Kia Mulling Roadster Design for Future Model Range

Despite having all the awards it could have ever wanted for its sensible but well designed sedans and crossovers, Kia still has a bit of an image issue, due to the fact that it made some less palatable vehicles that appealed mainly to the older generation until a few years back.

The Korean company’s top brass must have realized that what the company really needed as a halo vehicle was not the usual large sedan, but some sort of sportscar to give the brand a more youthful image.

Not a lot of information is available about the coming roadster design, but Tom Loveless, Kia's vice president of sales, revealed a sketch of the coming model at an event held yesterday in South California, according to Kicking Tires. The car seems to feature a retractable metal roof and is reportedly being pushed by Kia design chief Peter Schreyer, who is widely considered responsible for the Korean brand’s recent design rebirth.

What’s remarkable is the striking similarity the two-seater roadster shares with the Kia KCV III that the South Korean company showed in 2003. Could this be the first sign that the concept will go into production? We can’t say for sure, and there will probably be a new iteration of the design that will steal the spotlight at coming auto shows.

The side view of the sketch is dominated by large-diameter wheels, just like the 2003 concept’s 20-inch ones. The two-seater design study was motivated by a four-cylinder inline DOHC engine that displaces 2.0 liters and generates 145 hp at 6,000 rpm, though we expect smaller turbocharged units will be a better fit.