The Kia Soul, that boxy small machine loved by hamsters, was the automakers first step to a real design language, a term tossed around by Japanese companies like Mazda. The KV7 takes most of its cues from the Soul that was shown in 2007 as a concept vehicle. That being said, this new machine is larger than the Soul and appears to be a shrunken Ford Flex with gullwing doors.
It’s clear that this new Kia is an attempt to revolutionize the van industry. Many companies have attempted this by making the van less van like, and by this we mean more curvaceous. Kia has gone in the opposite direction, just as they did with the Soul and have created a box on wheels with retro design cues for the 2011 Detroit Auto Show. Like the Soul concept, the KV7 features a rounded hood and flared fenders. The front of the vehicle features the same grille and headlights as the 2011 Optima. Of course, being a concept, the headlights have been hidden with black accents surrounded by aluminum bits.
The more interesting aspects of the KV7’s exterior are the doors, as the fronts are suicide and the rear doors are gullwing. These bits will likely be removed if this model ever sees the production lines, but they are great fun to admit on the showroom floor. The interior of the KV7 is pure fantasy, with four rotating captain’s chairs, meaning that every person in the vehicle can face each other, although we wouldn’t recommend this for the driver if the vehicle is moving. When stopped, the car can become a lounge with WiFi and an onboard rear tabletop-video display. So, if you can’t find a good restaurant in the middle of Akron, Ohio – and believe us that will happen – just pull over and connect to the web to find one.
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