• HOME
• 
• AUTO LISTINGS
• 
• FINANCE
• 
• NEWS
• 
• DIRECTORY
• 
• REVIEWS
• 
• FORUM
• 
• BLOG
• 

2007 Kia Kee Concept

Despite having a very Asian sounding name, the Kia Kee isn't as Korean as

If Kia produced a sports car with looks like this, it would elevate its status without question. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

you might think. It was artfully conjured up, not by those from South Korea, but by a bunch of men with very German and French sounding sir names. They're the people entrusted to bring about the brand's up and coming second transformation. The first act saw Kia go from unknown producer of old Mazdas and second-rate metal, to hardy, reliable and value-based cars and SUVs with some semblance of conservative style. Now watch Kia's second metamorphosis, one that is expected to turn the brand into a company you'll truly want to buy cars from, price aside. Magic, it may seem, but it's a goal that's nevertheless possible.

For those just joining in on the automotive scene now, Kia has come farther in what's arguably a lot less time than any other brand, Korean or otherwise. This can be attributed to the high level of sharing and development between it and its relatively new parent, Hyundai. But not everything Kia makes is a clone of a given Hyundai – the latter doesn't have a version of the Rondo tall wagon at all, and it won't be getting a version of the truck-like Borrego SUV or the new Soul compact crossover. At the same time, Kia's latest European product has really got people talking about the brand across the Atlantic; the cee'd actually managed to make it to this year's finals for the European Car of the

Rear fastback isn't so much a fastback as it a liftback without the danger of head injuries. (Photo: Kia)

Year. The man responsible for the visuals of future Kias is Peter Schreyer, ex-Audi designer and the man behind the delightful ex_cee'd Concept convertible.

Quality and durability are good, solid foundations for a brand, but there's no quicker way to peoples' hearts than by going outside traditional pragmatism and delivering something with soul (no Korean pun intended). Sports cars are great at changing images, and that's exactly what the Kee Concept is. The primary goal of the sleek liftback is to create a distinctive look for the brand, one that people will subconsciously recognize. Today's Kias offered here in North America are rather ordinary and somewhat Japanese looking, while the fresh new cee'd looks akin to something you might find tooling around the Arc de Triomphe in Paris or on the Autobahn in Germany. But Kia wants to be more than just a styling derivative, and the Kee shows that there's much more in store.

Most concept cars feature design trinkets to

Connection of side windows to rear glass via narrow glass segment gives the car a wraparound look. (Photo: Kia)

garner “oohs” and “aahs” from showgoers, and indeed the Kee has its fair share of them. Fancy headlights, door handles and big alloy wheels are all on the Kee's shortlist of features, but it's the car's smart design that Schreyer really wants people to see. If you've ever had the misfortune of being wedged into the back of a 2+2 seat sports coupe like the Eclipse or the Tiburon, it's not a very comfortable experience. If the legroom wasn't enough of an issue, there's very little by the way of headroom due to their sloping rear windows. But by far the worst is if the fastback is opened and shut, as you need to duck your head to avoid serious injury. The Kee doesn't have this problem at all. Even though it's a fastback (sort of), the roof line is kept high above the rear passenger's heads, avoiding this issue. What's more is that it's cleverly linked to the window on each door by small slit-like side windows, giving the whole car a continuous, wraparound look. It's this sort of intelligent, innovative design that will start popping up in Kia's future cars.

While it looks long and low, the Kee isn't very large, measuring roughly 14 feet in length, which makes it about 3 inches shorter than a Tiburon, but its wheelbase is

Simple interior could make it to production. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

longer and its track is wider. This puts it in the sport compact segment, and it could easily be the next budget Audi TT, a goal which Schreyer has admitted. Under its hood lies the “Mue-II” engine, which is a derivative of the 2.7-liter V6 that's been featured in the Tiburon for ages. It's more energetic than ever before at 200 horsepower, a decent upgrade. That's the sort of progress we like to see. The Kee's gearbox is an automatic, which comes as little surprise as this seems to be the right transmission to feature no matter the engine or the sporting factor involved. Hyundai and Kia have been working on developing a turbocharged inline-four with 200 horsepower, which was announced for the production model of the Concept Genesis. It's likely that this engine will also be featured in the production model of Kia's sports car.

Another reason behind Kia's motivation to build a sports car is that it is unfamiliar territory for the brand. Yes, there have been a couple of sporting prototype vehicles that came before like the turbocharged Sport concept and the KCV-III with its folding hardtop roof, and there was even the Kia Elan, the knock-down version of the front wheel drive Lotus Elan, but it was limited for domestic sale only, but Kia knows something like the Kee will go far in getting the media buzzing and, over time, changing the image of the brand.

As far as we know, the Kee could be front wheel drive or rear wheel drive, or both for that matter. It was announced recently that Hyundai and Kia have partnered up with Sweden's Haldex for its torque-vectoring fourth-generation all wheel drive system, which could very well make its way into the production model, if built. That's the beauty of having a sporty coupe. Unlike an economy car hatchback, which more or less dictates that it be powered by the front wheels or all wheel drive - unless it's a BMW in which RWD is a must - there aren't any rules about Coupes.

Normally I reserve a fair bit of space to talk about the interior

With a turbocharged four-cylinder engine, the Kee could be a real hit. (Photo: Kia)

of a concept car in an article, but there isn't much to say about the Kee's cabin. It's rather ordinary and down to earth for a concept car, although the low seating position and high console and window lines do give the feeling of a true sports car. One oddity is the location of the climate control module, which is mounted just ahead of the shifter. Without too much difficulty – and a bit of rearranging – this interior could make it to production without problem.

Like the cee'd, the name “Kee” has multiple meanings. One interpretation is "key", which is to do with its design language. Schreyer really believes that the Kee's unique looks will be a key element in elevating the brand to a new level. The other "ki" is a sense of well-being. If Kia is able to bring a sports car with these looks and the promised performance without sacrificing quality or its high-value proposition, it will have no problem succeeding in properly representing its name.

Specifications (Kia Kee Concept):

Page:  1

AUTOMOBILE REVIEWS BY MAKE

Acura  Audi   Bentley   BMW   Buick   Cadillac   Chevrolet   Chrysler   Daewoo   Dodge   Eagle   Ferrari   Ford   Geo   GMC   Honda   Hummer   Hyundai   Infiniti   Isuzu   Jaguar   Jeep   Kia   Lamborghini   Lexus   Lincoln   Lotus   Maserati   Mazda   Mercedes-Benz   Mercury   MINI   Mitsubishi   Nissan   Oldsmobile   Plymouth   Pontiac   Porsche   Saab   Saturn   Scion   Subaru   Suzuki   Toyota   Volkswagen   Volvo