korean car manufacturer kia exhibits its habaniro concept at the 2019 new york auto show, revealing its future vision for driverless electric cars. the habaniro is a compact crossover utility vehicle that kia calls an ‘everything car‘ – its suitable for urban transport, coastal road trips, wilderness adventures, and apparently, understanding your emotions.

images courtesy of kia

introduced earlier this year, the habaniro uses kia‘s new real-time emotion adaptive driving (R.E.A.D) system. the system was developed with researchers from massachusetts institute of technology and uses artificial intelligence to monitor a passenger’s emotional state. the technology then optimizes and personalizes the cabin experience accordingly. for example, the vehicle detects stress levels via bio-signal recognition technology that reads facial expressions and monitors heart rate and electrodermal activity. then, if necessary, through use of lighting and sounds the car will then create a more relaxing environment.

kia also hints at the possibility of READ systems one day being able to identify when a driver is hungry. the vehicle could then direct to the nearest drive-through where an order will be waiting.

without any explanation on how this could exactly work, kia only emphasizes the importance of AI in enhancing the driving experience. something else that remains just as an idea at the moment is the car’s scissor-like door openings.

‘some will assume the habaniro concept will never be built, but we don’t advise betting the farm on it’, a press release reads. ‘in the past 18 months, kia has launched two vehicles, the stinger and the telluride, from concepts that fully captured the public’s imagination. the habaniro’s butterfly doors? maybe not today, but the future is an exciting place and kia is ready to lead the automotive industry into this spicy world of possibility.‘

on the inside, a lava red interior is accented by bouclé fabric-trimmed front seats that appear to float within the cabin. designers have intentionally avoided rectangular screens and traditional control knobs and buttons to create a clean and modern appearance. instead it features a full-width front windshield heads-up display (HUD) system controlled by a concave acrylic sharing system instrument panel that works as a large interactive touchpad display with sensory light feedback.

other stats we know at the moment include a range of over 300 miles and that it seats up to five people. meanwhile, 20-inch wheels and short overhangs make it possible that some of the fun making up those miles can be had off-road.

product info

manufacturer: kia

model: habaniro

status: concept