Earlier this week, Kia fueled rumors of a Stinger revival by publishing teaser images of a new fastback-styled sedan. However, we may have gotten ahead of ourselves because there’s no indication this angular concept is a new Stinger in the making. The Vision Meta Turismo is simply the company’s gift to itself for its 80th anniversary.
Technically, it’s the 81st birthday, considering Kyungsung Precision Industry was founded in 1944. The Kia name didn’t appear until 1952, and the first four-wheeled car arrived much later, in 1974. Before that, Kia made only bikes, motorcycles, and trucks.
Getting back to the Vision Meta Turismo, it’s the typical futuristic concept with an ultra-edgy design inside and out. Kia vaguely calls it a “vision for a new era of mobility” and says it harkens back to 1960s GT cars. Technical specifications aren’t available, but this is clearly an EV that promises “dynamic driving performance,” whatever that means.
It looks like a spaceship on wheels returning from the future. The heavily stylized bodywork has more angles than we can count, complemented by thin light strips at both ends. Although the teasers suggested a five-door liftback, the Vision Meta Turismo doesn’t seem to have a tailgate or even a traditional trunk. Then again, this is only a concept.
Photo by: Kia
Inside, Kia says it aimed to create a lounge-like ambiance. A D-shaped steering wheel with square buttons sits ahead of a tiny rectangular screen, and further back, the instrument cluster is a projection rather than a conventional display. The head-up display spills into the passenger area, similar to what you’ll find in the new BMW iX3.
Elsewhere, the driver’s armrest ends with a joystick that looks like a pistol grip and presumably incorporates various controls, like a drive-mode selector. The absence of B-pillars is another obvious sign we’re dealing with a concept. The expansive greenhouse features numerous small glass panels that flood the cabin with light.
Overall, we’re not getting any Stinger vibes, aside from the sloping roofline, but that’s not enough to spark hope for a new swoopy sedan. Even if Kia does intend to roll out a Hyundai Ioniq 6 equivalent or something of that sort, it would be fully electric. The automaker says more details about the Vision Meta Turismo are coming soon, but it isn’t committing to a production version just yet.
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Source: Kia
