Kia Juke-rival on the way
Korean company looking to turn Provo concept into a production car in the next 18 months
Kia is set to launch a Juke-rivalling B-segment SUV, possibly based on the Provo concept car, which debuted at the Geneva Motor Show in 2013.
Speaking at the 2014 Geneva Motor Show, CEO of Kia Europe Michael Cole said: “I’m looking at things from a European perspective and there are obviously segments evolving that we want to be a part of, like the B-SUV market. The Soul fills that to some extent but it’s an unashamedly American design, more of a niche product than a volume seller.”
Kia has already showcased the Provo concept, giving us a hint of the bold design and Rio-based platform that Kia has in mind for this future model. Despite Kia’s factories working almost at full capacity, Cole says there is new product coming in the next 18 months and the suggestion is that Provo will be one of them.
Cole also reinforced his belief that Kia is now ready for a halo model, such as a sports car. “It’s not that there’s more we need to do with the brand, it’s not that we have the wrong perception of the brand. We’ve now focused on getting the core vehicles to market and now we can think about what comes next in terms of a halo car,” said Cole.
The form it would take is still up for debate but Kia’s recent concepts like the GT and GT4 Stinger are both on the table. “We’ve previewed the GT – obviously that’s one car that’s still very much under consideration for production, and the Stinger is our latest concept on that same sort of idea.
"Nothing is signed off but we’re getting to that point – it’s a decision that will be based on production capacity more than anything else,” added Cole.
