world gallery

Kia has let loose new photos of its POP electric mini car concept a week ahead of its scheduled world premiere at the 2010 Mondial de l'automobile in Paris. The overly futuristic looking study for a small electric vehicle was penned by Kia's European design team under the direction of Peter Schreyer, Kia's Chief Design Officer, and Gregory Guillaume, the firm's Chief Designer in Europe.

"A concept car like the POP could only have come from us," says Gregory Guillaume. "Designers very rarely have the opportunity to start from a clean sheet of paper and it's great to be in a position to operate with such freedom."

That freedom translates into a car measuring just three meters in length, or 15mm longer than the Toyota / Scion iQ, with swinging front doors and seating for three with a couch-like front bench seat and a side-mounted single seat at the back, which looks perfect for junior 'time out' or to revenge your mother-in-law.

The South Korean maker is keeping a tight lid on other details.

The POP Concept car will share Kia's Paris motorshow stand with a number of production models including the new Optima sedan that will make its Euro debut before going on sale in select European countries this year. Kia said sales throughout Western Europe will commence in 2011. The EU-spec Optima will be offered with a choice of two powerplants, a 1.7-liter turbo diesel with 136-horsepower and a 2.0-liter gasoline engine delivering 170-ponies.