Kia continues its transformation and tells it at the Milan Design Week

Changing from a traditional manufacturer to a provider of mobility solutions is one of the phrases that many car manufacturers have been repeating as a mantra for several years, that is, since the challenge of electric and connected cars began (time for the autonomous one. times have stretched a little ). Kia is among these, but in its case the theory seems to follow some practice and the numbers testify. In 2022, in fact, the Hyundai Motor Group (of which Kia is a part) became the third largest manufacturer in the world, a total of 6.8 million cars were sold. In this situation, the Korean company is completely focused on the electric car, a sector that started from the beginning but is coming at a rapid pace “Between today and 2027, Kia will present fourteen new electric models worldwide and the same date as half of our production and sales ours will be 100% electric” told us the CEO of Kia Italia, Giuseppe Bitti, during the Opposite United exhibition.

This exhibition was launched for the Milan Design Week 2023 at the Museo della Permanente in Milan, designed to give space to the main Italian artistic movements of the 19th and 20th centuries. Kia’s goal, on the other hand, is “To consider the movement that is the basis of human development, because it allows you to discover places, meet different people, live new experiences and thus enrich yourself. This interweaving is the essence of Kia’s new philosophy is to facilitate development by providing innovative spaces inside the car, exciting products , with useful and convenient services that delight and inspire customers by giving them more time to do the things they love most. more in finding simple, environment. friendly and connected forms of transportation, so Kia is there and will be ready to satisfy them,” Bitti said, going deeper.

These are the concepts that the charge “Moving Movement” sums up and to which the other concept “Unified Resistance” joins. “Kia’s main source of inspiration is nature, and all its diversity represents its power. We consider nature when designing our cars, creating proportions that combine curved and curved lines, using opposing forces to achieve a balanced result. The EV6 was the first example of the philosophy of The Opposite Union and the second is the EV9 that we have just launched» added Bitti, looking with us at the exhibition works, which takes and develops the five basic elements of the Opposite Union philosophy: “Bold for nature” emphasizes cooperation with nature and the environment, also from a design point of view. “Happy because” is an emotional element that affects those who use Kia, not only for shapes, but also for features such as materials or housing.

“Continuing Power” represents the continuous evolution of the brand. “Technology for life” refers to a design that values ​​advanced technology, which was previously the right of only high-end brands, while “Tension of calm” explains once again that different concepts live harmoniously in design. But if art is about the intangible, the automotive industry deals with a more concrete subject. With this, Kia intends to expand into new business areas, providing mobility products and services that improve everyone’s daily life. If and how this will affect the Italian market, with all its uniqueness and differences even between cities and regions, is the future to be discovered. “In Italy, the design has always been the main thing and continues to be so, because that is the first reason for the purchase. Then there is the size, two thirds of the new car market here is represented by small cars, including compact SUVs. This depends on the purchasing power and needs of those who live in big cities» concluded Bitti.