Combining youthful exuberance with a sporty and sleek design, Kia Motors Corporation today debuted the KOUP concept at the 2008 New York International Auto Show (NYIAS) during a press conference at the Jacob K. Javits Convention Center
Illustrating the shape and evolution of future Kia vehicles, the simple yet bold and aggressive KOUP exterior is complemented by its realistic and sleek interior design.Originating from the Kia Motors America Design Center in Irvine, Calif., the KOUP concept embodies Kia’s philosophy of “Exciting and Enabling” with its balanced proportions and fluid design set to evoke an emotional driving experience.
“The Kia KOUP concept represents the future of the Kia brand and its dynamic vehicles that speak to our core philosophies,” said Tom Kearns, chief designer of Kia Motors America (KMA). “Kia strives to appeal to the emotional side of car enthusiasts who seek adventure and want to take a leap into the future with style and advanced technology, and the KOUP effectively delivers.”
Curb appeal begins with the KOUP’s balanced proportions and fluid design. From the tab-shaped and purposeful upper grille to the high-tech and pragmatic headlamps, the front fascia’s form gives the vehicle a bold and aggressive stance.
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Find more Kia KOUP information after the jump.
A trailing horizontal lip along the deck lid tapers up toward the outer ends to meet up with the swoosh from the beltline. The rocker sill has a distinctive “check mark” shape and prominent wheel flares that give the KOUP a strong, lowered stance. The short overhangs and wide stance reflect its well-balanced and responsive character.The rocker sill has a distinctive “check mark” shape and prominent wheel flares that give the KOUP a strong, lowered stance.The short overhangs and wide stance reflect its well-balanced and responsive character.
No element of high-style design is missing in the KOUP concept as illustrated by its greenhouse-integrated, panoramic-view glass with two panels extending from the windshield through the roof to the backlight, appearing as two parallel pieces of glass – similar to a fighter jet cockpit.Segregating the glass panels, an interior mood light runs the full length of the greenhouse.
To further the performance-inspired appearance with sporty elegance, carbon fiber enhancements accent the KOUP’s chin spoiler, lamp lenses, cowl panel, side-view mirrors, rear bumper insert and rear diffuser, while flashy twin wheel spokes include carbon fiber inserts paired with an open design to show off the Brembo® calipers and cross-drilled rotors.
Conceived artfully and with graphic precision, the KOUP’s interior hones in on the desires of auto enthusiasts from the inward lean of the dashboard and Supervision instrument panel, enhancing the performance-inspired driving experience to the custom-designed, race-inspired steering wheel in front of a three-gauge instrument cluster.
Carbon fiber accents on the shifter plate and seat tilt-adjust mechanism reinforce sporty performance.Audiophiles and car enthusiasts alike will take heed of eight speakers, including large rear deck speakers matched to a juke box audio system, further harmonizing the driving experience. A built-in Bluetooth-enabled navigation system with Map On Demand (MOD) is just the beginning of the telematics services, including safe driving, car maintenance and life/assistance offerings.
March 20th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
WOW. If the performance is right, this may be something I’ll trade the Tibby for. Everything about this one rocks!
March 20th, 2008 at 5:51 pm
Wow its so cool! the interior also is apealing. let me read now
March 20th, 2008 at 6:35 pm
Whoa, this car totally rocks the house! Wow! More of Peter Schreyer’s work, eh? This car is absolutely beautiful and if Kia keeps it looking hot like this the car will be a hit. I can’t wait to learn more about it’s mechanicals! I have been looking at Kia Coupe concepts for most of the 2000′s so it is way cool to see a concept sent to the NY show that gives impressions of the actual new look for Kai automotive design. Can’t wait to see more of the ’09 Kia Optima design, too.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:46 pm
O I just noticed that it has paddle shifters behind the steering. I would like to see a close-up of the gear knob.
March 20th, 2008 at 7:52 pm
The design is increadibly VERY clean and yet it looks so gorgeous
March 20th, 2008 at 10:35 pm
I wnat one…………………..now!
March 20th, 2008 at 10:54 pm
A coupe is not for me — but if it was, this machine looks like the ONE!!!!! Beats the hell out
of anything I can think of —- in fact, where does it`s competition lie ? Don`t think that Toyota, Honda, Nissan,Mitsu have a direct competitor in this size class do they ?
March 20th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Now you got me thinking, micro99. I couldn’t find any direct competitor except of the BMW 1 series Coupe. In the past, there used to be 2-door Honda Civic, but as far as I know it was dicontinued with the last generation, right?
March 20th, 2008 at 11:51 pm
Schreyer……..YOU ARE A GENIUS! This car is amazing, and well beyond my expectations!
March 21st, 2008 at 10:03 am
The car looks great, good job by the California design team!, keep them coming guys!
March 21st, 2008 at 4:30 pm
The civic SI coupe is only real compedition. I think they are going more for the GTI/EVO/WRX style on this one 290 hp?!? That is crazy in a couple this small. Well if Kia really was going to do this they should act fast on this while the getting is good.
March 21st, 2008 at 4:32 pm
cobalt SS maybe?
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:25 pm
I think this car looks really good, but how are you supposed to take aim at a certain car, and make the counter look almost identical? For example, if I wanted to make a car that competes and gives a person a second choice to the corvette, would I make a car with similar lines and 4 round tail lights? Nice job with the performance Kia, but when your car hits 5 years old, there will be absolutely NO resale value, the engine will be shot, and my Honda’s engine will just be breaking in. Listen fellas, no matter what you do to this car, you will still be only driving a Kia.
June 3rd, 2008 at 9:59 pm
You are such an idiot! Our Optima’s value went up 2,000 dollars when it hit 10,000 miles. We had a Spectra last to 625,000 miles, without a problem!!!! Maybe you should look around a little more, because you obviously don’t know much about cars. Your car is a piece of shit that will get maybe 250,000-300,000 miles, and our humble little Spectra will do that and have less engine wear. HONDA ENGINES SUCK!!! My dad has a 2005 Civic that sucks ass. So will yours in 3 years! HAHA!
June 4th, 2008 at 4:31 am
The value goes up only in your place. because Kia is popular there. its not the same everywhere. The value goes down very fast here and thts the biggest prob with Kias.
November 25th, 2008 at 2:19 am
Ok lets get real here “Civic Si Driver”. The fact that you are saying that the Honda is going to be worth more than a Kia 5 years down the road i am not going to argue that. People will over pay for that “H” in 5 years just like they over pay for it today. Depreciation on cars is calculated at a standard rate, and is calculated by a standard formula that is used for all automakers. So the fact that Honda is priced on average $4,000 more than Kia. This means that even though they are depreciating at a standard rate of course the honda is going to be priced more than the kia 5 years down the road. Also the more there are of a particular model of car out there they are going to depreciate at a greater rate as well. Now, since the Civic is become the new cavalier and everyone and there dog just so happen to own one this means that there values are going to break through the floor soon. The best example for this is the Chevrolet Uplander. General Motors built tons of these cars as fleet cars and for the use of rental comapnies, so there trade in values are shit. Now as for your example that your trying to say that Kia is running there design of this car way to much like the Civic. Your eyes need to be opened up and quick. You Honda fans all have the same issues. You seem to think that Honda is the be all end all of the automotive industry, and that everything that they do is the greatest thing since indoor plumbing. Now do tell me why all you “Honda Nuts” seem to think that when another car company other than honda puts out a car you are right on the spot in saying oh there stealing there designs from Honda. But once Honda tosses out a concept car its oh wow that thing is so nice thats the greatest car design ever its going to revolutionize the automotive industry. OPEN YOUR EYES. The new generation Civic took its designs from the Cobalt and the G6. The Ridgeline took its designs from the Chevrolet Avalanche. The Honda Fit took its designs from the Chev Aveo5. The honda pilot upon its introduction i bet you were all thinking oh honda chas come out with this original new SUV to the market, its the Ford Explorer. The Accord well what could this car of possibly taken its lines and styling from hmm now lets think oh they really started to go strong in copying the Oldsmobile, and before that the thing looked like a Gremlin. Oh and I bet that ther eis some strong misconseption in your minds about there mini-van. If anyone even remotely posts anyhting saying that another car company has copied the styling of the Odysee in any way shape or form my advice is that you go for a walk to the top of a tall structure, and well its not my place to tell you what you should do but I am quite sure that you will make the wrong choice in that situation. Now the CRV as well this is one that Honda did decent with as for its looks and its new styling, may just be one of the nicest things in there line up. However, it still is running of the styling as the Suzuki SideKick. OOOOHHHH thats a low blow to any honda fan right, there beloved designers took styling from Suzuki. You can be in as much denial as you want but its true. The Honda Element is really the only innovative thing that that car company has actually put on the market. Its different its weird and it was a flop. Now yes I bet that you are thinking well you forgot about the NSX and the S2000. Don’t you worry your special little head “Civic Si Driver” i was saving those for last cause i know that they are the pride and joy on the mantle for honda fans, you all love them and you all want one. First the S2000 took its styling from the Mazda Miata. Which indeed is a girls car. Making the S2000 a nice girls car. I think that you may actually get matching lip-stick with the paint colour when you purchase it. Last but certainly not least is the NSX. Now there is a resont that I saved this car for last and well thats because you decided that you should use this car as your example car. Now you said that if you were going to design a car like a like the Corvette and take aim at a certain car, would you make the counter look identical?? Now I took this as your meaning why would you want to design a car that looks like another car on the market. The NSX was designed and marketed to the same market as the corvette. Well you know that just strikes me as weird cause well everything that they did with the NSX followed along the same lines as the Corvette. The head lights the tail lights everything. It followed off of the same platform as the Corvette. So my best advice for you and all the other special children “aka Honda Nuts” that are out there, before you want to trash on another car companies car design. You may want to do a little bit of research before you make yourself look like a total and complete moron.
Now to defend Honda a little bit from what “Greg” said. Honda engines do not actually suck, there are gigantic misconceptions out there that some manufactures make better cars than others. Well some do and its all dependant on what your needs are. This is a huge thing that you should be taking into account when it comes to purchasing your vehicle. Cause well, there may be some different options out there for you. As long as you do your servicing on your vehicle properly and religiously there is no reason that you shouldn’t get good use out of your car. Whether your driving a Peugout, Suzuki, Honda, Kia or a Mazerrati. Cars now days are designed to last you just have to be willing to put in the time and effort to ensure that youc ar will last you as long as you want it to and to ensure that you will get the use out of it that you want to get out of it. Half of the people out there that are getting mad angry and frustrated that there cars are not as good as they had anticipated them to be, well you probably need to pay more attention to the way that you are treating your car.
November 25th, 2008 at 3:43 am
The Civic Si wouldn’t even make my short list. What an uninteresting car. If I won an Si in a contest I would probably sell it and get something else. Next year I was planning on buying the ’09 Mazda3, or even the Volkswagen Rabbit with the 170 hp engine…..until I saw the Soul. Now, I’m not so sure. It’s not a “driver’s car”, or a status car, but it actually has the most personality…and lots of gadgets. It doesn’t look like it’s trying to be taken too seriously. Some play-it-safe, boring Honda drivers are smug, but for no reason, there isn’t much difference anymore between Honda and Hyundai in initial quality…..and Kia is rapidly closing that gap. Honda is all about fit and finish and re-sale according to some Honda drivers. Wow, talk about falling asleep at the wheel….yawn. I always admired Toyota engines, but most Toyota cars bore me too, which is why I have never bought one. With a Kia you get a real warranty, and road-side assistance, for the entire time you’re likely to be making payments…….5 years. And both my Hyundai Elantra and my current Suzuki Aerio still have decent resale value, but I don’t care, cuz I hang on to the cars I really like. I DO care about resale with a Honda, cuz I probably would never have liked it, and would want to salvage any money I could.