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Yet another Kia Compact Crossover Concept heading for Frankfurt 2013

Yet another Kia Compact Crossover Concept (pictured) heading for Frankfurt We do seem to have had something of a run of concepts from Kia lately – particularly Compact SUV/Crossover Concepts – but none seem to be heading for production. Already in 2013 we’ve had the Kia Provo Concept, which looked like a suitably funky urban warrior to take on the market the Nissan Juke made its own, even if the ‘Provo’ name caused publicity-seeking politicians to spit and stomp. Following close on the heels of the Provo came the Kia CUB for the Seoul Motor Show (note the cuddly name – Kia didn’t want to shoot themselves in the foot again) which, although entirely convincing, just looked like yet another urban warrior compact crossover/SUV.

Video: GM's Frank Saucedo, Niki Smart and Gael Buzyn on the Elmiraj concept

GM director advanced design Frank Saucedo features in a new video explaining the design process behind the new Elmiraj concept. Saucedo, who oversaw the concept's development at GM's advanced design studio in North Hollywood, California, talks about how the Elmiraj – the second in a series of three concept cars that began with last's year Ciel – is a study of how they can progress and evolve the carmaker's ‘Art and Science' design philosophy. GM's interior design manager Gael Buzyn and exterior design manager Niki Smart also feature, with Smart explaining how the Elmiraj concept is focused on the notion of ‘the drive' and has been designed to reflect dynamism while the Ciel was about ‘the journey', represented by a luxurious interior.

Mazda Ryuga concept

Mazda North America has released a sketch of its Mazda Ryuga concept to be shown at the Detroit Auto Show in January. The Mazda Ryuga builds on Mazda's design language 'flow,' most recently seen in the Nagare concept shown at the Los Angeles Auto Show. Ryuga is Japanese for "gracious flow," and makes use of 'rich fabrics, engineered fits and hidden details,' according to Mazda.