Qoros previews wild EV concept

Chinese manufacturer Qoros has released a sketch render teasing a dramatic-looking four-seater concept car called the Model K-EV, ahead of the upcoming Shanghai Motor Show. The company says that the car - which previews a planned production model for 2019 - will employ the electric direct-drive technology from the Koenigsegg Regera hybrid hypercar.

Created by an international design team, the Model K-EV is low and long, with razor-sharp edges and lighting graphics, short overhangs, and the side DLO reaching down towards the sill in a manner reminiscent of the Bertone Marzal concept from the wedge era - or more recently the BMW Vision EfficientDynamics concept that previewed the i8. What surfacing could be squeezed below the glass doors is dominated by a deep light-catcher, while the rocker pulls up to reveal a contrast-finish skirt.

In lieu of the usual beltline, the car’s bone line is enhanced by a piece of chrome trim, stretching centrally across the large glass area to connect the front and rear arches, which themselves house intricate, Reventón-esque mixed-surface wheels of fashionably vast diameter. Meanwhile, the largely flat, grille-free nose features subtle openings between the headlights’ top and bottom to cool batteries and channel airflow (the lower of which ducts are flanked by more chrome trim, as a U-shaped blade).

Further images have been leaked by a Chinese outlet as well, which include a rear 3/4 sketch render. The rear apron features a medium-sized diffuser and no exhaust pipes, clarifying the use of electric drive, while skinny vertical taillights mimic the headlights with their triplet of light tubes. They are bridged by a thick piece of chrome denoting the end of the fastback roof and partially housing the Qoros badge.

A second front 3/4 angle shows a shutline down the right-hand side, supporting the press release’s mention of a “revolutionary asymmetric door design.” The driver’s-side door is a single gullwing (again like the Marzal of yore), while on the passenger’s side there are split front and rear openings. Both of them inch outwards and then slide clear to maximise convenience, but curiously, the front passenger door also features a conventional hinge to let it swing outwards in the usual fashion if one so chooses. The interior, or rather the “Clever Carbon Cabin”, is primarily made of carbon-fibre and is said to feature separated front and rear areas for that chauffeur-driven sensation in the back seat.

The use of Koenigsegg’s electric drive system marks the second result of Qoros’s technical collaboration with the trailblazing Swedish manufacturer, following an engine with pneumatic valves to replace the camshafts for much greater efficiency, courtesy of sister company FreeValve. Pure electric drive in this machine allows the short axle-to-dash ratio as well as more aerodynamic freedom and a longer cabin.

The Model K-EV will be officially unveiled at the Shanghai Motor Show in a week’s time – we’ll be there to cover the Qoros concept’s offical reveal, as well as much else.