Special Edition - Kia Milan Design Week

Welcome to the motoring podcast, a Kia, Milan, Design Week, Special Edition. Yes, that sounds a lot like us, doesn't it? Hello, I'm Alan. Hello, I'm Andrew. Even more so than it was I who went. Well, that was what I was going to say next. It wasn't the person who was the designer who went. It was Joe Sote there. It was the man who mocks everyone for wielding crayons and everything. Great. Yes. And Milan, Design Week, by the way, used to be called Milan Fashion Week, which just makes it even funnier.

Anyway, yes, why I went is because for the last now three years, Kia has commissioned artwork and an exhibition during Design Week in Milan. And this year, they did the same, but they also brought some vehicles to for the first time, some of them. For the first time, they were shown off in Europe. And the title for their installations was Transcend Journey.

Now, prepare yourselves because I'm going to read some of the wording that has been prepared by Kia themselves for this. So do buckle up a little bit. I've just heard you distance yourself as quickly as possible from what you're about to read out. This is not me. Clearly.

The whole idea of apparently behind Transcend Journey is that is to, and I'm quoting here, explore the evolution of ability highlighting how Kia's innovative vehicles break the boundaries between urban and outdoor experiences.

I'm not going to discuss the artwork, although it was fabulous to go and experience it and to see it. And it really was a full experience as well. It wasn't just a case of looking at something.

Yeah, you said it was multi sensory. Multi sensory definitely. It was excellent. I would have loved to spend longer just absorbing some of that.

But what they did is that they, the car side of things, which is what we're all, if you're listening is probably what you're more interested in, is how they wanted to show that the vehicles were adaptable.

And there was the customization potential of, particularly the PBV, which is their electric, new electric van.

But also they wanted to show off the concept for the EV2, which was excellent. See, because it's the first time that's been in Europe, as well as the PV5 weekend, where someone had stolen all the valves, which was a campervan take or overland campervan take on the PV5.

If you listen to the normal, the normal news show, of course, you'll have heard us talk about this over the last little while as these were released and announced and we recovered them as part of new new car news.

So it was as a concept, it's always doubly cool to then see them in real life and check that what you thought before, from pictures and words on screens is still valid.

So that was a great opportunity as well. Yeah, absolutely.

I'm going to start off first with the EV2 concept. And this is a B segment SUV, yes, OK, SUV, but it's it's not that tall though. So this is more like a crossover.

So it's more yarris cross type size. It's not taller than that. OK, it's not a particularly has been in the news in the last 24 hours if you were on social media when we record this.

It's not a big hulking SUV that will mo down passengers it's actually a very friendly small city SUV urban SUV.

Now, what we got to see but not touch what we got to see was only a concept and it is clear some of the elements will not make it to production.

The overall design is pretty much there. I mean, they had things like actual realistic sized wing mirrors, stuff like that.

But there was no B pillar and a suicide door. So that's not going to make it no door handles or even into the door handle, which is how you know something's a concept.

Yeah, the a pillars were very thin that won't make it because of structural requirements and safety requirements.

Those little touches that will change when it comes to but the overall shape and it will be interesting to see what they transfer from the what was shown on the interior to the exterior because that was.

Quite a quite a thing the interior is definitely more concept you than the exterior you know yes you've got the basically nothing.

Dashboard a bench front see very stylistic pedals all of these kinds of things.

And yet the sort of key and I double screen display which looks kind of production.

Yes across the middle but everything else you know there's no air there's no face fences nothing like that.

It's just texture fabric. Yeah, I'm going to stick with the outside.

If you look at this and there will be pictures in the show notes.

If you look at this then you will recognize that it's an electric vehicle from Kia, particularly if you've seen the nine and the three.

It's got that very much that face where it's quite a blunt front end but it's sort of curved and molded.

So it's not like a full on slab.

It's got the vertical lights which is very recognizable and it's just quite a clean design.

There isn't a huge dense and slashes in the sides they haven't done anything ridiculous with a grill up the front either.

It's very recognizably a Kia which is an interesting move from Kia who had previously until the last couple of years.

It's gone very much each individual model is an individual thing.

Yes.

And now there is a more common design language coming through.

I think that that's important in the EV space.

Not so much to differentiate them but to make to increase awareness.

Possibly.

And we've talked before about the more boxy shape is being considered or is thought to be considered as a more luxury type design from consumers.

There's been what the model was we were talking about but they were specifically saying it wasn't a Kia car but they were specifically saying that it was considered luxury by consumers that this more boxy look compared to sort of melted soap.

OK.

I mean it's a really nice looking car.

I have to say and the blue was really phenomenal.

I'm not sure that it will make it to production because it's a sort of satiny finish.

Yeah.

It's a kind of satiny sort of powder blue isn't it?

Yeah.

And really nice.

Yeah, as you say it's a bit different and distinctive and it's a man just to not be silver or grey which is always a winner.

Yeah, absolutely.

As you mentioned before though Alan the interior was a was a real big deal for them.

They talked a lot about how they they fear well they one of the principles behind the EV 2 concept was the urban picnic.

And this is where it was explained to us that you rock up in a car park.

You open the side doors.

You've moved the front seats because the front seat bench moves backwards and forwards on the rail or go into that in a minute.

As you create this sort of outdoor indoor space, you're able to again a concept you're able to take the speakers and move them out of the doors and everything so you can.

You can have a little party on the edge of your car.

I'm not sure that's going to work so well in say none eaten.

No, me neither.

I like the thought behind it.

And I can see sort of if you're say Australia or America where there is more space and people do more stuff outside because the weather is a bit more clever.

And perhaps.

Well, no, it actually works a little quote quite well. I think it's not so fun.

But you can open it and it's like having your own little cabin.

Yeah, that you can take along and then you can set up a barbecue just outside you know in the space that's left and all that kind of thing.

It's like having a beach hut on wheels and not necessarily at the beach.

Yes, it is a more idealistic life which perhaps we'd all really prefer to be able to enjoy to be fair.

It's aspirational. That's one of the points of concept.

Yeah, here's something that will help you have the life you aspire to.

But it is actually a really big space on the inside moving on particularly the way that it's completely flat floor.

And it's still surprising how many EVs don't make more of that.

I think it depends on the platform.

Yeah.

And this feels that they were really exploring that with this concept.

Materials is also a really big deal.

They've done a lot of work with companies that use recyclable material as well as plant based materials.

So you've got the likes of B-Comp who we've discussed recently on the Motron Podcast News Show.

And they've worked with them with their Flax fibers which is their Amply Text trademark composite manufacturing process

where they have made the back seat shells and the front seat substructures.

So it's actually being used in a structural environment.

Then they also have worked with other companies such as BioMic which is using biodegradable Mycelium Components Mushroom.

Yes, that's what I read.

Including Hempand Mushroom.

And that was used to help make some of the panels on the inside but also they use some of it for insulation in the door cards and the door panels as well.

So that was an interesting use and it's very light obviously.

Not only were these materials recyclable or of recycled material or plant based but also there was a thought had gone into the weight of the car as well.

Yeah.

Pretty easy it makes all the difference because if you've got less weight you need less power to carry around which means you're about to get smaller.

Which all these other things that people like near car have been preaching to us for years.

Yeah, it's bee segment isn't it so there is only so much battery they can cram in there anyway.

They need to think around that otherwise it's hello here's this SUV with 150 mile range which people still today understandably Borkat when you look at equivalent ice or hybrid.

Because we've been programmed through marketing to believe we need all the range in the world.

But the interior was fun there's lots of LED lighting as well internal stuff so there was some around various aspects of the door cards.

There was some around the underside of the seats it was it was all to make it and it really was it did look it from just standing outside and peering it it did look a big airy space even though the footprint wasn't big.

And that was that was really interesting and something that I did actually manage to ask the designers about because what will come up in a moment on the podcast is an interview.

Where we discussed some of the aspects of the EV2 concept which you get to listen to but just be warned I recorded this on site in the open environment that was the exhibition.

Yes there are exhibition noises in the background but it's worth sticking with it because it is really it's really interesting.

It's always great when we can have first person witness statements on here you know from people explaining their actual intent as opposed to our understanding of their intent.

Have a little listen to that but do note that I interviewed them before they gave the presentation to explain all aspects of the car.

The questioning I have is a bit more general than too much specificness about what they have explained.

My name is Jochen Pasen. I'm head of future design for Kia and I'm based in the soul the soul studio.

My name is Andre Frank Louise and I'm the head of future design for the US.

And my name is Tom Kerns and I'm the chief designer for Kia Design Center America in Southern California.

Thank you very much. We've got two vehicles to talk about today to really interesting vehicles. Sorry I was spending so much time looking around because it's the first time they've been into Europe.

Is this not true isn't it? Both the concepts. So we've got the EV2 concept and we've got the PV Weekender which is a take on the electric van that was shown by Kia earlier in the year.

If we can start with the EV2 it says concept on it. How much of what we see is concept-y.

You're starting with a good question. So as you will know with all our Kia concepts that we do, there is some truth behind it.

It's not that far away. I think for us what was important is to introduce a small Kia, a Kia that basically sits underneath what we've done so far.

And I think what you will be seeing in the near future will be pretty close to what you see here today.

There's obviously some bits that clearly are concept-y but it's nice to see wing mirrors for example that look like real wing mirrors.

That's always a tell. You can see how close that is. But on the interior side of things with that I was very interested to see it.

It looks like there's a lot of composite recyclable materials. Is that correct?

That's correct. So for the interior what was important was that we create something that feels large on a relatively small footprint.

So I think that, that visual identity was very, very important to us.

But we wanted to make sure it's super clean, super-reduced. And once you do that, the materials you use or the way you do things becomes much more important.

You can't hide anything. You can't embellish things. You have to really start to look at each material, each finish, each area and really thinking through.

And so we wanted to use the concept as also for us a platform to look at and to demonstrate all the work we're doing and sustainability.

So be it the biomaterials, be it the centre beam on the interior, which is actually created from repurposed materials from our cars.

So another that's been repurposed has been molded together and has been created into a new form.

These are all studies for us to look at how can we within design in the near future start to bring some of these things to life.

The concept card does two things. One, it shows what's coming in the near future, but also it shows all the work we're doing, all the things we're working on, studying, trying to bring into production.

I think that's something that perhaps us on the outside do forget is the concept card is very important internally for a company as well, because you've been given the chance to explore something that obviously you don't have the same commercial pressure.

Should we say on a car where that has to work, the car that comes out to us, that has to work as it were.

I was very interested with the amount of space in there, and that's something that this is a personal thing.

I felt has not really been explored yet with electric vehicles is the freedom of space.

Do you think in the, and then this is not a Kia specific here because I think you do make your cars very airy and they're very roomy, but there is still, feels a little bit of a hangover from internals and bushing engine.

Is it because we're in an adjustment period for us consumers and it's a case of not scaring.

We are conservative with a small C car buyers, we're not usually up for going for something outrageous, particularly if you look at the driveways of Britain, they know what they like and they go for it.

So is it a case of helping us get to the stage where we can go actually, this is hugely different from what we had 15, 20 years ago.

I think it's a combination of all those things, right? I think if you look at this vehicle or some of the recent vehicles compared to 10 years ago, it is much more spacious.

There is a lot more room, there's a lot more features and functions and possibilities than I'd say 10 years ago.

I do believe we're in a little bit of a transition period still.

It's important this case needs to remain affordable, we need to be able to produce great products at an affordable price.

So it's always this trade off, this balance. What is the maximum I can do with my limitations, be it safety, be it engineering, be it price and how do I make the most of them?

I think our designers, they spend a lot of time looking at that sort of combination of limitations or actually opportunities, as we always say.

And making sure that we actually make the most. So small footprint, not a lot of space, but through its design, be it styling, through its features, product design areas, through how we design the interior.

We're also able to give it that spacious feeling and sort of make steps in the right direction.

Is there in, within Kia, a lot of crossover between the various teams, like the engineering design and that?

Because you look at other brands and other cars and sometimes you go, you guys didn't talk.

So I'm presuming this does happen in Kia because of the way that you can, as you say, you know, economies of scale, you've got to go for, it's got to work financially at the end of the day.

The way that Kia is positioned in the UK market certainly is that it's attracting, you're in a position where you are attracting from both ends and the middle of the market, which is quite a trick you're pulling off, I have to say.

I've just transitioned actually from interior design, head of interior design to head of future design.

So I spent five years in Korea working on the production work.

And in that, you get to see that communication is key.

The way we work, there are very little visual programs, we do sketch through production in about three years, which is pretty quick.

It means you have to be efficient in your decision making and what you bring to the table and why you're doing something.

And if you get the buy-in, if people understand it and they say, yeah, this is the right thing for the car, everybody will be behind you and they will push.

And I think that's quite unique. I don't think there is many places I've worked where you can get and make a significant difference within a production project in such a short time.

So that's quite, quite special, I would say, and that only works through communication and collaboration.

That's interesting today.

I think also to your initial question, any EV architecture is perfect to create opportunity space, everything above the battery.

And I think that the EV2 is one of these great examples showcasing that, what is possible?

And actually also, with moving the seats back and forth so that it creates way more space than what we're used to from an ice platform.

It really struck me that you could, that suddenly there is this actual platform.

You're in the front, you're in the back, there's a platform to work with, which must be exciting.

I was going to say play, that's not the right word.

No, we do. We do.

We put it down, and it makes it sound a bit frivolous, but the ability that you've got freedom, sorry, probably a better word.

No, but play is also a good word because we don't take it too seriously.

We like to try new things, do new things, play around with things.

So, yeah, we can definitely use that word.

Special Edition - Kia Milan Design Week

About this episode

Transcend Journey

PBV

EV2

PV5

crossover

B segment SUV

suicide door

Kia EV9

electric vehicle

Kia Soul

EV2 concept

PV Weekender

PV5 passenger

Volkswagen Transporter

Ford Transit Custom

boot

Mercedes-Benz S-Class

BMW 7 Series

Mitsubishi Delica

Volkswagen T4

off-road camper

Volkswagen California

Renault Wind

overlanding

Kia EV3

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