Tired of those boring, symmetrical car doors that just swing out to let you inside? Qoros' young mind has the cure in the new Model K-EV concept car. No two doors on this concept are alike, sliding, rising and swinging open to let the driver and passengers inside. Once there, they'll enjoy up to 311 miles (500 km) of spirited all-electric driving that starts off with the bang of a 2.6-second 0-62 mph (100 km/h).
The K-EV is the latest potential Tesla-fighter from China, and while its performance numbers look Model S, its packaging borrows just as much from the Model X. Qoros doesn't list dimensions, but based on the pictures, the car fits somewhere between a fastback sedan and a bigger, higher crossover. Like the Model X, it packs gullwing design, but it won't be lifting off the ground anytime soon because this injured bird has only one wing. The large, auto-opening driver-side gullwing provides access to both the front and rear seats.
The passenger side is accessed by a combination of a sliding rear door and a dual-mechanism front door that can swing out traditionally or slide open. It feels as if Qoros doesn't quite know which style of door it likes best, so it's throwing them all out there to see what Shanghai show goers think. Even access to the trunk is a little different, the rear windscreen popping open for cargo loading.
Nothing about the K-EV's flat face or overall packaging yells, "one of the world's quickest cars!", but Qoros is claiming it'll fire from 0 to 62 mph (100 km/h) quicker than virtually anything besides a Model S, Dodge Demon or high-ticket supercar. That's 2.6 seconds, to be exact. Couple that with the 311 miles of range, and you have a fun, versatile EV.
If you're doubting that acceleration, as we were when we first read it, consider that the right electric powertrain can turn even a van into a supercar, as demonstrated by Lucid Motors. And, though we don't know all the details of the K-EV's all-wheel-drive system, we can believe that it's the "right electric powertrain" by virtue of the fact that the electric tech hails from Koenigsegg, specifically the ever-impressive Regera. Qoros' new concept extends a partnership with the Swedish hypercar maker that also produced QamFree engine technology.
Helping the K-EV's performance is a "Clever Carbon Cabin" design that keeps weight low using generous amounts of carbon fiber in the cabin construction. The interior of this cabin has been carefully designed to create discrete front and rear spaces. From what we see of it, the interior features four seats neatly divided by a cabin-length center console. The driver's seat has access to plenty of digital tech, including a digital instrument cluster flanked by side-view displays, an infotainment widescreen and a central touch control center.
The Model K-EV is a step in Qoros' greater two-prong strategy, which includes refining its internal combustion engine vehicle lineup using QamFree technology while simultaneously pursuing new technologies, including electric powertrains and autonomous driving. The concept is appearing at Auto Shanghai 2017 next to a QamFree test vehicle to highlight this two-prong approach. Qoros plans to put the K-EV into production in 2019, giving it plenty of time to decide which type of door it really likes best.
Source: Qoros