Kia seems to have tangled itself into a messy situation after the release of its new 246HP turbocharged Provo Concept that made its world premiere this week at the Geneva International Auto Show.
The reason why Kia is in hot water today has to do with the concept hatchback’s name and its association to the Provisional Irish Republican Army (IRA), who engaged in bombing campaigns during the Troubles in Northern Ireland from 1967 to 1997, and whose members were often referred to as “Provos“.
According to a report from Wards Auto, Gregory Campbell, a member of the British Parliament from East Londonderry, filed a motion in the House of Commons seeking to protest and ban the use of the name on the car (if it were to produced…) in England and Northern Ireland.
The politician also took offense the orange color of the concept’s roof (….) as it is associated with Irish unionists.
Kia swiftly issued a response saying it had no intention of offense and that the company’s European headquarters in Frankfurt chose the name because “it comes from ‘provoke'”. Well, we guess it provoked the wrong emotions…
“There is absolutely no intention by Kia Motors Europe to cause offense with the name of its new concept vehicle, the Kia Provo,” said Kia in an statement.
“The Provo was designed and named at the company’s design studio in Frankfurt and is a concept vehicle only, rather than a production-ready car. Kia takes care to ensure that the name of every new model on sale is appropriate in all markets,” the company continued.
“The name Provo comes from the word ‘provoke,’ as the aim of this racy, striking design study was to provoke a reaction amongst the audience. The orange roof was chosen as it was a popular color for sports-car buyers during the 1970s,” Kia concluded.
After hearing out Kia, Campbell calmed down and issued his own response:
“Obviously, a large multinational company may not be aware of all the connotations surrounding a particular name,” said the British politician.
“The motion which I had tabled in the House of Commons was aimed at making Kia aware of the particular sensitivities and to request a change. In this case, Kia (officials) have acted quickly and issued a clear statement that they will not launch a car in the United Kingdom with this name and will not utilize this name in any other way.”
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