Retro Turismo
It might seem a bit odd to see a futuristic concept revealed nearly a week after a major auto show. But the debut of the Kia Vision Meta Turismo concept was timed to celebrate Kia’s 80th anniversary, and was revealed at home at Kia Vision Square in Yongin, South Korea.
The concept is the latest entry into Kia’s “Opposites United” design philosophy, leaning heavily on geometric elements. The exterior features rhombus-shaped surfaces, currently making their way into the lineup, including the Kia EV9, but the Vision Meta Turismo concept takes the aesthetic a step further, adding bolder details including front wing strakes that double as LED headlights that transition into the side mirrors.
Delicious elements like tiny, geometric glass pieces cut into the A and C pillars give the side profile a busy and oddly satisfying look, while the glass roof goes wild with interlocking frames.
“The Vision Meta Turismo embodies Kia’s vision that integrates dynamic mobility and human-centered spaces,” said Karim Habib, Executive Vice President and Head of Kia Global Design. “It is an expression of Kia’s commitment to continually bring technologically advanced mobility and experiences that engage, stimulate, and inspire.”
Formally, the concept is meant to pay homage to the elegance and speed of long-distance touring of the 1960s, Kia says, though the 1960s might not be the first thing that comes to mind once you take a look at the interior.
If the exterior is a collection of geometric shapes, the interior seems to transport the driver all the way back to the concept cars of the late 1970s that tried to imagine the user interfaces of the 1980s. And I say that as a good thing.
With an angular steering yoke and a joystick mounted on the armrest, the cockpit appears to embrace a cyberpunk aesthetic — something a background car from Akira might have featured.
Kia doesn’t mention just what the joystick controls, but I hope it does something appropriately futuristic and is not merely a controller that lets one navigate between infotainment menus, or operate an automatic transmission.
The automaker does say that the trapezoidal steering “reimagines the next-generation intuitive driving interface,” offering three driving modes: Speedster, Dreamer, and Gamer. Paired with an Augmented Reality Head-Up Display (HUD), the interfaces are designed to deliver tailored driver experiences depending on the driving environment via smart glass.
Augmented Reality HUDs — seemingly in every other concept car these days — are one of those perpetually-on-the-cusp technologies promising to deliver some if not all of the visual clutter that pillar-to-pillar megascreens currently do. And they’re perhaps one of the reasons to be hopeful about the cars of the next decade, at least once we are past the megascreen era.
Kia says that the concept ultimately focuses on three distinct experiences: Offering a spacious lounge space, an immersive driving experience enhanced through digital interaction, and performance driving.
But the performance driving aspect remains a bit of a mystery for now, as Kia didn’t even confirm whether this is an EV. However, with a nose section that short, it’s admittedly difficult to picture a gasoline engine somewhere underneath that body.
The automaker says it will reveal full information about the concept in the near future, though I know it’s a long shot to hope for a return to ’70s and ’80s futurism in production car interiors.
But it would be nice to have a treat from time to time.
Recent Posts
All Posts
December 8, 2025
December 8, 2025
Leave a Reply