Kia Ray Concept Teaser Sketch Released for Chicago Auto Show Debut

Kia Ray Hybrid Concept Teaser Sketch - 1280 - 21.01.2010

Kia will debut a new four-door concept car at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show. This week, the Korean automaker released a new teaser image to promote the Kia Ray concept before it takes the stage in the Windy City.

Produced by the company's Design Center America, the Kia Ray will show off the "evolving design direction" of the automaker. The shape of the Ray is a likely indicator for a future plug-in hybrid from the manufacturer.

Aside from being a four-door, the Ray appears to have a windshield that leads to a glass roof. Expect to see a large pane of glass at the back as well. The rigid lightstrip at the back works in the image, and accentuates the vehicle's shape. All told, if the concept resembles the image this could be a cool-looking concept.

The Kia Ray will be introduced to the public at a press conference in Chicago on 11 February.

show/hide press release

KIA LOOKS TO THE PLUG-IN FUTURE WITH "RAY" CONCEPT AT CHICAGO SHOW

As Governments and motorists keep up the interest levels in an electric-car future Kia Motors Corporation has revealed the first preview rendering of its latest concept car - called Ray - which will make its global debut at the 2010 Chicago Auto Show next month.

Styled by the team at Kia Design Centre America, the Kia Ray project was undertaken to demonstrate how Kia's evolving design direction would be applied in the packaging of a plug-in hybrid vehicle.

The actual car will form the centre-piece of the Kia Motors America display at Chicago and the vehicle will contribute to Kia's on-going development of alternative-fuel vehicles.

Already Kia has pioneered potentially real-life fuel cell vehicles and has working prototypes operating in California and Korea. Additionally Kia has various hybrid-engined vehicles providing real-world data in various locations and plans to commercialise Liquefied Petroleum Gas hybrid vehicles in Korea within the next 12 months.

Currently no date has been set for hybrid Kia models to be put on sale in the UK but on-road testing of petrol and diesel hybrid vehicles is due to start in Britain this year.

The Kia Motors press conference for the 2010 Chicago Auto Show will be staged at 1:30 p.m. on February 11, 2010.