Funky Kia Concept Models That Never Were

We don’t use the term ‘funky’ lightly! Some of these concept models look more digital design dreams than any car currently on the road. But that makes them all the more fun! On their website, Kia has a list of cars that made it past the drawing board, but never to the factories. We picked out a few of our favorite funky Kia concept models below. So, let’s talk about the Pop, Track’ster, Cross GT, GT4 Stinger, and HabaNiro concepts. 

Check out the Kias that made it further than concepts.

Here are five concepts that never were. Each project was scrapped at different points in its creation, but each never made it to dealership lots. 

Pop (2010)

We’ll start off the concepts that never were with 2010’s attempt at a future car design. Pop was shown off at the 2010 Los Angeles Auto Show as an urban electric car that could travel 100 miles on a single charge. This all-electric concept was less than 10 feet long, had three seats, a top speed of 87 mph, and a dramatic design transformation that found inspiration outside of typical automobile designs. The exterior design elements came from gliders and high-tech bicycles. 

Track’ster (2012)

The Track’ster design was introduced to the public at the Chicago Auto Show of 2012. The Track’ster has similar elements to the Kia Soul, with a similar boxy shape but the goal was to be a more aggressive Soul that doesn’t lose its approachability. This car would have been AWD with 250 horsepower and three doors. The Inferno Orange accents were to be eye-catching and bold while showing off the angled roof, also similar to the Kia Soul’s two-tone paint schemes. While the designers may have been looking forward to making this dream a reality, the plans for actual Track’ster creation never took off. 

Cross GT (2013)

At the Chicago Auto Show in 2013, Kia showcased another attempt to capture the future with the Cross GT. The goal was to make an elegant vehicle that was an extension of the driver and while being respectful to nature. The Cross GT would have had a 3.8-liter V6 hybrid engine with AWD. It is similar to the Kia Sorento, being longer and wider than its counterpart, but shorter by a couple of inches. All four doors would have been dual rear-hinged doors, more commonly known as “suicide” doors, and the roof would have opened up with hexagonal skylights. This concept stayed a cool design that has a spot on the dream board, but some of the smaller design elements may be too far in the future than even now in 2021.  

GT4 Stinger (2014)

With the 2022 Kia Stinger making its way to dealerships, let’s check out one of its siblings that stayed home. The GT4 Stinger was introduced at the 2014 North American International Auto Show. This design was painted in Ignition Yellow to support its aggressive take on the new bridge between the driver and the road. The GT4 Stinger and Track’ster were both credited to Kia’s California design team. The team focused on how to improve the vehicle through weight reduction, functionality, and just driving enjoyment. An elongated hood, a roof that seems to “float,” no floor carpet, no stereo, and a grille extremely low to the ground were all added to give the GT4 Stinger a design that would go on to win multiple International Design Excellence Awards. 

Learn more about the 2022 Kia Stinger.

HabaNiro (2019)

In a dash to create a car that could fit any lifestyle, the spicy HabaNiro was created. When it debuted in 2019, it was the future for electric cars, a car that was pushed to be an “Everything Car.” With all four butterfly doors open, this Everything Car almost looks like it could fly! (The HabaNiro could and cannot fly, unfortunately. Flying cars are definitely a step in future car designs that Kia has not attempted. . . yet.) The HabaNiro was designed with an AI-based emotional intelligence assistant that would be programmed with the Real-time Emotion Adaptive Driving System, which in itself was another additional safety feature. This hotly designed vehicle would come with technology that would be able to sense the driver’s emotional state and then react accordingly. This safety feature and AI were in mind to make each drive more enjoyable for all passengers. When the HabaNiro concept was introduced, the Stinger and Telluride had just been launched, both scarily similar to their original concept designs. Keep that in mind when the doubt that the HabaNiro may exist one day gets too strong. 

With so many of these concepts reaching to obtain the future, we wouldn’t be surprised if any of these plans make a comeback (with a few updates, of course). Which concept do you think Kia needs to pick back up from the scrap pile? Do you have a favorite concept? 

Tell us in the comments!