Kia Drops By SEMA With Four New Customized Studies


According to Kia, the car of the future will not only be capable of driving itself, but will also be tailor-built to our lifestyles.

With that in mind, each of their four SEMA concepts is meant to spark the imagination while exploring active and diverse lifestyles that range from sports entertainment to business travel.

"Over the course of our 22 years in the US market, we've watched with pride as our vehicles have helped people live their active and diverse lifestyles. This year’s SEMA show gives us the opportunity to ponder what the future of living the autonomous life may one day resemble," said KMA exec Michael Sprague.

In no particular order, the four cars Kia prepared for SEMA are the Niro Triathlon, the School of Rock Sedona, the Sorento Ski Gondola and the Soul First Class. However, they've also brought along the Telluride full-size hybrid SUV concept that was unveiled earlier this year at NAIAS.

 Starting with the autonomous Niro Triathlon, we notice a cabin designed to relax and recharge its occupants, while still providing excellent training and safety equipment. The vehicle was custom built by LGE-CTS Motorsports as they removed the roof from the D-pillars back in order to create a small bed that allows for a custom bike rack, tool box and tablet computer mount. Furthermore, there's a safety laser bike lane light mounted to the rear which actually illuminates a laser LED road behind the vehicle so that the athlete can monitor speed, time and distance with the help of the tablet as the Niro autonomously keeps pace.

With the School of Rock Sedona, Kia went about creating a mobile recording studio that doesn't even come with a driver-side B-pillar, a steering assembly and a gear selector anymore. What this accomplishes is that it makes room for the digital mixing board and dual flat-screen monitors on which an artist can record tracks. There's even a microphone hanging from the ceiling, which vocalists are sure to appreciate. The roof however serves as storage for the guitars, bass guitars and a wide array of other instruments.

The Sorento Ski Gondola on the other hand is all about taking the idea of a sport utility vehicle to new heights, literally. The car was built to tackle snow and ice, getting you easily up to the top of the mountain for some more fun. It features a set of Dominator Rubber Tracks, custom metal roof rack, LED bars, custom door panels, dash and console, plus even a personalized tablet.

 As for the Soul First Class, it's a self-driving custom model from LUX Motorwerks, featuring rear-facing seats, no steering wheel and plenty of luxury enhancements meant to optimize work and rest. There's even a 40" Samsung LED TV connected to a Mac mini computer system and premium audio speakers throughout the cabin - itself presenting lots of white and gray leather with modern gray wood flooring to match. The exterior comes with a bright PPG Lux Blue finish, modified upper and lower grilles with LED lighting and 19" Rotiform Monoblock CCV wheels.

Finally, the Telluride concepts is making its first SEMA appearance, boasting the same impressive technology it presented in Detroit back in January. It comes with 7-seats, suicide rear doors, health sensors, therapeutic lighting and quite a few more clever features like the Swipe Command gesture-control system.










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