Kia design boss Karim Habib has advised that the SUV of the longer term could possibly be totally different from the fashions of right this moment, partially due to the broader adoption of electrical powertrains and the extra freedom that they provide designers.
The South Korean automotive producer refers to its present design philosophy as Opposites United. This dramatic styling language has led to the creation of eye-catching automobiles just like the Sportage, Sorento, EV6, EV9, and the EV5 idea. The EV9 is probably probably the most dramatic of all and whereas it has the potential to be a powerful vendor, Habib believes that “the post-SUV is coming.”
“I don’t wish to fake that I can inform individuals what they’re going to be doing sooner or later,” Habib stated when requested by Autocar if we are going to at all times have SUVs. “SUVs have been possibly a studying from individuals driving [MPVs] and being bored with it. The post-SUV is coming.”
Learn: New Kia EV9 Photographs Present Extra Of The three-Row Electrical SUV
Habib added that “there are extra environment friendly methods of doing area” when an SUV has an electrical powertrain. For instance, the cabin of an electrical SUV will be bigger than that of 1 powered by a combustion engine as a result of lack of a transmission tunnel and there not being a necessity for a big engine bay.
“I believe [we’re] in a world the place technological progress must be seen,” Kia’s design boss added. “If the SUV doesn’t handle to point out that, it’s not going to outlive. If we handle to create automobiles which can be SUVs that do really feel like they progress, I believe they’re going to outlive. So I believe that’s extra the query than the precise typology itself: what does it symbolize?”
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Curiously, Habib isn’t fond of recent SUVs attempting to be as smooth as attainable in a bid to extend their vary. He stays a giant fan of automobiles just like the Land Rover Defender and Jeep Wrangler and believes their easy shapes are one thing that shouldn’t be misplaced.
“A love for that genuine proportion is a part of it,” he stated. “And to be trustworthy, the opposite purpose is now that EV SUVs are all attempting to be super-sleek, so we simply needed to attempt to not do this and [yet] nonetheless attempt to obtain the aerodynamic effectivity that will get us to the vary that we need to have.”