Droptop C'eed: Kia To Show Concept Cabrio In Geneva
If it's the Geneva show, Kia is virtually bound by law to show some manner of C'eed concept car. This year it's the ex_cee'd cabrio, a prototype designed by Peter Schreyer, Kia's new design boss. If you'll remember, Schreyer created the Bauhaus-inspired first-gen Audi TT coupe. Now, he's charged with giving Kia a new, Euro friendly face. The ex_cee'd cabrio sports a fabric roof, intentionally bypassing Europe's folding-hardtop fad. Nonetheless, the show car will inevitably draw attention to the launch of its production-ready siblings, the C'eed three-door hatch and wagon, also set for the Geneva show.
Press Release:
GENEVA WORLD PREMIERE FOR SCHREYER'S KIA CABRIO CONCEPT
Kia's exciting all-new ex_cee'd cabrio concept car will be premiered at the 77th Geneva Motor Show on 6 March.
The styling of the eagerly anticipated ex_cee'd cabrio 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 new three-door cee'd hatchback, due to go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia from December, the ex_cee'd shares the same platform, but features all-new exterior panels and a powered folding fabric roof.
By adopting a fabric roof, the ex_cee'd deliberately goes its own retro way rather than following the trend towards cabrios with folding metal roofs. Peter Schreyer paid special attention to designing a classic cabrio with a traditional soft-top roof: "I'm convinced that the fabric roof will have a renaissance. We've all lived with the romantic idea of open-air driving for a long time and for me, the fabric roof is the quintessential element of a truly rewarding cabrio."
With its slight wedge shape profile, muscular wings over 19-inch alloy wheels, and aggressive nose with dynamic front styling, the ex_cee'd has instantly found a form that stands out from the cabrio crowd. The cabrio concept is finished in 'meringue white' exterior paint with a 'bitter chocolate' fabric roof – colours that are echoed by the interior's two-tone leather.
"With this new cabrio concept car, Kia has once again demonstrated that it is a young, style-conscious company that knows how to combine elegance with dynamics," enthused Mr Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO Kia Motors.
"The Kia ex_cee'd is a fresh aesthetic high-point in our history, an encouraging sign of the growing internationalisation of our brand and a step in the process of evolving into a European company with Korean roots," he added.
Related:
New Kia C'eed Concept Pics Surface [internal]