A hot Kia?
By Thom Blackett
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December 11, 2007
Introduction
What it Is
Kia KND-4 Concept Preview – 2007 Los Angeles Auto Show: This has got to be a sign of impeding doom. Maybe we’re headed for an apocalypse. Regardless, be prepared for the worst, because the day of a Kia with 20-inch wheels has come, and that clearly proves something ain’t right with the world.
Or maybe it’s a sign of good days to come. The company that has gained a foothold in the U.S. with small, well-backed vehicles proclaims that it’s now ready to tackle design, and suggests that the KND-4 Concept represents the direction Kia will take in convincing shoppers to purchase based on passion and not simply value.
By Thom Blackett
Photo Credit: Thom Blackett and Kia
Page 2Why it Matters
Kia deserves credit for surviving and actually growing here in the States, based largely on low prices, a focus on quality, fuel-efficiency, and of course that 100,000-mile warranty. Those are admirable points, but with more manufacturers offering ever-improving warrantees and an industry-wide renewed focus on quality small cars, Kia is forced to once again distinguish itself. Much like Hyundai, partner and creator of the sexy Genesis Coupe Concept, Kia has selected passionate design as the means for separating itself from the pack, and if future production models look anything like the KND-4 Concept, it’s an approach that just might prove successful.
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