[Seoul Mobility Show] Kia Unveils New Niro World Premiere

'Reasoned Experience, Niro', 'Journey to Kia-ro', and 'Kia's Sustainability' - Three Exhibition Halls Established

[Asia Economy Reporter Yu Je-hoon] Kia announced on the 25th at the '2021 Seoul Mobility Show' held at KINTEX in Goyang-si, Gyeonggi Province, that it would unveil the eco-friendly sports utility vehicle (SUV) model 'The all-new Kia Niro' for the first time, along with the announcement of its corporate vision.

Following the company name change earlier this year, Kia is pursuing a transformation into a company that provides various mobility solutions. Accordingly, Kia organized three exhibition halls at this mobility show under the theme of sustainable mobility solutions: 'Reasonable Experience, Niro,' 'Journey to Kia,' and 'Kia's Sustainability.'

Song Ho-sung, President of Kia, said, "The greatest source of inspiration for Kia is nature, and through innovation inspired by nature, we will contribute to the development of customers, communities, and global society as a Sustainable Mobility Solutions Provider." He added, "The newly unveiled Niro embodies our commitment to sustainability and represents Kia’s flagship eco-friendly model. We believe it will be the best choice for customers who want to practice sustainability in their daily lives."

First Reveal of the New Niro... "Embodying a Vision for Sustainable Mobility"

The new Niro is a dedicated eco-friendly SUV model that reflects Kia’s vision for sustainable mobility. It is a completely redesigned vehicle introduced five years after the launch of the first generation. Kia applied its new design philosophy, 'Opposites United,' and one of its attributes, 'Joy for Reason,' to create a unique design.

Karim Habib, Executive Vice President in charge of design at Kia, said, "The Niro leads Kia’s eco-friendly lineup. The new Niro’s design, which links eco-friendliness with joy, will provide customers with a meaningful mobility experience."

The vehicle’s exterior features a simple yet high-tech aerodynamic body with details that convey a strong and adventurous image in a sophisticated manner.

The front extends Kia’s signature Tiger Face design from the hood to the fender, giving a unique impression, while the LED DRL (Daytime Running Lights), shaped like a heartbeat, create a futuristic image. Additionally, cladding visually connects the front and side through the wheel arches, enhancing individuality. The side highlights a modern character line emphasizing elegant volume, and the boomerang-shaped LED rear combination lamps integrated with the C-pillar catch the eye. Notably, the C-pillar is designed to allow air to pass underneath, considering airflow and resistance, which helps improve fuel efficiency.

The rear features vertical LED rear combination lamps that create a clean and aerodynamic design, and the harmony between the three-dimensional shape around the license plate and the wide tailgate expresses a modern image. The heartbeat-shaped rear reflector and skid plate unify with the front and show a distinctive charm.

The electric vehicle model differentiates itself from the hybrid model by applying a two-tone grille combining matte and glossy finishes with a hexagonal three-dimensional pattern, creating a luxurious and unique front image. The charging port is located at the center front for convenience, and the front and rear bumpers extend the body color for a neat look.

The interior of the new Niro creates a unique and fresh atmosphere through bold shapes. The diagonal form connecting the slim dashboard and doors gives a daring yet stable feeling. A wide display is placed between the dashboard and door trim along the diagonal, and the center console made of modern high-gloss black material harmonizes with the electronic shift dial (SBW), revealing a high-tech image. Ambient lighting maximizes emotional appeal, and intuitive infotainment and climate control switches enhance convenience.

The new Niro demonstrates Kia’s commitment to sustainability by applying eco-friendly colors, materials, and finishes. Especially on parts frequently seen and touched by passengers, various eco-friendly materials were used to increase satisfaction among environmentally conscious customers. The vehicle’s headlining uses recycled fibers, the door panels are coated with water-based eco-friendly paint free of benzene, toluene, and xylene, and the bio artificial leather seats utilize fibers made from eucalyptus leaf-derived raw materials.

Kia exhibits both the hybrid (HEV) and electric vehicle (EV) models in a space themed around the new Niro, while screening videos themed on the enjoyable experiences offered by the Niro to provide customers with a special vehicle experience opportunity. The new Niro’s hybrid model will be launched in the first quarter of 2022, followed by the electric vehicle model in the first half of the year.

Focus on 'Sustainability'

The space themed 'Journey to Kia' includes the ▲Brand Pavilion ▲E-Sports Zone ▲Future Hub Zone. Inside the Brand Pavilion, the brand message centered on Sustainability and Movement is presented immersively on three screens through a 6k media art projection video.

In the E-Sports Zone, visitors can see various goods of the professional gaming team Damwon Kia sponsored by Kia, as well as a Carnival-wrapped vehicle themed on Damwon Kia. Augmented reality (AR) allows visitors to take photos with players. The Future Hub Zone offers an offline hub experience reflecting the brand relaunch and new design philosophy, and showcases the facelifted K9, K8 Hybrid, and new Sportage Hybrid models released this year.

The exhibition hall themed on sustainability consists of ▲Smart City exhibits ▲EV6 Zone ▲With Ray Zone ▲Kids Zone, revealing Kia’s future business direction. The Smart City exhibits feature a performance where two robotic arms combine different upper bodies for various purposes onto a single lower body chassis, along with videos showcasing various autonomous driving mobility, allowing visitors to indirectly experience the future city.

The EV6 Zone displays the standard EV6 model along with the GT-Line and GT models. Additionally, the EV6 Virtual Reality (VR) Driving Center lets visitors experience key performance features of the EV6 and try racing, and a high-speed charging E-pit experience space provides an electric vehicle charging experience. The With Ray (#with Ray) Zone exhibits the single-seater van and five-seater full-flat models in various concepts such as flower shop, cafe, single-person studio, camping, picnic, and cinema, allowing visitors to experience Ray’s high space utilization.