New Kia convertible concept set for Geneva

Kia ex_cee’ds expectations with a new cabrio concept

Kia shows its ambitions for the new C-segment platform are indeed high as it bestows yet more images of a convertible concept it will unveil at the Geneva motor show. The ex_cee’d cabrio concept is the work of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s new Chief Design Officer, and hints at the future direction Kia vehicles could be taking under his guidance.

Based on the three-door cee’d hatchback, set to go into production at Kia’s Zilina factory in Slovakia from December, the ex_cee’d concept features all-new exterior panels and a powered folding fabric roof rather than a hardtop roof employed by so many new production convertibles coming to fruition in recent times.The fabric top is meant to showcase a ‘retro’ styling path the company has decided to embark on. It will likely decrease weight and production costs, while retaining a low centre of gravity, essential for a sporty drive.

Peter Schreyer, design guru for the original Audi TT, claims the traditional fabric roof will have a renaissance, evoking the romantic notion of open-air driving. The concept is a four-seat cabrio with a steeply-raked windscreen, longer sloping bonnet and a short rear deck, reminiscent of latter day sporty cabrios. The ‘meringue white’ exterior paint scheme and contrasting ‘bitter chocolate’ fabric roof harp back to simpler open air times, and the colours carry over to the interior, with two-tone leather seats.

An aggressive nose with dynamic front styling echoes the three-door hatch concept’s clothes, featuring a slight ‘wedge shape’ profile and ‘muscular wings’ draped over the now familiar 19-inch alloy wheels first seen on the three door concept shown at the Paris motor show in September. A chrome strip below the door opening also draws attention to the curvaceous rocker panel design

The ex_cee’d concept aims to stand out from crowd of current cabrio offerings and score with potential young, style-conscious buyers wishing to combine elegance with dynamics. If this car can make it to production without design interference from cost-cutting higher ups, Kia could have another strong candidate with which to steal sales away from other well-established rivals.