Imagine by Kia electric concept breaks cover at 2019 Geneva Motor Show

‘Imagine by Kia’ is the all-new all-electric concept showcased at the 2019 Geneva Motor Show by the Korean carmaker. The Imagine by Kia (that’s the actual name of the concept) is the first pure electric four-door passenger concept from Kia. Based on the same platform as the Niro hybrid, the Imagine comes as a design study and previews Kia’s future electrification design direction. 

According to the carmaker, the Imagine by Kia is a large C-segment car and hints at something familiar, but is something entirely new. It is muscular like an SUV, yet is as sleek and athletic as a family saloon and is also versatile like a spacious crossover, claims the Korean carmaker. There is an entirely new interpretation of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille in the new illuminated ‘tiger mask’ fascia. The well-carved out headlamps are housed in a single block of clear acrylic glass, creating the effect of piercing eyes, free-floating and devoid of any visible support. 

The suicidal doors are tall and wide while the rear has just two LED strips for tail lights and a large rear window. The concept has a high shoulder line and a transparent roof with a single pane of glass used for both, the windscreen and the roof. The double bubble spoiler is also seen at the rear. The massive wheel arches are shod with equally big 22-inch transparent acrylic glass wheels wrapped in bespoke Goodyear 255/35 R22 Intelligrip EV concept tyres. The fastback-like silhouette adds to the sporty stance of the Imagine. The paintwork has six hand-applied layers of chrome-effect silver paint and is covered in a tanned bronze tint. 

The ridiculously futuristic cabin has a whopping 21 individual ultra-high-resolution screens dominating the dashboard. “These 21 incredibly thin screens are a humorous and irreverent riposte to the on-going competition between some automotive manufacturers to see who can produce the car with the biggest screen,” says Ralph Kluge, Kia Motors Europe’s general manager of interior design. The materials used elsewhere in the cabin includes four types of leather, metallic fabric, glass and silk.

No powertrain details have been divulged by Kia yet for the Imagine. The design study may or may not spawn a proper all-electric sedan in the future.