Bcomp And Kia Showcase Natural Fibre Composites In Vision Meta Turismo Concept At Milan Design Week
BY Composights
Published: 29 Apr 2026
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Swiss materials company Bcomp and Kia Corporation have integrated natural fibre composites into the Vision Meta Turismo concept car, presented at Milan Design Week 2026. The vehicle features Bcomp s ampliTex material across both interior and exterior components, marking an expansion of previous applications limited to interior parts.
The ampliTex material is a flax fibre-based reinforcement fabric designed for lightweight composite structures. It is compatible with established manufacturing processes such as injection moulding and supports a range of custom colours, weaves, and finishes for automotive design applications. The material also enables circular design approaches, including recyclability into composite pellets and end-of-life energy recovery pathways.
The project builds on earlier collaborations between Bcomp and Kia on EV concept models including EV2, EV3, and EV4. In the Vision Meta Turismo, ampliTex has been extended to exterior body parts such as front, rear, and side bumpers. The concept was unveiled as part of Kia s Journey of Projection exhibition, highlighting the integration of materials, design, and digital technologies.
Mar lia Biill, VP and head of CMF design at Kia Corp., said, The Vision Meta Turismo was intended to be an internal design study which aimed to answer a fundamental question: How can Kia create a vehicle that is more emotional, yet still aligned with the brand s core values?
It [the concept] is a meaningful step forward for our collaboration with Kia, and for the broader industry s journey toward making these materials standard in future production programs, says Nicolas Samson, senior sales manager automotive interior at Bcomp.
The Vision Meta Turismo serves as a design study exploring future automotive interiors and exteriors. The vehicle combines a lounge-style cabin with augmented reality interfaces and a digitally immersive driving experience. The use of natural fibre composites demonstrates their potential in both structural and aesthetic automotive applications, including exterior panels.
For the composites industry, the development highlights the growing role of bio-based reinforcement materials in automotive design. The ability to integrate natural fibre composites into existing production processes while offering design flexibility supports their adoption in large-volume manufacturing. The extension of such materials into exterior components represents a shift beyond traditional interior use cases.
The Vision Meta Turismo remains a concept vehicle, but insights from the project are expected to inform future vehicle programmes as automotive manufacturers explore scalable, lower-impact material solutions.
