TOKYO – Kia’s new EV6 electric crossover will embody the brand’s new “Opposites United” design language, a fresh, modern look that plays with melding contrasts.
The goal is moving beyond the “simplicity of the straight line,” global design chief Karim Habib said, adding that Kia styling needs to evolve with the brand’s upmarket shift.
Kia outlined the design overhaul Monday in South Korea, while revealing the first full images of the exterior and interior of the EV6, which is expected to be launched by the end of the month.
Habib said the design revamp is a holistic approach that looks at the image, presentation and function of everything from the front grille and logo to the glovebox and even the dealership. As part of Kia’s global brand relaunch in January, for example, the company has introduced a new logo.
And in the EV6, Kia’s traditional Tiger Nose Grille gets a futuristic re-interpretation in the form of a “Digital Tiger Face,” which conveys the vehicle’s all-electric drivetrain technology.
In the front fascia, for instance, the daytime running lights are in a sequential dynamic pattern for a digital feel, while a low air intake helps make the vehicle look wider and more planted. The latter helps with aerodynamics by channeling a clean air flow under the electric vehicle’s flat floor.
Tension is derived by contrasting sharp lines and high-tech details, Kia said. The rounded muscular rear fender arch, for example, is pierced by protruding wraparound taillights.
Inside, the EV6 leverages its dedicated electric vehicle platform to offer a more expansive cabin and opens up more space with a seamless, curved high-definition audiovisual screen and slimmed down dashboard. The screen extends from the steering wheel to the center of the car.
Kia says the screen generates an “immersive experience” for the driver with an uncluttered interface and a minimal number of physical buttons. The dash slopes toward the front of the car, adding to the sense of openness, while slimmed down seats help create more space, Kia said.
The new design philosophy will be rolled out to all future Kia vehicles after debuting in the EV6. The company says it keys off five design pillars: Bold for Nature, Joy for Reason, Power to Progress, Technology for Life, and Tension for Serenity.
Habib said the idea is to have five different ways of interpreting the same principle.
“And the principle is about contrast, about having things that are not really, don’t really, usually belong together to put them together,” Habib said. To illustrate the point, he said that the cockpit will be populated by futuristic screens and digital displays, but that the cool, sleek modernism will be balanced by something warm and more organic, such as the use of wool and other fabrics.
“If you have something very high-tech and very smooth, very high gloss,” said Habib, “that will be balanced by something a little more low tech or more human, let’s say more handmade.”