Photo: Kia/Andrew Photography
The road to fully autonomous production cars is full of ups and downs, and some carmakers are more optimistic than others. Kia, for example, plans to put a fully driverless vehicle on the road by 2030.
Meanwhile, the Korean carmaker is taking it one step at a time by unveiling a couple of autonomous concept cars at SEMA 2016, of all places. The Kia Soul First Class has a very descriptive name, mainly because it has almost nothing in common with a production Soul.
In short, the concept is an “upscale inner city chariot” that aims to provide a luxurious transportation experience for up to two passengers.
That's right, the rear seats have been removed in the Soul First Class, their place being taken over by a 40-inch flat screen from Samsung, on which the two passengers can watch TV or surf the web. Since it would be pretty hard to do that while they're facing the opposite direction, the two remaining seats have been turned around.
This also means that there is no steering wheel inside, and the passengers always sit to the opposite of the direction of travel, which may or may not be such a great idea for those who are prone to motion sickness.
The entire interior has been re-upholstered with white diamond-quilted leather and wood inserts, and the business class atmosphere is complemented by a pair of automatic leg lifts, which help the passengers kick back and relax once they get inside. Every feature on the car can be controlled using two tablets, which can emerge from hidden compartments situated inside a custom center console that separates the two seats.
On the outside, the Kia Soul First Class looks perfect for SEMA thanks to a PPG Lux Blue exterior paint that most people will probably call “electric blue” and redesigned front grilles, which are now infused with LED lighting.
A set of gorgeous 19-inch Rotiform Monoblock CCV wheels complete the custom looks, even though they don't exactly scream “autonomous vehicle.”
In short, the concept is an “upscale inner city chariot” that aims to provide a luxurious transportation experience for up to two passengers.
That's right, the rear seats have been removed in the Soul First Class, their place being taken over by a 40-inch flat screen from Samsung, on which the two passengers can watch TV or surf the web. Since it would be pretty hard to do that while they're facing the opposite direction, the two remaining seats have been turned around.
This also means that there is no steering wheel inside, and the passengers always sit to the opposite of the direction of travel, which may or may not be such a great idea for those who are prone to motion sickness.
The entire interior has been re-upholstered with white diamond-quilted leather and wood inserts, and the business class atmosphere is complemented by a pair of automatic leg lifts, which help the passengers kick back and relax once they get inside. Every feature on the car can be controlled using two tablets, which can emerge from hidden compartments situated inside a custom center console that separates the two seats.
On the outside, the Kia Soul First Class looks perfect for SEMA thanks to a PPG Lux Blue exterior paint that most people will probably call “electric blue” and redesigned front grilles, which are now infused with LED lighting.
A set of gorgeous 19-inch Rotiform Monoblock CCV wheels complete the custom looks, even though they don't exactly scream “autonomous vehicle.”
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