New York 2019 - Kia HabaNiro Concept
Welcome to what Kia is dubbing an “ECEV – commuter, crossover, sport utility, state-of-the-art technology workroom and adventure vehicle” ECEV apparently stand for: Everything Car Electric Vehicle. The concept is said to have all-wheel drive and a maximum driving range that exceeds 300 miles. I like the red interior, and hope that this vehicle foretells an all electric Sportage-sized crossover in the near future.
Press Release:
Kia Motors America (KMA) unveiled its vision of the future of electric vehicles and it’s hot. And spicy. The HabaNiro concept is a fully-electric, all-wheel drive, four-seat wonder car with an All Electric Range (AER) of more than 300 miles, level-five autonomous mode, butterfly wing doors and more advanced tech than what helped land men on the moon. But this is no fanciful supercar that will likely never be built, but a prescient look into the future of mobility where automobiles will seamlessly integrate design, capability, usefulness and creativity.
“We wanted this concept to be comfortable navigating city streets, carving turns on a coastal road and off-roading with confidence to remote wilderness adventures,” said Tom Kearns, vice president of design for Kia Design Center America (KDCA). “We imagined a car for everyone and nearly everything. Then, when we saw the finished product, we were blown away by the imagination of the HabaNiro’s creators and its laboratory of technology and we want it in our driveways. Today.” With its rugged 20-inch wheels, short overhangs and big haunches, the HabaNiro exudes coiled muscularity and capability, whether you’re on a grocery run, en route to a meeting or in search of a remote fishing hole.
“We couldn’t be more proud of our design center,” says Michael Cole, KMA chief operating officer and executive vice president. “The HabaNiro is a genius work of skill and imagination. Not only does its beautiful design incorporate the needs of future mobility, but its engineering and technology anticipate the way people will want to move in the near future.”
