Kia procee'ds with sleek wagon concept for Frankfurt Motor Show
Concept car designed just minutes away from where it will be revealed.
Kia is teasing a new station wagon concept set to debut on its 2017 Frankfurt Motor Show stand next month. That's what the detailed teaser image below suggests, at least. But according to an official press release, it's a "new body type for Kia," suggesting the Korean automaker's marketing gurus might prefer to call it something else.
In any case, Kia says the shapely show car "indicates what the next-generation Cee'd could look like." The Cee'd -- yes, they really put an apostrophe in there -- is not a model nameplate everyone will recognize, as it's an overseas moniker for a family of compact hatches and wagons. The closest thing we have in North America are its Kia Forte5 and Hyundai Elantra GT relatives.
Call it what you will, but based on this single photo, I'm prepared to call it handsome. The concept's deeply sculpted bodysides and short overhangs give the car a planted wheels-at-the-corner stance, and the full-band taillamp looks modern and emphasizes the design's width. A tapered fastback roofline in contrasting silver is also a nice touch.
Kia's wagon concept may not yet have a name, but it doesn't appear to lack for style.
It also looks like the vehicle should be reasonably practical given its five-door form (note the flush-fit door handles). It's stripped of showcar features (oversized wheels, no side mirrors, and so forth) but it'll be a treat for buyers if this is any indication of where Kia plans to take its affordable compact car line.
Penned at Kia's European design center just minutes down the street, Kia could practically push the car from the place it was designed and roll it onto its show stand at the Frankfurt Messe exhibition hall.
The Roadshow team will be at the Frankfurt Motor Show in person to report back on Kia's concept and countless other reveals, so be sure to check back on Sept. 12 for the full reveal.