Kia Niro points to new baby softroader

The baby soft-roader market looks set to have a new arrival, with South Korean car maker Kia signaling its intention to join the booming faux-wheel-drive market that’s becoming big in the city.

The Kia Niro is the company’s star attraction at next week’s Frankfurt motor show. Presumably the company went to town on the show car because it will save money on shipping. The car was designed and built inside Kia’s European design studio, which is adjacent to the fair grounds that will host the show in the heart of Frankfurt.

As with most flights of fancy the Lamborghini-style “scissor” doors won’t make it to production. Nor with the massive wheels and LED headlights. But squint a little and image a car of this size, shape and height and you’ve got a pretty good idea about the look of Kia’s tiny-tot SUV that will eventually rival the Ford EcoSport, Holden Trax and Suzuki SX4.

We’re assured the Kia Niro concept has an engine of some description but Kia is keeping the exact details a secret. But even if it has an engine as simple as a two-cylinder or as daring as a jet you can bank on the production car having a basic four-cylinder petrol engine under the boonnet. The Kia Niro is among the growing number of super-small SUVs due in showrooms in the next few years.

Their pint-sized dimensions make them easy to park while the tall driving position give you a better view of the traffic jam ahead. And, if marketing experts are to be believed, even a baby SUV apparently tells the outside world you can escape the daily grind -- even if you’re in the same shemozzle as everyone else.

The official press blurb says the Kia Niro hints at a possible future contender “ready to take on the urban environment”. It continues: “The Niro combines a mischievous character in a clearly robust and substantial yet stylish body-shape featuring a mix of contrasting materials -- including stainless steel elements -- in compact, purposeful dimensions.” That’s code for “we wanted to create an exciting-looking car to make you realise Kias aren’t boring any more”.

This reporter is on Twitter: @JoshuaDowling