By Steve & Tamami Laser
Kia staged the world premiere of its new Mohave Masterpiece Concept during a press conference today at the Seoul Motor Show. The concept previews the design direction for the enhanced flagship SUV expected to go on sale in Korea in the second half of this year.
Kia Brand Ambassadors, K-Pop supergroup BLACKPINK members, Jennie, Lisa, Jisoo, and Rosé, join (left to right) Kwon Hyeok-ho, Kia vice president of domestic sales, Luc Donckerwolke, executive vice president and chief design officer of Hyundai Motor Group (including Kia), and Han-Woo Park, CEO and president of Kia Motors Corp., for the concept’s debut in Seoul.
With its bold new styling up front, Kia says the Mohave Masterpiece Concept wears a new incarnation of the brand’s iconic “tiger nose” grille. Larger and more distinctive, the grille extends outwards across the front of the SUV and frames an array of LED lighting elements.
Rear styling is enhanced with a new LED light-bar, plus a new lower fascia with quad tailpipes. It appears that the doors, roof and glass are carried over from the current Korean market production Mohave. We expect that this rugged off-roader will continue to offer body-on-frame construction, longitudinally mounted engines, and automatic full-time 4WD.
Here’s a closer look at the new Mohave Masterpiece Concept and Kia’s exhibit at the Seoul Motor Show. (video: Hyundai Motor Group)
While Kia didn’t provide specifics for what’s under the hood of the concept, it did say that the current Mohave is the “only rear-wheel-drive V6 3.0-liter diesel engine SUV in Korea.” Advanced technologies, including the latest connectivity features, and Kia’s Advanced Driver Assist System (ADAS), are expected to be offered on the upcoming new model.
Helping to promote K-pop to a global audience, Kia is a title sponsor of the BLACKPINK World Tour. The group also serves as Kia’s global “brand ambassadors,” and will be leading the way to help announce its new models and concepts, like those at the Seoul Motor Show.
BLACKPINK, a group that made its debut in 2016 with YG Entertainment, has become the “world’s most subscribed girl group on YouTube today,” according to Kia. Doing a little research, we discovered that the BLACKPINK official YouTube channel currently has more than 20 million subscribers and nearly 5 billion views!
The Seoul Motor Show, held at the KINTEX Exhibition Center, is open to the public from March 29 to April 7.
For more information about Kia vehicles visit Kia Worldwide
For more information on BLACKPINK visit YG Entertainment
Features, specifications, and launch timing for Korean market production vehicles is subject to change without notice
News source and photos courtesy Kia Motors Corp., video courtesy Hyundai Motor Group; BLACKPINK appears courtesy YG Entertainment
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