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Kia has an intriguing car that attempts to defy classification. meet the sportspace concept.
THE SPORTSPACE Concept is what Kia calls the ultimate “getaway” car – a practical vehicle for everyday business use, yet a stylish and athletic grand tourer – ready to eat up the miles for business or leisure. Conceived and developed at Kia’s European Design Centre in Frankfurt under Europe chief designer Gregory Guillaume, the SPORTSPACE is a car that attempts to open a new front with a distinctly different and sophisticated car.
It is not a sedan, wagon, hatchback or shooting brake. Kia claims it is a sleek, road-eater that can meet the demands of those who refuse to be categorised when it comes to their lifestyle or their motoring needs.
“Kia does not have a wagon in this important segment of the European market, but I was determined that we would not simply create something that conformed to tradition,” said Guillaume.
“I always had this picture in my mind of creating a vehicle that I could have used to go for a weekend’s skiing with friends before driving back for it to be displayed at the Geneva Salon,” he added.
The SPORTSPACE is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-litre T-GDI (turbocharged gasoline direction injection) engine producing 250PS, driving the front wheels.
Its long and lean profile with unbroken surfaces and purposeful lines is emphasised by a forward-positioned D-pillar and almost hatchback-like rear door arrangement.
At the front, SPORTSPACE wears an evolution of Kia’s signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille. But the solid Plexiglas insert isn’t as solid as it appears. Close examination reveals it is actually louvred and these can rotate to allow greater air intake when required.
The 4.8m-long SPORTSPACE is finished with unique 20-inch 10-spoke alloy wheels inset with carbon fibre which emerge from a pentagonal hub at the centre. The wheel design suggests powerful rotation even when stationary.
The door handles sit flush in the panels until required. When operated they reveal a remarkably airy four-seat interior illuminated by panoramic glazing running the entire length of the roof and bathing the cockpit with light.