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Kia continues exploring new ideas with compact ‘Cub’ coupe unveiling at Seoul Auto Show

Kia CubWhile most of the car world will be focused on the New York Auto Show, Kia has decided to use its home turf of Korea to generate buzz for their new four-door coupe concept.

According to Car Scoops, the carmaker will unveil the “Cub” compact concept at the 2013 Seoul International Auto Show on March 28.

Reportedly less than four meters–13.1 feet–long, the Cub is said to have been “styled to appeal to trend-setting urban dwellers.”

The Cub’s two-point LED headlights, revealed in the tease photo, are similar to the Kia Quoris full-size luxury sedan‘s four-point LED headlights.

If built, the Cub is expected to compete against compact sedans like the Chevrolet Cruze, Dodge Dart and Ford Focus sedan, according to reports.

Kia isn’t releasing much detail on the car until its debut. But the initial photo tease seems to indicate that the Cub will also features the same approach to design that now makes Kia a serious contender in its segments.

News of the debut of the Cub is the latest in a recent ramp-up of concept unveilings for the Korean based carmaker in what appears to be an aggressive move to explore more production models.

Kia is currently hammering out the details for a rear-wheel-drive variation of the Kia GT Concept first shown as a four-door coupe at the 2011 Frankfurt show.

In addition to the Cub, the carmaker also recently unveiled the Provo concept at the Geneva Motor Show and the Cross GT at the 2013 Chicago Auto Show.

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Marcus Amick
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Marcus Amick has been writing about the world of cars for more than ten years and has covered everything from new automobiles…
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