Kia Futuron concept showcases future design & technology

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While many concepts end up remaining just a concept, the point of those concepts in most cases is to showcase a new design language or a new technology. The concept might not make it into production but some of its design or technology will eventually be incorporated into a future production vehicle.

The new concept we’re seeing here is from Kia, and it is called Futuron, a portmanteau of ‘future’ and ‘on’. Those two words hint at the vehicle’s electric powertrain and future SUV designs from the brand. The Futuron showcases a new ‘360-degree’ design with its smooth flowing surfaces. The concept measures 4,850 mm long, 1,550 mm tall and has a wheelbase of 3,000 mm.

There’s a new reinterpretation of Kia’s ‘tiger nose’ grille. The headlamps have a ‘Star Cloud’ design which apparently gets its inspiration from nebulae in the night sky to create a geometric patchwork of matrix LED lighting. The same thing has been mimicked at the rear.

While flooding the cabin with natural light, the diamond-shaped panoramic glasshouse also incorporates a network of LiDAR (light detection and ranging) sensors.

The interior layout has been created keeping the Futuron concept’s Level 4 autonomous driving capability in mind. The two front seats are created out of flexible materials and can offer an upright ‘driving’ position, or a reclined ‘rest’ position, similar to the ones offered to first-class airline passengers. When the autonomous driving features are activated, the two front seats recline as the steering wheel retracts. The ‘zero-gravity’ seating position according to Kia, helps reduce fatigue on long journeys.

The doors feature the same Star Cloud lighting and scaled Dragon Skin motif found on the outside of the car, creating a glittering interactive ambient lighting system. The ventilation system is also housed behind Dragon Skin scales, which open and close to allow fresh air to circulate throughout the cabin.

As mentioned, the Futuron is a fully-electric (e-AWD) vehicle. Its battery pack is mounted beneath the cabin floor, providing electrical energy to four powerful in-wheel electric motors.