Worthy though its entry level hatchbacks, family minivans and small SUVs may be, Kia is not a brand you’d associate first with a big, V8-powered four wheel drive crossover. But that’s just what the Korean automaker showed as a concept vehicle in Detroit this week.
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The 4.7-metre long Kue puts the emphasis on performance and was designed primarily as a driver´s vehicle, Kia said.
“While possessing many SUV characteristics and capabilities, the Kue focuses more on giving the driver an exhilarating driving experience – on the open country road and on the way to the home improvement centre – rather than on how much it can carry,” the automaker said.
The CUV has a monocoque platform, 22-inch wheels a 2,900 mm wheelbase and an overall length of 4,724 mm. Though purely a concept, it hints at future Kia styling directions, the automaker added.
Twin centreline hinged glass doors open to give access to the rear storage area and a single side door that incorporates a negative-scooped shape opens scissor-style for easy access.
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By GlobalDataThe interior is a four-seat arrangement with individual custom-built bucket seats.
Touch pad and motion-sensing controls are used to adjust such items as the audio and climate systems. The entire touch-pad set up is programmable so that one surface may activate the stereo for one driver and temperature for another. Rear passengers have their own, separate interface.
The engine is a 400-horsepower, DOHC, supercharged 4.6-litre V8 petrol engine that develops 400 lbft (542 Nm) of torque.
