Kia Ray Concept

While the Chevy Volt continues to mature towards production, other four door plug-in electric hybrid vehicles continue to emerge. Kia Motors debuted their sleek Ray concept car yesterday at the Chicago Auto Show. The Ray is a four-seat compact sedan based on the Kia Forte platform powered by a direct injection four cylinder engine with a continuously variable transmission. On the electrical side the concept draws power from a lithium ion polymer battery pack which spins a 78-kilowatt electric motor. What this all means is that the Ray isn’t meant to be a high performance vehicle but Kia is aiming for efficiency and range. Kia speculates the car would get 202.3 mpg in electric only mode and 77.6 mpg running as a hybrid. Electric power provides 50 miles of travel and the overall range is estimated to be 746 miles.

What will likely capture a lot of attention is the Ray’s styling and design. The concept was produced at Kia’s California design studio under the direction of chief design officer, Peter Schreyer.

It is important to imagine what people will want in the future from a green perspective early in the design process, because people want to reduce their carbon footprint without driving carbon copies. Being green doesn’t have to be an obvious statement anymore and the Kia Ray exemplifies a viable blend of modern, eco-minded features for today’s environmentally conscious consumers.

Likely learning a lesson from the design development the Volt went through, engineers and designers at Kia sought creative ways to make the Ray aerodynamically efficient to boost the range. This had obvious implications for the exterior styling so inspiration came from looking at aircraft. Referencing a wing, the car’s side profile tapers tapers towards the rear, reducing drag. The exterior glass incorporates new “cool car” technologies like nano-laminate films and integrated solar cells to keep the interior cool and reduce the need for air-conditioning. The transparent roof contains hexagonal solar cells that provide power to interior fans to keep the car cool.

The Ray’s interior is comprised of eco-friendly recycled materials and the design aims to create a light and airy feel. Front and rear seats, mounted on side sills, create a floating effect with hollowed out elastomeric materials to support body weight, also made of lightweight composite materials. The flooring is 100% wool, a renewable resource. The Ray features the new GreenEdge Infinity audio system with speakers that use less power and components that save weight.

Kia Ray concept finally unveiled

The 2010 Chicago Auto Show is finally underway, and some of the cars that were expected to be unveiled have finally been unveiled, like the Kia Ray, which you can see above (and which Kia teased us with for the past few months). In fact, it’s only unveiled in looks, as the specs are still unknown, besides that it’s either a hybrid or a purely electric vehicle.

Saab Aero X concept car

Victor Muller, CEO of Spyker Cars, which only this week rescued Saab from automotive oblivion, was clearly enthused--"pumped" might be a better word--after along with Saab Automobile CEO Jan ?ke Jonsson (pronounced "yahn okie yonsson") addressing a group of Saab employees outside the Saab assembly plant in Trollhattan, Sweden, yesterday. And maybe it was the emotional champagne speaking, but Muller was laying the cards of Saab's future models on the table.
The main thing, said Muller, was to regain Saab's DNA, which "to some extent" had caused Saab's sagging sales. "If there's one thing we need to do in the coming years it's to build Saab Saabs rather than non-Saab Saabs," Muller said, adding "I think we'll see the results of that pretty soon."
As to what the Saab Saabs would be, Muller didn't elaborate, but there was a bit of smile as he continued, "But one has to bear in mind that the development time between the time one conceives a car and the moment it's on the road is about two or three years minimum."
Conceiving a car? Reading between the lines, that means something not in Saab's current repertoire, because Muller made clear reference to the new Saab 9-5, which "beautiful" and "a real Saab" (despite being designed and engineered during GM's occupation) will "sell like hotcakes."
Nor does it mean the Saab 9-4X crossover due out this year, of which just short of fifty examples have reportedly been built, most likely pre-production evaluation units, at the General Motors assembly plant in Mexico that also builds the platform-related Cadillac SRX. "I think we're looking at a tremendous development of that car in the marketplace," predicted Muller.
Nor does it mean the eventual replacement for the current Saab 9-3, as Muller also referred to it directly: "Over time we'll see the new 9-3 come up...."
But it was the next breath, "...and whatever other products we can think of."
Oh, do tell, Victor. A new, true, Saab Sonnet? The Saab Aero X concept come to production?
Alas, no, no word, not at the very least until the deal with GM is wholly consummated. For now, for whatever the new Saab may be, that card will remain face down.
Illustrations: Top and bottom, 2006 Saab Aero X concept car, perhaps a template for the new Saab, a Saab Sonnett for the '10's, perhaps? Photos copyright GM Corp.