Kia hopes a production version of the KV7 concept will help it move into the still substantial minivan market.
Are minivans back in vogue? Maybe, maybe not. But Kia is testing the waters with the KV7 Concept that it unveiled in Detroit at the 2011 North American International Auto Show.
The boxy KV7 has the same squared-off profile as the Ford Flex “people mover,” albeit with a bit more rounded front end. The styling will be polarizing to some, and Kia seems to be aware of this: They say they are “embracing the box,” as they try to bring some elements of the SUV experience to the minivan segment.
The KV7 offers a lot of glass space in order to give passengers a panoramic view of the outside world, and its dimensions put it in line with most other minivans. But as with most concepts, it primarily exists as a design study – at least for now.
The soft, rounded nose of the KV7 contrasts its overall boxy exterior.
Of course, such studies aren’t limited just to styling or technology. Kia is powering the KV7 with a 2.0-liter turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder and matching that engine to a six-speed automatic transmission. The idea: Get a lot of power out of a small engine so that fuel economy doesn’t suffer.
Kia is also trying to appeal to our constantly connected generation by offering a Wi-Fi enabled interior so that passengers can update their Facebook status or send tweets from the road.
Look for more conventional doors on a production version of the KV7, and only some of the show car's advanced technology.
There are four custom-built swiveling seats (including the driver’s seat), a floating tabletop with a touch-screen computer display in the rear, and a mini-lounge with seating for three in the rear corner. A multi-use display screen integrates climate, infotainment, and navigation systems, and drivers control this screen with a trackball.
The front dashboard moves forward six inches when the KV7 is started and retracts when it’s shut off, and the KV7 allows for users to connect multiple smart phones at the same time. There are also LED lights throughout the interior, and plenty of unusual materials, such as teak wood flooring.
A small, turbocharged DI engine will deliver a balance of acceleration and fuel economy.
Most of that stuff wouldn’t make it into a production KV7, but the concept looks fairly production ready in terms of exterior design. Some of the tech – such as the multi-phone connections, the multi-use center stack, and the Wi-Fi access—could reappear on what is expected to be a production version of the minivan, though.
Either way, Kia could be embracing the box in a big way sometime in the next few model years.