Sporty is out and boxy is in… well, according to Kia anyway. “From the outset, we felt the 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,” said Tom Kearns, Kia Motors America’s chief designer.
The KV7 concept uses an upright grille and windshield, purposefully bringing a truck-like design to the MPV. The most striking feature, however, is its passenger-side gullwing door that opens up to a lounge-like interior. A continuous line of LEDs spans the front of the KV7 – directional turn indicators on the outside mirrors and the rear of the vehicle pulse in the direction being signalled.
When it comes to the interior, the KV7 concept was designed for a group of people referred to as “Ringleaders”. Kia did not design the KV7 to be a van to transport children, but more, it says, for social adventurers who are “busy organizing road trips, social outings and new adventures for themselves and their friends to experience together”.
Four custom-built swiveling seats (including the driver’s chair), and a rear-corner mini-lounge with seating for three and integrated storage compartments promote a rather “clubby” environment. The KV7 also has a moving dash that shifts six-inches toward the driver when its needed, a Wi-Fi connected tabletop touch-screen computer interface in the rear and a track-ball operated display in the front for access to climate control and info-tainment systems. The Wi-Fi provides both the front and rear displays with Internet capabilities and the ability for multiple passengers to connect their smart ‘phones to the vehicle at one time and sign-on to social networking sites.
The KV7 concept is powered by a 2,0-liter GDI turbocharged engine. At this point, however, production looks unlikely.
