- Kia unveils its Pop EV concept.
- The three-seater will be on display at the 2010 Paris Auto Show.
- The Kia Pop is just 10 feet long.
SEOUL, South Korea — The radical Kia Pop concept, a three-seat electric vehicle with a polarizing design theme, will debut at the 2010 Paris Auto Show. Kia on Wednesday offered a sneak peek at the Pop, which is already drawing snarky comments on the Internet.
It looks "like what Hello Kitty might drive if she lived in the Tron universe," said one auto Web site. The Kia Pop enters far riskier design territory than the Kia Ray plug-in hybrid sedan that debuted earlier this year at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show.
The Kia Pop is 10 feet long and defined by such cues as pincer-like headlights, a panoramic roof and oval side windows mounted on the diagonal. The tiny concept has LED lights and a power point in the rear. It is slightly longer than the tiny Toyota iQ. The cabin features a purple interior with a front bench for two and a rear seat for one.
Kia is not yet revealing the Pop's specifications. The Korean automaker's London office issued a statement saying the Pop city car is designed to be "convention-challenging."
Inside Line says: A provocative concept from Kia that's sure to turn heads in Paris. — Anita Lienert, Correspondent
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emanates says:
03:55 PM, 08/18/2010
Wow I can't wait for the future when people no longer have to roll their side windows down (sarcasm). At least the side windows will remind you to pop your medication. The French seem to like corky concepts and even production cars so I'm sure it will be a hit in Paris.