4
NEWS
SEOUL MOTOR SHOW: Kia CUB
Kia joins the four-door coupe CUB with turbocharged compact four-seater conceptKia has used this week’s ninth annual Seoul motor show to stage the world debut of a compact four-door coupe concept dubbed the CUB.
The sleek yet compact four-seater, which measures less than four metres long, reinterprets design features created by Kia’s Chief Design Officer and now President, Peter Schreyer, for the Kee 2+2 concept in 2007.
Kia says it has no plans to offer the CUB for sale, but some of its daring styling cues could find their way onto other future production models, including the luxuriously trimmed “access-all-areas” interior concept.
Unlikely to appear on a Kia model as compact as this, however, are the adventurous rear-hinged rear doors, which are claimed to provide excellent rear-seat access and allow the B-pillars to be eliminated.
Powered by the same 152kW/265Nm 1.6-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine found in Kia’s upcoming pro_cee’d GT and Hyundai’s Veloster Turbo, the CUB was designed at the company’s headquarters studio in Seoul.
Up front is Kia’s familiar wrap-around ‘mouth’ and the same top-edge wind screen dip as seen on the Optima, Sportage and new Cerato, although a shallower version of the distinctive grille design incorporates the turbo’s air intake and is body-coloured.
Headlights featuring two-point LEDs like those on last year’s new Quoris flagship sedan, LED tail-lights, sill-level ‘turning vanes’ on the front doors and big 19-inch allow wheels are also seen on the CUB.
Other exterior features include super-smooth surfacing and flush glazing, “minimum-drag” wing mirrors, automatic touch-type door-handles and a two-tone paint finish with sports stripe.
Inside, there are four individual seats, black leather trim with yellow accents for the seats, armrests and steering wheel, a minimalist centre stack with air-vents controlled by touch sensor and an instrument cluster “inspired by the eyes of a wild animal”.
What’s more, Kia says the CUB’s steering wheel rim is capable of “monitoring the driver`s biorhythms”, while the Driving Information System controller is connected to a gesture camera, allowing drivers to set up menus on the centre display using well-defined hand motions.
Hinting at the CUB’s performance credentials is a passenger-side footrest.
“The new Kia CUB is a compact, four-door coupe created with a clear focus on driving performance and practicality,” said Kia Motors Corporation’s Senior Executive Vice-President and COO, Thomas Oh.
“Styled to appeal to trend-setting urban dwellers, the CUB features a comfortable four-seater cabin which generates an emotional, feel-good response and delivers everyday, real-world benefits.”
Read the latest news and reviews on your mobile, iPhone or PDA at carsales' mobile site...
Share this article
Written byMarton Pettendy
See all articlesOur team of independent expert car reviewers and journalistsMeet the team
Stay up to dateBecome a carsales member and get the latest news, reviews and advice straight to your inbox.
Subscribe todayRelated articles
Disclaimer
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
Contact
Advertise with us
International marketplaces
Scan to download the carsales app
Want more info? Here’s our app landing page
App Store and the Apple logo are trademarks of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo
are trademarks of Google LLC.