Kia will showcase its latest electric vehicle concept, the EV2, at Milan Design Week in April 2025. The Concept EV2 is a compact electric SUV that explores new approaches to urban mobility, sustainable design, and material innovation. Positioned as a vision of how a future city car might combine practical design with environmentally conscious materials, the EV2 will feature in Kia's ‘Transcend Journey' exhibition at the event.
The Concept EV2 was first unveiled at Kia’s EV Day in Barcelona earlier this year. It is a B-segment SUV, designed with a strong emphasis on interior flexibility, functionality, and responsible material choices. The vehicle’s design draws inspiration from the idea of a ‘picnic in the city' — a theme that informed both the interior layout and material selection.
Milan Design Week, held annually in April, is regarded as one of the most influential events in the global design calendar. The event attracts designers, architects, brands, and visitors from across the world, showcasing innovation in furniture, interiors, architecture, and automotive design. Spread across multiple locations in the city, including the famous Salone del Mobile exhibition, the event blends cutting-edge installations with discussions about sustainability, design trends, and future lifestyles. Kia’s participation in the 2025 edition places its Concept EV2 within this broader conversation about the role of design in shaping more sustainable urban environments.
Design and Layout
The interior of the Concept EV2 reflects Kia’s ‘Opposites United' design philosophy, aiming to create a space that feels open and connected while offering practical solutions for everyday use. The designers have taken cues from urban balconies and terraces — compact but highly usable spaces within city environments — to inform the vehicle's cabin.
A flat-floor layout supports the flexible design. The second-row seats fold up, while the front seats can slide backwards to create additional space. Some seats also feature extendable elements, allowing the cabin to adapt to different uses, from transporting goods to leisure activities such as a city picnic.
Features such as integrated headrest speakers, portable door speakers, detachable seat cushions, and pop-up luggage dividers are intended to offer users a more versatile experience within the vehicle.
Material Innovation
A key part of the Concept EV2 project is its use of alternative materials designed to reduce the car's environmental footprint. Kia's Colour, Materials and Finish (CMF) team worked with several specialist partners to introduce a range of bio-based and recyclable materials.
One of the most distinctive is Simplifyber Fybron™, a cellulose-based compound used for dashboard and door panels. Created from renewable materials like wood, recycled textiles, and paper, this material reduces reliance on plastics. It also offers a softer texture and is manufactured using a process that eliminates the need for traditional weaving or spinning.
Mycelium, a renewable material derived from fungi, also features prominently. Developed in partnership with Biomyc, Kia has integrated mycelium-infused polyurethane (PU) and mycelium-grown structures into the interior. These materials offer natural insulating properties and aesthetic detailing, with speckles of mycelium visible across certain surfaces. In some cases, mycelium cells are used to bind agricultural waste into structural components, such as armrests.
Over 180 different samples were tested to refine the final look, feel, and performance of the mycelium elements, aiming to meet durability and aesthetic standards while reducing environmental impact.
Flax Fibre Bio-Composites
Another significant material in the Concept EV2 is AmpliTex, developed in collaboration with Bcomp. This flax fibre-based composite is used in the rear seat shell and front seat substructures. AmpliTex offers a lightweight but durable alternative to synthetic materials, supporting improved efficiency and environmental credentials.
Importantly, the material is fully recyclable. At the end of its lifecycle, AmpliTex can be processed into composite pellets for reuse in other applications. This supports Kia's longer-term goal of moving towards a circular economy, where materials are reused or repurposed rather than discarded.
The interior also features a custom dark-blue finish developed by Kia’s CMF team, chosen to complement the natural materials without compromising on visual appeal.
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