Kia is to premiere its compact, electric concept car Pop at the Paris Motor Show, the company has said.
The car has been designed by Kia’s European team under the direction of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s chief design officer, and Gregory Guillaume, Kia Europe’s chief designer.
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“A concept car like the POP could only have come from us,” said Guillaume. “Designers very rarely have the opportunity to start from a clean sheet of paper and it’s great to be in a position to operate with such freedom.”
In addition to POP, Kia will also be displaying a new D-segment model called Kia Optima. The model will make its European debut at the Paris Motor Show before going on sale in select European countries this year. Sales in Western Europe will start in 2011.
The company said that the sedan is longer, lower, wider and has a longer wheelbase than any previous D-segment offering from Kia.
It will be available in Europe with a choice of either a new ‘U2′ 1.7-litre VGT diesel engine or a ‘Nu’ 2.0-litre CVVL (continuously variable valve lift) gasoline engine (170 ps*).
The second of Kia’s design-led production models at Paris will be the a Kia Sportage compact SUV. The Sportage will soon be available with two additional engine options – both smaller capacity, fitted with fuel-stretching technology and mated exclusively to 2WD drivetrains and six-speed manual transmissions.
Amongst the ‘green’ models featured at the show, will be Kia cee’d and Venga low emissions models, and a mild hybrid Kia Sportage concept.
