Kia hints at production plans for the Provo Concept.
He has shaken up a staid and conservative brand, and now, as Kia’s new president Peter Schreyer is out to show that it can maintain its edgy pace with the introduction of the new Provo concept, which is making its debut at the 2013 Geneva Motor Show.
Perhaps the biggest challenge for Schreyer’s design team will be continue evolving the so-called Tiger-Nose styling cues now in use on models like the Optima sedan and Sportage crossover. And like the Cross GT Concept, the Provo gives a hint of what’s to come, here with a mix of sophisticated technology in a B-segment package.
Gregory Guillaume, Chief Designer at Kia’s European styling base in Frankfurt, described the Provo as “an emotional and muscular car aimed at delivering pure fun and performance for today’s city-based enthusiast driver who longs for the curves of the open road.
The Kia Provo isn’t just a styling exercise, he added. Like the Cross GT, it is expected to have a very clear influence on products the Korean maker will soon bring to market.
A black-on-black interior designed to keep you focused on the road ahead.
The concept blends a clean, simple yet muscular exterior with an interior treatment mixing high-tech and luxury materials that will Kia promises will “set pulses racing whether on busy city streets or at the race-track.”
The two side doors are operated by flush-fitting push-up electronic handles that operate with a satisfying electric click. The doors are made from three individual panels – the outer panel, a carbon-fibre inner panel and a neoprene-covered inner section that also matches the Storm Metal body color.
Inside, the dashboard is made from a single expanse of carbon fiber, but does not extend down to the floor – deliberately – in order to keep the footwells clear and uncluttered except for polished aluminium footrests and pedals. A business-like main binnacle contains large analog dials on a digital display and a smaller central display of other minor gauges, but because the display is digital it can be programmed to offer a selection of functions.
The controls allow the driver to select a variety of screen displays – as well as controlling infotainment functions. In ‘normal’ mode the driver sees a speedometer, rev counter and sat-nav route instructions.
“The interior is very, very black – as we believe it should be to allow drivers to focus on the experience. But we have also looked to make the functional aspects of the car fit the modern demands of today’s motorists,” Guillaume noted, adding that, “The whole interior concept was designed around not having a big center console, but instead using the latest technology to provide excellent functionality in a clean, clear and attractive manner.”
Under the hood, the Provo Concept relies on a 1.6-liter Turbo GDI engine producing 204 horsepower that’s matted to a smart-4WD-hybrid system. The gas engine drives the front axle while power from the electric motor delivers an additional surge to the rear wheels when required, while also allowing low-speed electric-only motion.
A seven-speed DCT transmission – Kia’s first – completes the impressive technical package. The double-clutch gearbox allowed the maker to abandon the traditional, floor-mounted gear-shift and use paddles behind the steering wheel, which has blood-orange stitching and a race style straight-ahead indicator.
“This is entirely a car for European tastes and conditions,” Guillaume said, noting that it was designed at Kia’s styling studio in Frankfurt, Germany.
“The car is meant to be cheeky and cheerful in its compactness and to hint at the fun awaiting on the open road,” Guillaume said.
Kia said there is no specific production schedule for Provo yet but the maker appears to be clearly looking at its options.