When Kia first unveiled the Imagine concept car back in 2019, it promised to bring fresh styling and a new design language to future Kia models. Among the more obvious things was a change that might have gone unnoticed by all but the most eagle eye observers a new logo. The current Kia logo with its encircled design and bold lettering has been a staple for the Korean brand for a number of decades, but Kia is open to experiments, and this logo could be one of the more subtle ways at revamping its core identity.
Kia Motors President Park Han-woo told South Korean publication Motorgraph “The new emblem is similar to the one at the Imagine concept car, but it will look a bit different,” during press festivities at a recent Kia event. The new badge is allegedly slated to appear on new Kia vehicles starting in October though it is unclear how Kia will proceed with the rollout in regards to holding either a swift launch, or taking a more methodical approach when it comes to putting it on select Kia models.
As for the logo itself, it takes a rather novel approach for Kia with stark angular lines used in the strokes for each letter. For example, the upper part of the K attaches to the top of the I, with the later letter attaching its lower part to the stylized A. This in stark contrast to the rather simple logo that we have all come to know which simply attaches a serif on top of each letter. This new logo could work especially well with some of Kia’s performance models including the Stinger as well as the growing GT Line of offerings. Kia also revealed that a production version of the Imagine concept is currently under development, but don’t expect it to be the 21 screen filled techno showcase that the concept made its name on. Current rumors suggest that the Imagine would make its debut as a production EV crossover which would help Kia achieve some of its long term goals for the model including the ability to deliver a 310 mile driving range.
Carl Malek has been an automotive journalist for over 10 years. First starting out as a freelance photographer before making the transition to writing during college, his work has appeared on numerous automotive forums as well as websites such as Autoshopper.com.
Carl is also a big fan of British vehicles with the bulk of his devotion going to the Morgan Motor Company as well as offerings from Lotus, MG, and Caterham. When he is not writing about automobiles, Carl enjoys spending time with his family and friends in the Metro Detroit area, as well as spending time with his adorable pets.