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2007 Kia Kue Concept

When Kia arrived in North America in the early '90s, it took up residence in the sameposition that any entry-level manufacturer did: the bottom of the food chain. Over the years, Kia has grown from making some of the most basic transportation devices to producers of sport utility vehicles and luxury sedans with the assistance of parent company Hyundai. This has put Kia in the position to seriously compete with established and long-rooted automakers. With a reputation of delivering high value for the money, and fairly reliable products, Kia is now ready to move its game onward and upward, perfecting style and optimizing performance. It's doing this with the Kue concept that was unveiled in Detroit earlier this week.

Kia's latest design initiative led by global design directorPeter Schreyer is successful at turning out modern designs that are simple yet attractive. The Korean brand's oddly named Cee'd has the flair of an elegantly designed hatchback without

The new Kue is not just good looking... it's ruddy quick too. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the bulk typical of vehicles in its category. This European-only hatchback fits in perfectly with vehicles that it competes with. The influence of the Cee'd is easy to see on this new concept vehicle. Tom Kearns, Kia Motor North America's chief designer and a key person in the Kue's design team says, "Good design shouldn't look like you are trying too hard. The future Kia direction will incorporate the 'less is more' philosophy but still include a heavy dose of boldness to be distinct."

That's great news to hear because the Kue is a great looking vehicle. Compared to previous non-car Kia concepts such as the Mesa, Kia has abandoned its desire to create American-style bulky, muscular trucks. At

Kia's global design director Peter Schreyer is successful at turning out modern designs that are simple yet attractive. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

the time, this particular trend would've been fine, but it's currently on its way out in terms of popularity. Instead, the Kue is sleek, rounded and very aerodynamic with pointed, swept headlamps and a six-sided grille. The side profile of the Kue is clean with the exception of a trapezoid-shaped indent on the doors. The idea of a two-door scissor design is atypical of the crossover segment, and it's unlikely to be produced. The rear of the Kue is different than any other roadgoing crossover vehicle that's sold in North America, but I'm not quite sure I like it. The raked fastback reminds me of Ssangyong's new Actyon crossover, which incidentally also hails from Korea. The high height of the bodywork and width of the rear pillars would certainly impede rearward visibility by a great degree.

The interior of the Kue was designed to be straight fromthe

A purposely sporty looking interior befits a car powered by a supercharged V8. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

future, laced with high-tech interfaces. The controls, as well as instruments, are found at the center of the steering wheel, much like a formula one car. The center console flows from the dashboard and into the spine that divides the Kue's cabin right in half. Trimmed in metal-look and gloss black materials, it's laced with motion and touch-sensitive controls as opposed to standard switches and buttons. These make the Kue's switchgear look like they belong on a futuristic space shuttle. Emphasizing the Kue's custom made feel are its console controls, which can be rearranged and saved; for instance, one driver's stereo controls could be another's HVAC controls. Rare, passengers have their own touch and motion sensitive controls as well as individual LCD displays, located in the back of the front seat headrests. Four bucket seats trimmed in gray and red accented cloth cradle the occupants.

The Kue is powered by a V8, something that we've not seen in a production Kia yet. Parent company Hyundai is rumored to be introducing a full-size sedan that would

Its tall, bustle-back proportions look to be wind-cheating... but odd. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

be powered by a V8 engine and if this concept is anything to go by, the Kue's driving force will be the same engine as what could be in future products. The 4.6-liter eight-cylinder is assisted by a supercharger to create 400 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque. It's a light-pressure unit that emphasizes the torque-rich nature of the big displacement V8. Mated to this new engine is a five-speed automatic that has paddleshifters for additional driver interaction. Its power then flows to all four wheels through an electronically controlled all-wheel drive system in order to deliver optimal grip on paved and off-road surfaces.

Though Kia is saying that the Kue is a concept and nothing more, we'll be seeing something along the lines of its styling in the years to come. Currently, Kia does not have a crossover vehicle in its range, which seems out of place being that the CUV segment is North America's fastest growing. We could foresee Kia switching away from the body-on-frame design of its Sorento SUV in favor of a car-like monocoque vehicle. How quickly Kia will act on it is a different story, but if the South Korean brand wants to catch onto the crossover segment while it's on the rise, it should act quickly.

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