As the world’s largest automotive companies struggle to respond to the technical challenges of today, at times it can seem as if they have lost sight of the reason why people buy cars in the first place. But by rekindling customers’ love of the freedom and sheer emotion of driving, and debuting trend-setting new designs, South Korean manufacturer Kia has been able to buck the trend and outperform the market.
New models such as the ProCeed five-door shooting brake, a radical alternative to the traditional three-door hatchback, are repositioning KIA as an aspirational marque for couples and young families, helping to breathe new life into Europe’s enduring love affair with the family car.
What has the new ProCeed added to the Kia range, in terms of the driving experience?
I am a strong advocate of balancing the driving experience with the styling of a specific vehicle. The new ProCeed is a good example of character matching. The unique styling convergence of dynamic elegance and versatility finds its equivalent in the driving experience. Driving precision, agility and smooth power combined with good sound isolation and ride comfort puts the ProCeed in a unique position in the market place. The design appeals and the driving experience makes the deal.
What did you do to make the ProCeed handle so well?
First we defined the character of the ProCeed and this led to direct steering, multi-link rear axle with precise and joyful elastokinematics and matching tires. Our engineers did a great job to balance this all with the target character.
How important is the GT engine to the whole Ceed experience?
The Gamma 1.6 Turbo is the smooth and powerful heart of our top models, the GT models. This engine in combination with our dual-clutch transmission offers a wide range of driving character and shows the emotional potential of the Ceed family. I’m convinced the GTs will challenge some hot hatches for driving fun and overall vehicle balance.
Why is Kia focusing so much on fun and emotion?
Kia is a young and emotional brand with iconic cars like the Soul or Stinger. We want to touch the hearts of our customers and not just reach to their brains with our excellent safety and quality.
At Kia, what are you doing to improve the driving experience?
In our group Kia has the power and the role to surprise and this first of all means outstanding design. From our next generation of Kia champions, like the Optima, Sorento or Sportage, you can expect advances in the human factors of operation, such as enhanced connectivity and further advanced driving assistance systems for safety and convenience. In our new architecture for electric vehicles we are working on Kia models that have the potential to take the driving experience of balanced emotion to the next level.
Of course, we are not forgetting about fun to drive, with further improvements in ride, handling and NVH (noise, vibration and harshness). People spend quite some time in their vehicles. They should enjoy the drive
As published in TIME magazine
