Kia used the 2019 New York auto show as the stage for the global debut of the HabaNiro Concept. Featuring a slick two-tone white and red exterior, the Kia HabaNiro Concept evolves the design first shown on the SP and SP Signature Concepts. The HabaNiro Concept also features level 5 autonomous capability, allowing it to drive itself when the driver wants to relax.
The Kia HabaNiro Concept features a thin grille inspired by a shark’s snout complete with a pattern that Kia says is meant to look like teeth. It rides on 20-inch red-accented wheels shod in knobby tires, giving it a rugged, capable look. Another notable design feature is the contrasting Satin Metallic Granite Grey color of the front fascia that extends to the fenders and body sides. Aluminum skid plates and tow hooks round out the concept’s more rugged elements. But the HabaNiro Concept’s most striking exterior design feature is its pair of butterfly wing doors, which gives it a futuristic vibe, especially paired with the pulsating daytime running lights.
A red interior with front seats trimmed with bouclé, or woven yarn, fabric complements the Kia HabaNiro Concept’s fun exterior. Once inside, you’ll find a head-up display projected onto the whole windshield and controlled by a touchpad. Continuing with the futuristic theme, the HabaNiro Concept’s interior features adjustable ambient lighting that reflects the geometric pattern of the floor throughout the cabin. In self-driving mode, the steering wheel and instrument cluster retract and the head-up display turns into a media hub that can play movies and other forms of entertainment.
Kia calls the HabaNiro Concept the “Everything Car,” a vehicle designed to do everything from commuting to adventuring. Power comes from two electric motors, one on each axle, giving it all-wheel drive. The automaker says that the car has an “advanced state of the art battery,” which we suspect may be the same 64-kWh (or larger) lithium-ion unit found in a number of Hyundai-Kia EVs. The HabaNiro Concept can travel more than 300 miles on a single charge, Kia says.
Kia’s Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving (R.E.A.D.) system, which was first demonstrated at CES 2019, also makes an appearance on the HabaNiro Concept. It analyzes the driver’s emotional state via artificial intelligence-based bio signal recognition and adjusts the cabin accordingly in hopes of improving the driver’s mood. The R.E.A.D. system also features an eye-tracking system with a display where a rearview mirror is usually placed that activates when the driver looks up. Unfortunately, the R.E.A.D. system won’t be able to detect hunger and take the vehicle to the nearest restaurant, Kia says.
While many of the Kia HabaNiro Concept’s features are still far from production, its design is clearly a hint at the automaker’s upcoming small crossover. At 171 inches long, 63 inches tall, and 77 inches wide, and featuring a 111.5-inch wheelbase, the HabaNiro Concept lands right in the heart of the subcompact crossover segment. The use of an electric powertrain could hint at an EV variant with dual-motor all-wheel drive. A conventional gas-powered production version could feature the same powertrain options as the 2020 Kia Soul.
Source: Kia
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