Kia’s upcoming electric SUV has been spied during a road test in South Korea, and it looks like a premium crossover in the making
The future of automobile industries lies with electric vehicles, and South Korean carmaker Kia has decided to jump on the bandwagon as well. The company is developing a new EV, based on the Futuron concept showcased last year in November. The EV, codenamed ‘CV’, will be the first electric car by the brand to be underpinned by the Electric Global Modular Platform (or E-GMP), which will be shared between Hyundai and Kia.
According to Kia Motors, the E-GMP will be a dedicated electric car platform, which is a great thing. A majority of EVs are developed on the same platforms as internal-combustion vehicles, which leads to problems regarding powertrain compatibility, forcing the manufacturers to compromise on a few aspects, like battery size and specs, performance, cabin space, ride and handling, etc.
With the popularity of crossover SUVs rising globally, it is no surprise that the upcoming Kia EV is also one. The dimensions of the Futuron concept were quite generous, especially for a 5-seater, with a length of 4,850mm, height of 1,550mm, and a wheelbase length of 3000mm. The production-spec model of the Kia CV should have nearly the same dimensions.
The Kia CV has quite a unique exterior design, resembling a coupe-styled SUV, much like BMW X6. The recently unveiled Nissan Ariya also has a similar design theme. Not many details can be made out from these spy pictures, as the camouflage on the test mule has managed to mask the entire car. The alloy wheels are visible though, and the 5-spoke, turbine-blade design on them looks extremely cool and upmarket.
The specifications of the Kia CV are a complete mystery at this point, although reports claim that the driving range will be around 500 kilometres. This seems like quite an optimistic figure, but if it turns out to be true, well, Kia won’t be launching this one as a ‘budget’ EV then. Reports also claim a charging time of around 20 minutes via a fast-charger.
There is no official word on the launch window yet, but sources suggest that the new electric car will debut during the second half of the next year. US and Canada launches are expected to follow soon. The car would probably not be launched in India, considering the low demand for EVs in our country.
