Kia Sorento Ski Gondola Concept

In conjunction with New Jersey-based automotive customization firm LUX Motorwerks, Kia Motors has revealed a concept for a truly unique Sorento SUV concept at this year’s SEMA show in Los Vegas, Nevada. Aptly titled the Ski Gondola, this is about as close as one might get to a hybrid of a sport utility vehicle and, well, a mountain-scaling cable car.

Most obviously, the normal wheels on this Sorento have been swapped for Dominator Rubber Tracks that are equipped to tackle even the toughest winter terrain. It’s also been equipped with a custom roof rack onto which you can put your skis, snowboards, or otherwise. They didn’t stop at the exterior, however, as this vehicle is intended to be equipped with an autonomous driving system – a fact that’s reflected in the interior. The normally front-facing driver and passenger seats have been swapped for rear-facing ones – with a vehicle control tablet mounted between them. Furthermore, the B pillar that separated the front and back of the cab has been removed to make way for suicide-style rear doors – making for a much wider ingress, like an actual ski gondola. The interior floors have even been given a durable waterproof Line-X treatment to protect against any ice and snow. For now, this SUV is just a concept, but we’d be lying if we said we didn’t want to see it go into production.