Kia has announced that it will stage the world premiere of its ex_cee’d cabrio concept at the Geneva Motor Show early next month. The ex_cee’d cabrio is the first car designed under the guidance of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s new design chief, and previews the brand’s new design direction. The ex-cee’d is based on the three-door cee’d hatchback that will begin produciton later this year.

The ex_cee’d cabrio shares the same platform as the production cee’d, but features all-new body panels and a powered folding fabric roof. With its fabric roof, the ex_cee’d deliberately goes against the trend of folding metal roofs. “I’m convinced that the fabric roof will have a renaissance. We’ve all lived with the romantic idea of open-air driving for a long time and for me, the fabric roof is the quintessential element of a truly rewarding cabrio,” said Schreyer.

The Kia ex_cee’d concept features a wedge shaped profile, 19-inch chrome wheels, an aggressively styled front end, and plenty of bright metal trim.

Full press release and high-resolution images after the jump.

##Source: Kia ##

PHOTO GALLERY:

PRESS RELEASE:

GENEVA WORLD PREMIERE FOR SCHREYER’S KIA ex_cee’d CABRIO CONCEPT

Kia’s exciting all-new ex_cee’d cabrio concept car will be premiered at the 77th Salon de l’Automobiles in Geneva, Switzerland on 6 March.

The styling of the eagerly anticipated ex_cee’d cabrio is the work of Peter Schreyer, Kia’s new Chief Design Officer, and hints at the future direction Kia vehicles could be taking under his guidance.

Based on the new three-door cee’d hatchback, due to go into production at the Zilina factory in Slovakia from December, the ex_cee’d shares the same platform, but features all-new exterior panels and a powered folding fabric roof.

By adopting a fabric roof, the ex_cee’d deliberately goes its own retro way rather than following the trend towards cabrios with folding metal roofs. Peter Schreyer paid special attention to designing a classic cabrio with a traditional soft-top roof: “I’m convinced that the fabric roof will have a renaissance. We’ve all lived with the romantic idea of open-air driving for a long time and for me, the fabric roof is the quintessential element of a truly rewarding cabrio.”

With its slight wedge shape profile, muscular wings over 19-inch alloy wheels, and aggressive nose with dynamic front styling, the ex_cee’d has instantly found a form that stands out from the cabrio crowd. The cabrio concept is finished in ‘meringue white’ exterior paint with a ‘bitter chocolate’ fabric roof – colours that are echoed by the interior’s two-tone leather.

“With this new cabrio concept car, Kia has once again demonstrated that it is a young, style-conscious company that knows how to combine elegance with dynamics,” enthused Mr Yong-Hwan Kim, Senior Executive Vice President and COO Kia Motors.

“The Kia ex_cee’d is a fresh aesthetic high-point in our history, an encouraging sign of the growing internationalisation of our brand and a step in the process of evolving into a European company with Korean roots,” he added.

Posted in: Kia, Concept Cars, Detroit Auto Show, Convertibles
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