Kia announced ambitious e-mobility plans in early 2020. In May the company published details of its growth and model plans for the European market. One of the planned new electric cars will be based on the “Imagine” concept presented last year (shown). There is now new information about the model.
AutoExpress reports that the battery-powered SUV crossover is set to start in 2021 and compete with powerful electric cars such as Porsche’s sports sedan Taycan (Kia has since confirmed the new sporty model). The production version of the Imagine will be built on the brand’s flagship platform designed from the ground up for electric cars, the report said.
The basis for the upcoming electric Kia is the new architecture E-GMP from the Hyundai Kia Group. The planned crossover will also benefit from the participation in the Croatian electric car startup Rimac, in which Porsche also holds shares. The goal is “mad” performance, which will later also benefit Kia’s mass-production models.
As a range for the electric high-performance crossover, Kia holds out more than 500 kilometers. Ideally, the charging time should be less than 20 minutes. For this purpose, the use of 800 volt technology is also used, as used by the Porsche Taycan. In order to make use of the maximum charging capacity, “refueling” at so-called “high power charging” stations such Hyundai Kia partner Ionity will be necessary.
A sport version of Kia’s upcoming battery crossover is at its most potent. European boss Emilio Herrera told the British car portal: “With the new electric car, we will have a powerful vehicle in the style of an e-GT.” It should go from zero to one hundred in less than three seconds, as the Porsche Taycan does.
