Kia takes electric cars seriously. The Korean automaker is now planning to launch its first electric car, based on a clean sheet design, after launching a pair of hybrid vehicles based on existing small hatchbacks.
This car will start production in 2021, a Kia Executive said in an interview with Automotive News Europe. This car is based on the Imagine design that was first seen at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show.
The strategy has been verified by Emilio Herrera, COO of Kia’s European business but did not explain how it would modify the Imagine when the concept car was transited from model to model.
The Imagine incorporates styling features in sedans and crossovers, close to Polestar 2, the new high-end division of Volvo. The car is comparable to compact models such as the Volkswagen Golf or Kia’s own Forte and will potentially compete with the new compact electric vehicles of VW.
The Imagine idea had some technological features that could not be ideal for production but were perfect to get exposure on an automated display stand.
For example, the interior of the concept car was full of 21 screens. Kia has also substituted external cameras, legal in Europe and elsewhere but not in the United States, for external mirrors.
Kia has never spoken about any technical detail about the original Imagine design, so what to expect from the production model is uncertain.
