The Kia Ray - impressive new hybrid concept!

[Kal-El]

After developing a handful of production-ready alternative-fuel vehicles, Kia has looked a little further into the future this time. The result is the Kia Ray, a plug-in hybrid sedan that combines a laundry list of eco-friendly features with a futuristic design that isn't meant to look like just another Prius fighter.

Built on the same platform as the Kia Forte sedan, the Ray features a 1.4-liter inline-4 engine that sends power to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). A 78-kilowatt (105 horsepower) motor is also used to power the car either on its own or in conjunction with the gas engine.

Kia says the electric motor is designed to propel the Ray up to 50 miles on a charge before the gas engine needs to kick in. It also says the Ray gets 202 mpg, which gives it a total range of 746 miles. That's all theoretical of course, so it could be 746 miles or it could be 74.6 miles — nobody really knows.

The Ray's performance figures are not the point here, though. It's really all about seeing how many eco-friendly pieces of technology will fit into one relatively compact sedan. Take the exterior, for instance. It clearly sports a slippery shape to reduce drag, but it's also covered in nano-laminate film to keep the interior cool and reduce the need for all those harmful emissions from the air-conditioning. Solar cells on the roof also generate a trickle charge to run a fan that further cools the interior.

On the inside, the Ray features a typical concept car interior complete with "floating" white leather seats, mesh door panels and a push-button transmission. Kia also notes that the floor is covered in everybody's favorite renewable resource, "100 percent earthy mocha wool."

On the technology side, the Ray features an Infinity GreenEdge sound system that uses lighter speakers and low-consumption amplifiers that use less overall power than conventional systems. Kia's new UVO entertainment system has also been integrated for full voice-activated control of the car's media system.

Looks really nice IMO. Not perfect, but manages to be totally original in design rather tha a copy-cat like many Kia's in the past.

Too bad we'll probably never see it produced (at least like this).