Paris Motor Show Design Comments on the all-new Carens

 

arens and pro_cee’d made their grand world debut at the Paris Motor Show 2012. New and sleek design changes of Carens caught the attention of the press and spectators at the motor show, but which features have exactly changed? Let’s find out from Kia’s Chief Designer Officer Peter Schreyer and Gregory Guillaume, Kia’s Chief Designer-Europe.

All-new Kia Carens – Comments from Design

 

The all-new Kia Carens is a completely fresh model from the ground up, and its sleek and sculpted design marks a dramatic shift away from the more utilitarian look of its predecessor. It builds on the functionality and versatility of the original Carens, with a spacious five or five-plus-two seating layout, a generously proportioned luggage bay and numerous stowage spaces, but wraps this family-friendly adaptability in more purposeful sheet metal.

• To add a premium feel to the clean cut exterior and create a visual link with the new Sportage, singled out the understated chrome strip that runs from the base of the widescreen and lower level of windows and curls up to meet the C-pillar.

• For improved visibility, the base of the windscreen is very low and this works with the front quarter windows and the low and wide sweeping dashboard design to deliver excellent visibility.
• Panoramic glass roof that floods the cabin with light further enhancing the sense of spaciousness.

 

• The front and rear overhangs were kept as short as possible to boost maneuverability when parking and negotiating city traffic
• Neat touches abound – the integrated roof rails; the sleek rear spoiler, the three-way split second-row seats that feature individual fore and aft adjustment, and Kia’s tactile new steering wheel.

 

“With its nigh-perfect balance of proportion, style and functionality, the distinctive new Carens marks yet another successful and stylish step for Kia’s global design team,” says Schreyer proudly.  “There’s a design honesty here – the Carens is neither over-dressed nor does it feature contrived design elements.  It’s a car cleanly and elegantly defined by its functionality.”