HOME

NEWS

ROAD TESTS

 

ABOUT

ADVERTISE

SUBSCRIBE

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 


NEXT CAR'S
TOP DRIVE
OF 2006


See it
HERE

 

 

 

ROAD RAMBLINGS 
CLICK FOR DETAILS
HEAR CHRIS GOODSELL
TALK MOTORING ON
RADIO & THE WEB
..... more

Kia ex_cee’d Cabrio Concept

 

 

23rd February, 2007

Kia’s ex_cee’d cabrio concept

Kia’s all-new ex_cee’d cabrio concept car will be premiered at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva, Switzerland on 6th March.

The styling of the "ex_cee’d" cabrio is the work of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s new Chief Design Officer and hints at the future direction Kia vehicles could be taking under his guidance.

Based on the new three-door cee’d  hatchback, due to go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia from December, the ex_cee’d shares the same platform, but features all-new exterior panels and a powered folding fabric roof.

By adopting a fabric roof, the ex_cee’d deliberately goes its own retro way rather than following the trend towards cabrios with folding metal roofs. Peter Schreyer paid special attention to designing a classic cabrio with a traditional soft-top roof: “I’m convinced that the fabric roof will have a renaissance. We’ve all lived with the romantic idea of open-air driving for a long time and for me, the fabric roof is the quintessential element of a truly rewarding cabrio.”

The cabrio concept is finished in ‘meringue white’ exterior paint with a ‘bitter chocolate’ fabric roof – colours that are echoed by the interior’s two-tone leather.

“With this new cabrio concept car, Kia has once again demonstrated that it is a young, style-conscious company that knows how to combine elegance with dynamics,” enthused Mr Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO Kia Motors.

“The Kia ex_cee’d is a fresh aesthetic high-point in our history, an encouraging sign of the growing internationalisation of our brand and a step in the process of evolving into a European company with Korean roots,” he added.

In addition to the Kia ex_cee’d cabrio concept, Kia will display the new cee’d wagon and the Kia Rio Hybrid at the Geneva Motor Show.

The Rio Hybrid is yet another wasted opportunity. Like Honda and Toyota, Kia has chosen petrol as the primary fuel source for its hybrid. According to our Editor, Stephen Walker, the Japanese and Koreans manufacturers just don't seem to get it. The world, seemingly, wants less petrol usage. The fact is, the world needs less fuel usage. On that basis, it is obvious to our Editor that diesel fuel is the only justifiable fuel source for any hybrid. Any petrol usage in a hybrid is, therefore, a wasted opportunity!



Other Kia content: here.



Next Car Pty Ltd
ABN 47106248033

Next Car Pty Ltd

Copyright © 2007.
All rights reserved.