Detroit Auto Show 2011: Kia KV7 Concept

Bored of all those sexy looking and sleek concept cars from the Detroit Auto Show? Well, Kia might just have the concept car to balance it out, the super boxy KV7 Concept! The KV7 is not an SUV, but a full-sized minivan and is one of the cars from Kia’s booth displayed at the Detroit Auto Show.

The design of the KV7 may not be love at first sight, but it is striking in a subtle way. This is what chief designer at Kia Motors America, Tom Kearns had to say: “From the outset, we felt the [van] category was in need of an honest reassessment due to the fact that everyone seems so desperate to attach the word ‘sporty’ to their minivan, even though vans, at their very core, are simply a box,”

Not convinced? Well he has not even finished his sentence: “Rather than reject the box, we chose to celebrate it, just like we did with the Soul, and the result is a straightforward, yet sophisticated vehicle that retains the functionality vans are known for and meets the changing and diverse needs of today’s consumers.” Agree with him now?

Well to prove his point, the KV7 utilizes it’s interior space to the fullest, and yet in the most comfortable and useful way. All seats in the car can be swiveled including driver’s seat, and the at the rear, the seats are arranged in a lounge order. The car also have a floating tabletop which is actually an iPad a touch-screen computer. The downside for all theses awesome arrangements of chairs? Zero boot space.

Under that rounded bonnet is a 285-turbocharged four-cylinder engine with plenty of torque to spare. Most likely no chance of getting this van mass produced, the KV7 does however, give us a hint of how their luxury vans will be like in the future. In the meantime, check out the slideshow below as well as a short video of the Kia KV7 being introduced at the Detroit Auto Show.


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