In the Far East, luxury-EV startups are coming and going at a prodigious clip. Now comes Qoros’s turn to show off a fully electric luxury concept, and the Chinese company has one thing going for it: It’s an established brand with a track record of delivering products. Qoros competes in the near-premium segment in China, and the cars are distinguished from their competitors by Euro-style technology (much of which actually is developed with European suppliers) and a distinct aesthetic language fostered by Qoros chief designer Gert Hildebrand, who once led Mini design.
The fully electric concept launching at the Shanghai auto show is called the K-EV; the K is for Konzept, the company says.
Stretching 201.3 inches from stem to stern and fitted with four electric motors rated at a combined 870 horsepower, the K-EV is aimed directly at the Tesla Model S and hybrid versions of the Porsche Panamera, as well as at similar-size production-intent cars from Lucid, Nio, and Faraday Future. The Qoros is said to be able to sprint from zero to 62 mph in “less than 2.7 seconds,” and it is governed at 162 mph.
With a low center of gravity and a torque-vectoring system, a production K-EV has some ingredients to offer capable dynamics and roadholding. The battery pack holds enough juice for more than 300 miles of range and can be replenished via plug or inductive charging, which can be controlled and monitored remotely.
The Qoros K-EV’s passenger cell is a carbon-fiber monocoque, and it has asymmetrical doors with a gullwing door on the left side and sliding doors at the rear. An aggressive and expressive styling language clearly communicates the car’s futuristic aspirations, with a transparent center section that allows a view of the carbon structure; the front and rear elements and fenders seem almost to float. The LED head- and taillights further develop the vertical design that was launched with the Qoros 2 PHEV. The K has semi-exposed hinges and “bubbles” above the rear seats that bring a fighter-jet vibe, while the sporty-looking interior is devoid of any utopian flourishes that would suggest anything resembling Stage 5 autonomous-driving functionality.
Most Chinese luxury concepts are characterized by soft, flowing lines and an almost ascetic style. The Qoros K-EV, by contrast, has the spirit of the extravagant and provocative show cars launched by Italian coachbuilders in the 1970s and 1980s. Perhaps it will inspire a similar design renaissance—we’d be down with a shift as dramatic as the Wedge Era, for example.
