Kia To Reveal Halo EV In 2021
OK, so it’s still a year away, but Kia announced its Seltos compact SUV in the same sort of timeframe, so perhaps the Korean brand is hoping for a similar runaway success with its new dedicate EV.
The new vehicle will be based on the award-winning Imagine crossover concept that was revealed at the 2019 Geneva
Motor Show.
Kia’s new EV is expected to deliver much greater distance than the company’s current Niro EV, which is among the market leaders with a 455-kilometre range.
A production-ready version of the Imagine concept will go on sale by the end of next year and will ride on a completely new, independent electric platform, unrelated to any other models in the Kia line-up. It will sit above the Niro EV in the Kia range.
The new model will spearhead plans by Kia to offer a total of 11 fully electric vehicles by the end of 2025 that will be produced in sufficient volumes to take 6.6 percent of the worldwide EV market.
By that stage, the shortage of batteries that is currently limiting the supply of EV vehicles across the market will have abated, allowing Kia to boost production of electric cars to deliver more than 330,000 annually by 2025.
Known officially as the Imagine by Kia, the concept vehicle has just been awarded a prestigious 2020 if Design Awards in Europe.
Winning a prize in the ‘Professional Concept’ category, the Imagine by Kia concept is a visual embodiment of
Kia’s desire to champion and popularise exciting electric cars.
It’s a pure electric four-door vehicle that draws together elements of a sleek and athletic family sedan, a muscular sports utility vehicle and a versatile, spacious crossover.
It is also defined by its nextgeneration, zero-emissions powertrain: a low-mounted, induction-charged battery pack that powers electric motors on each axle.
When launched next year, the new Kia EV halo model will feature more powerful motors than currently used, as well as larger battery capacity and is expected to deliver at least 500km of range on a single charge.
The new Jaguar F-TYPE looks more dramatic than ever and embodies Jaguar design DNA in its purest form.
So the looks are classically Jaguar but refined for a sportier look with sleeker and slimmer front end treatment.
A subtly enlarged grille accentuates the new F-TYPE’S visual presence. The proportions of the classic form remain, but it is now wider and deeper and with a new hexagonal mesh pattern, each cell gloss black at the front and satin black on the inner surfaces. The surround is finished as standard in Noble Chrome, or Gloss Black when the Black Pack or Black Design Pack is specified.
The bumpers are new, and introduce bolder surfaces with discreet signature graphics to enhance the overall design and provide greater differentiation across the model range, from F-TYPE R-dynamic to F-TYPE R.
For the R-dynamic models, the layered J aero-blades, which, as well as referencing a racing influence, also help to guide the airflow more cleanly around the front of the car.
At the rear dramatic, sweeping lines characterise the car’s purposeful form. Powertrainspecific exhaust pipes emerge from the rear diffuser, clearly signalling the new F-TYPE’S performance intent. The
300PS four-cylinder features a single, central, quadrilateral finisher, while the 380PS V6 is distinguished by its two large round tailpipes. The 575PS V8s are identified by quad, outboard exhausts, with the latter featuring etched R branding.
The interior features bespoke Jaguar attention to detail and the appointment of luxury materials which interpose neatly with new technology for the contemporary owner. This includes a 12.3inch reconfigurable HD TFT instrument cluster and Touch Pro infotainment system.
Lightweight slimline seats combine an ergonomically optimised form with outstanding comfort, further enhanced by heating and cooling options.
The new F-TYPE’S range of powerful, responsive engines includes four-, six- and eightcylinder options.
All are matched to eight-speed Quickshift transmissions with full manual control using either the Sportshift gear selector or the steering wheel-mounted paddles.
F-TYPE’S familiar and everpopular supercharged 3.0-litre V6 develops 460Nm of torque and is defined by its linear power delivery and willingness to rev. Drivers are rewarded by a unique, hard-edged exhaust note from the two large centre tailpipes. The V6 is offered as rear-wheel drive, and benefits from a mechanical limited-slip differential.