided by a brushed stainless steel roof. Anodised aluminium in a greenish tone called Limelight adds highlights, being featured on the brand’s signature “tiger-nose” grille outline, front and rear towing hooks and air outlet on the bonnet.

Design cues include a low cabin glasshouse and a deliberately angled front valance, and of course dihedral “butterfly” doors – mounted directly on the side windows are milled “Plexiglas” door mirrors, with in-built downward-facing cameras. The Niro also features forward and rearward cameras.

As for lighting elements, these include an ice-cube light arrangement providing dip and main beam lights, strip daytime running lights around the edge of the lighting housing as well as built-in quartered spotlights.

Inside, the interior features one-piece moulded front seats similar to that seen in the company’s provo concept, though here they’re covered in a techno-look, line-quilted textile called Orbit Silver. The clamshell seat-backs tilt to allow access to a two-seat 50/50-rear split bench, which can be folded flat to expand the cargo space.

The front dashboard and binnacle is dressed in Volcano Black leather, while switchgear and other elements are finished in either anodised black or Limelight aluminium. Included in the mix is a super-vision digital cluster, navigation and Bluetooth connectivity.

Power comes from a turbocharged 1.6 litre Gamma engine offering 160 PS. Paired to a seven-speed dual-clutch transmission, the mill drives the front wheels, while an electric-hybrid system – powered from regenerative braking – delivers up to 45 PS to the rear wheels.