Kia lifts wraps from Provo 04 | 03 | 2013

KIA HAS LIFTED the wraps from its new Provo, a Mini-rivalling 'urban racer'. The concept is a Rio-based road car inspired by budget competition models from Fiat, Alfa and Innocenti.

The four-wheel-drive hatchback, based on a shortened Kia Rio platform, is just 3.88m long, 1.35m tall and has a strictly 2+2 cabin layout.

The car is powered by a 201bhp 1.6-litre turbo petrol engine, which drives through a seven-speed DSG 'box. The rear axle is driven by a 44bhp electric motor.

The concept was created by Kia's Frankfurt-based design team, led by chief designer Gregory Guillaume.

He describes the Provo as "entirely a car for European tastes and conditions — an emotional and muscular car aimed at delivering pure fun and performance for today's city-based enthusiast driver".

Kia unveils 200bhp hot hatch

The Provo's appearance is dominated by its frameless doors and wrap-around windscreen, plus it gets dramatic bumper inserts and 19in milled aluminium wheels.

Inspired by road car-based budget competition machines such as the Fiat 500 Abarth, Alfa GT Junior and obscurities such as the Innocenti Mini De Tomaso, the Provo's interior dispenses with a conventional centre console to make the enclosed cockpit feel more spacious.

It also gets a neat aluminium mount which holds the transmission selector and starter button, and the driver uses column-mounted paddle shifters. The instruments and climate controls are animated on LCD screens.

Roadtest: Kia cee'd Sportwagon

Keep up-to-date with all the latest news by following us on twitter.com/scotcars

Jim McGill