Tag Archives: sedan

Middle East’s Exobot electric cars arrive with supercar DNA and futuristic looks

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In the universe of the Tesla Cybertruck, Model S, Lucid Air, and Rivian R1T, a new flagship electric SUV and sedan have landed from the Middle East. Back in 2022, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman and Saudi Arabia’s Public Investment Fund (PIF) formed the country’s first-ever EV brand, CEER. Now they’ve launched their maiden SUV and sedan, homegrown and manufactured in the Middle East, to take on the stalwarts of the industry.

They call it the Exobot series, which comprises the electric SUV and sedan – first in line of the 5 other vehicles slated to launch over a length of the next five years. These EVs will be spread across various propulsion options and produced in the CEER Manufacturing Complex (CMC), claimed by the maker to be one of the largest and most advanced automotive production facilities in the region.

Designer: CEER

CEER is confident that the upcoming fleet of electric vehicles is going to be of the highest global standards, further strengthening Saudi Arabia’s position as a rising force in the global automotive industry. For now, the brand has revealed the Sci-Fi-inspired siblings designed by McLaren’s former design director Rob Melville. Both these vehicles have a similar DNA; they just differ in category and in their distinct body styles. The design language remains the same, as the front section is very low-slung and gets taller at the rear, just like the cars of the 1970s.

Both the future-forward EVs have around 2.5 meters of windshield at 15 degrees, windswept for an open-air feel, a very distinct concept-car-like shape, and manly light bars fitted with 32 varying lighting elements at the front and back. In fact, the open-air windshield is the first ever on a production car. Those Falcon-inspired Shahin doors are gull-winged to spread 10 feet, and don’t have any B-pillar for any visual hindrance.

The luxury sedan is longer than the Tesla Model S at 5,260mm and 1,428 mm tall, which makes it shorter than the Mercedes-Benz EQS, or even some of the popular options. CEER says the EV has a range of 416 miles, and it will vary depending on the model chosen. The standard edition churns out 850 horsepower to make it go from 0-62 mph in 2.6 seconds, while the Top trim produces 1,111 horsepower and 1,500 Nm, which are both better than Tesla. With these numbers, the sedan can go from standstill to over 60 mph in mere 2.1 seconds. The top speed of 155 mph, which is electronically limited, is also impressive.  The 800-volt platform it shares with the SUV makes it go from 10 percent charge level to 80 percent with just 30 minutes of plugging in.

The crossover SUV measures 5,016 mm long, 2,101 mm wide, and 1,693 mm tall, with a 3,200 mm wheelbase. It has a claimed NEDC range of 348 miles on a single charge, and about the same power delivery figures as the classy sedan. Both vehicles get a yoke-shaped steering wheel complemented by the huge 8K screen that runs the length of the windshield. There is a vertical 10.4-inch touchscreen in front of the center console. Rear passengers can enjoy multimedia content on the 8-inch display on the rear seats. The SUV gets the steer-by-wire tech and rear wheel steering for parallel parking, which puts it in a category of its own.

CEER plans to begin sales in early 2027, with deliveries expected in March. Initially, the Exobot sedan and the SUV are going to be sold in the Gulf markets in limited First Edition models. The customizable Plus trims will arrive some time later. The pricing has not yet been revealed, so it’ll be interesting to see how these modern EVs stack up against the competition.

 

The post Middle East’s Exobot electric cars arrive with supercar DNA and futuristic looks first appeared on Yanko Design.

Kia Vision Meta Turismo is a sharp looking concept poised for the future

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Kia always likes to celebrate its milestones with concepts that pave the way for the future of automotive design and technologies on the inside. This week is the South Korean brand’s 80th anniversary, and predictably, they’ve gone to the lengths of materializing a concept that is one of the most impressive from their design studio.
Called the Vision Meta Turismo concept, the sports sedan is not merely a design exploration; it’s their “first bold glimpse into the future of mobility.” The car was unveiled at the Kia Vision Square in Yongin, South Korea, and the future iteration of the electric vehicle (most likely it’s not going to be gasoline-powered) will be dubbed EV8. Just like the EV5 and EV6, this one is based on the Opposites United design theme, and by the look of things, is the spiritual successor to the Stinger. Vision Meta Turismo revitalizes three core experiences: performance driving, immersive driving, and spacious interiors.

Designer: Kia

Kia is categorizing the concept as a performance driving vehicle, even though they’ve not shared many technical details, we assume it is a serious contender for their premium electric lineup sometime in the future. On the outside, the car has a very sharp silhouette with soft geometric elements on the surface and natural lines. This fuses well with the aerodynamic elements like the vertical fins and embedded air channels for optimized airflow, which are inspired by the touring cars of the 1960s. A short hood is contrasted with the long, torpedo-like, elongated shape for a spacious interior that is ultra-comfy. LED strips on the front blending into the nose section edge out of the main frame, while the taillights have a more muted setup reminiscent of the current-gen electric vehicles.

On the inside, the sports sedan concept has an airy lounge-inspired cabin encapsulated in a panoramic windshield that extends to the rear like a modern fighter plane. For a dynamic look, there is a crisscross support pillar running from the A pillars that visually segments the front and the rear sections. The concept car has an upholstered driving seat, while the other seats have an upholstered off-white cloth material skin. The driver-focused interior has a matching hexagonal yoke steering wheel with gear shifters, and the dashboard is done in the same premium leather finish. The lower section of the windshield displays all the vital driver’s information in the AR Heads-Up Display (HUD). All these elements, according to Kia, “reimagine the next-generation intuitive driving interface.”

The concept has three driving modes: Speedster, Dreamer, and Gamer, which are not detailed by Kia and, in a way, are self-explanatory. Not much has been revealed by Kia, which hints that the probable EV sedan, having a long wheelbase and low profile, is going to manifest in some way as a production-ready vehicle. We are more than eager to learn more about the Vision Meta Turismo, and are sure of the fact that Kia is future-serious about this prototype.

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