Kia Ray

11th February 2010

Meet the concept car that shines new light on Kia's Prius rival. This is the Ray – and it boasts a plug-in hybrid powertrain that will make it onto the all-new Cee'd hatchback in 2012.

Revealed at the Chicago Motor Show, it features a 151bhp 1.4-litre direct injection petrol engine boosted by a 78kW electric motor and a lithium-ion battery. It is mated to a CVT automatic gearbox and is capable of travelling up to 50 miles on electricity alone, or has a total range of 746 miles using the petrol engine too.

Incredibly, Kia claims the Ray can return 202mpg in plug-in mode, yet has a top speed of 109mph.

The head-turning body is the work of design boss Peter Schreyer, who previously worked for Audi where he penned the TT, and features a slippery shape with a drag coefficient of just 0.25 thanks to its low ride heigh and long, high tail. It also gets an enclosed underfloor and low rolling resistance tyres with slim 195-section tyres with 20-inch wheels.

Composite mesh seats help to keep weight down in the cabin, while access to the back is by rear-hinged 'suicide' doors. Other neat features include a Microsoft infotainment system that allows users to select music and make phone calls via voice activation.

The Ray also gets solar panels which power a fan to keep the interior cool in hot conditions.