Kia Europe has launched Soundscapes, an experimental project that transforms real-world landscapes into music using data captured by the vehicle’s onboard cameras and advanced driver assistance systems (ADAS).
The concept is designed to give passengers with visual impairments a new way to experience journeys through sound that reflects the surrounding terrain in real time.
Working with Innocean Berlin and sound designers at DaHouse, Kia captured footage outside Santiago, Chile, translating visual elements into layered musical compositions.
Artificial intelligence (AI) algorithms assigned specific instruments and tonal qualities to different visual inputs: trees were rendered as soft woodwinds, mountains became deep resonant notes and vehicle speed altered the tempo and intensity.
Marketing Director for Kia Europe, David Hilbert, said the brand wanted “to give passengers with visual impairments the opportunity to experience the world differently,” aligning with Kia’s wider brand ethos that movement inspires ideas.
Sound as sensory storytelling
While not intended as a commercial feature, Soundscapes doubles as both an accessibility experiment and an artistic endeavour.
The results are showcased in two short documentary films, designed to explore emotional reactions to the soundscape during a road trip.
In a market where electric vehicle (EV) sound design is becoming more deliberate, Kia’s project echoes broader industry efforts to use audio as more than just functional feedback.
BMW, for instance, is building a full digital sound environment into its upcoming Neue Klasse EVs, focusing on emotional warmth and real-time interaction as part of its Hypersonx initiative.
Kia, by contrast, takes a more poetic route - translating scenery into symphonic textures to give every passenger, regardless of visual ability, a more sensory and inclusive driving experience.
