1 October 2010

Cute POP raises smiles

Kia had several ordinary cars on display at Paris, but the one which raised eyebrows, and smiles, was the three metres long POP electric city car concept.

The company says coyly that POP doesn't indicate any next generation of Kia style, but 'looks even further into the future'.

The designers call the car a 'wild atom', bouncing around the autosphere to see what it might provoke in reaction. They used non-automotive elements in putting the shape together, including gliders and high-speed bicycles. The view for the passengers is likened to what they might get from a helicopter.

POP is mainly a packaging exercise, but Kia suggests a 68hp electric motor and lithium battery powertrain. But, hey, it will probably have warp capability by the time any production variant gets on our roads. That's how fast things are moving.