Photo: Kia
Last week, Kia teased by means of a leaked image what seemed to be a very exciting concept wearing a weird name: HabaNiro. As the New York International Auto Show is getting ready to open its doors for the public, the concept was finally revealed on Wednesday, to our disappointment.
That’s because the leaked image showed a concept with a lot of potential that got us thinking. What we got in turn is another dull fully electric, fully autonomous vehicle.
Of course, these are not the words Kia uses to describe the car. In their book, the HabaNiro is "hot and spicy," an "Everything Car" (actual words used by the carmaker to describe it) that is at the same time “commuter, crossover, sport utility, state-of-the-art technology workroom, and adventure vehicle.”
For those not working for Kia, the HabaNiro is an interesting idea, but that’s about it. And we don’t mean visually, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but rather in terms of what new technologies it brings to the table.
Which is nothing, really.
HabaNiro is a Level 5 autonomous concept. We’ve seen that before. It’s electric, with a range of about 300 miles (482 km). A little above average, true, but far from impressive. Butterfly doors. Been there, done that.
What’s nice about the car is the interior. Just like the Mint concept shown by partner company Hyundai through its luxury brand Genesis, the HabaNiro’s interior is simple to the extreme.
But even this simplicity is spoiled by the Lava Red color chosen to dress the seats, the floor, the inside of the pillars and even part of the steering wheel. Chosen to inspire “passion and vibrancy,” it looks out of place combined with the white and grey used elsewhere.
As will probably be the case from now on with all future Kia concepts, the HabaNiro is fitted with the READ technology (Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving) that supposedly can read human emotion, understand them and then act accordingly.
Neither the car nor READ are likely to spawn some product for the masses. The concept is just Kia's "vision for the future of electric vehicles."
Of course, these are not the words Kia uses to describe the car. In their book, the HabaNiro is "hot and spicy," an "Everything Car" (actual words used by the carmaker to describe it) that is at the same time “commuter, crossover, sport utility, state-of-the-art technology workroom, and adventure vehicle.”
For those not working for Kia, the HabaNiro is an interesting idea, but that’s about it. And we don’t mean visually, as beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but rather in terms of what new technologies it brings to the table.
Which is nothing, really.
HabaNiro is a Level 5 autonomous concept. We’ve seen that before. It’s electric, with a range of about 300 miles (482 km). A little above average, true, but far from impressive. Butterfly doors. Been there, done that.
What’s nice about the car is the interior. Just like the Mint concept shown by partner company Hyundai through its luxury brand Genesis, the HabaNiro’s interior is simple to the extreme.
But even this simplicity is spoiled by the Lava Red color chosen to dress the seats, the floor, the inside of the pillars and even part of the steering wheel. Chosen to inspire “passion and vibrancy,” it looks out of place combined with the white and grey used elsewhere.
As will probably be the case from now on with all future Kia concepts, the HabaNiro is fitted with the READ technology (Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving) that supposedly can read human emotion, understand them and then act accordingly.
Neither the car nor READ are likely to spawn some product for the masses. The concept is just Kia's "vision for the future of electric vehicles."
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