Kia has been on a roll ever since Peter Schreyer took over design direction of the once vanilla-flavored Korean automaker. No wonder after their recent surging success they’ve elevated him to President of Kia Motors and Chief Design Officer of the entire Hyundai Motor Group — the first non-Korean to hold the position. With his bold design philosophy clearly leading the way, Kia continues to roll strongly forward — as witnessed in their latest concept, the Niro. Set to debut at the Frankfurt Motor Show next month, the compact crossover/hatchback Niro is predictably aimed at the urban market — which means, of course, scissor doors. What says sophisticated city dweller, after all, more than scissor doors? The Niro also boasts massive wheels and a high clearance, perfect for crushing cars underfoot at your Whole Foods parking lot. Aesthetically the small crossover utilizes a black and silver colorway, with hits of neon yellow to make features — like the grill and tow hooks — pop. The interior stands out most by its front seats, which share a common material that connects over the center console. Other interesting details include the massive TFT info screen on the center dash, as well as the two panic bars that rise from the console — just in case your Prius-crushing at Whole Foods turns more hectic than predicted.

So far no word on powertrain, but given the twin exhaust tips it’s evident there will be some internal combustion present — whether it’s as a hybrid, diesel or full-blown petrol ICE engine we won’t know until Frankfurt, when Kia promises to let us all in on the details. Keep your eyes out in the coming weeks…