Hyundai/Kia is one of my favorite automakers right now, probably because they used to be one of my most hated. But both brands have come a long way in terms of style and quality, and are now poised to take a bigger role on the world automotive stage.
Kia in particular seems to be branding itself the more thrilling cousin of Hyundai, as some of their recent concept cars have shown. This latest teaser of the plug-in hybrid “Ray”, as it is being called, doesn’t reveal much, but certainly makes me want to see more.
Kia claims that the Ray will have a fully functioning hybrid drive train. Currently Hyundai/Kia has several hybrid concept cars floating around including the Blue Will, but just one hybrid you can purchase, the Sonata Hybrid. The Ray looks like it will be more aggressively designed than other hybrids; let us just hope it doesn’t turn out to be a disappointment like the Honda CRZ.
While we can’t see much of the outside from the teaser picture, and Kia is saying that the exterior is more conceptual than practical, the brand has been moving towards a much more aggressive design portfolio in recent years. Take the Kia Kee Coupe (pictured above) which debuted at the 2007 Frankfurt Auto Show. That wasn’t a bad looking car, and perhaps it even influenced the Ray’s design. We’ll just have to wait and see.
The Kia Ray will be officially unveiled at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show February 10th-20th.
Source: Kia
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