The Opposites United: Evolution design language is intended to make electric cars more emotionally engaging, head of interior design Jochen Paesen told Autocar.
The Vision Meta Turismo is key to this, he said, and a vital requirement for meeting the brief is to ensure that when people “see the car, they think: ‘Cool, I want to give that a go.'”
However, it isn’t as easy as just making it sporty, giving it a virtual gearbox and pumping out fake engine noise because new-generation buyers aren’t engaged by that, according to Paesen.
He said: “We’re car people. We grew up on the side of a race track hearing V8s, but those are not the things that the younger generation care as much about. It actually doesn’t trigger them. It triggered us, but we’re living in a different age, so understanding what triggers the younger generation and gets them emotionally tied in and emotionally interested, that’s important.”
The emotional connection to electric cars will be crucial going forward, said Paesen, as “that’s where, ultimately, differentiation will come in. That’s where brands can stand out from each other, and that’s where you can make a difference.”
The interior will be a pivotal factor in this. While the Vision Meta Turismo’s cabin features nothing that is immediately bound for production, its radically minimalist, functional and tech-led approach is being considered for the next-generation cars.
Modern Kias have always placed an importance on being functional. They have featured numerous physical buttons to control essential functions rather than putting everything behind a screen – and Paesen said the next stage is to make functionality its own aesthetic.
He explained: “We are not a premium brand. We design with our cost targets and we have to be very smart in how we do that. So we always try to look at how we can make the experience, how we make the usability, how we make the emotion, the smiles, come out in everything we do.”
“We just want to be authentic”
Kia won’t look to differentiate its models based on their powertrain, but neither will it make all of its cars look the same, said Habib.
