Kia has revealed the Niro compact crossover ahead of its official unveiling at the 2013 Frankfurt Motor Show. We first saw the Niro in Silhouette form a few weeks ago and were quite impressed with the overall design of the Nissan Juke rivalling B-segment crossover. Now most of you in India will be quite unfamiliar with the Korean brand as it does not have a presence here, however its relevance to us is quite significant as Kia is owned by Hyundai who are themselves developing a B-segment compact crossover. It is likely that the Hyundai concept vehicle will borrow many design cues from the Niro.
The Kia Niro concept car retains all the familiar features of the Kia design philosophy like the swept back headlights, paddle shaped grille and rounded bumpers. At the back and on the sides too we see futuristic interpretations of the Korean automaker’s new design language. Its squat stance and sweeping roofline are accentuated by the wide rear diffuser and twin integrated exhausts.
What stand out the most though on this vehicle are the scissor doors, which while being a fad of the 1990s still looks quite good but is unlikely to make it to the production version. The green accents around various areas of the car is a sign that it likely to have some form of hybrid technology.
The interiors too have adapted the same design philosophy as the outside but of a more minimalistic nature in a bid to maintain clean and clear cut lines. All the interior functions seem to be integrated into a single large LCD installed on the middle of the dashboard.
Like we had said earlier, the Niro and consequently Hyundai’s compact crossover are likely to be offered with one petrol and diesel engine of which the former is expected to get the hybrid option. Transmission options are expected to include one manual and and automatic with the option of paddle shifts.
Reports suggest that the car, if launched, is expected to target the Nissan Juke in the European markets but for now it is believed that the car has been created as a way for Kia to gauge market response to its new design philosophy.
Hyundai has not revealed any plans to incorporate the platform into their line up but it seems logical to do so. The Ecosport launch has dented Hyundai’s i20 sales, and the company will be eager to get the numbers back. The launch of a compact SUV will be the best way to do so considering our new found interest for sub-four meter crossovers.
