The Kia Vision Meta Turismo concept car on display at Milan Design Week is the first car to use the panoramic head-up display (HUD) developed by Distance.
Distance Technologies is a Finnish technology company whose founding team includes former executives and experts from Varjo, known for its virtual headsets. The company's goal is to turn transparent surfaces such as windshields, windows and helmet visors into intelligent user interfaces that provide a sense of depth. The company's computational optics make it possible to blend digital content into the physical environment without the user needing to wear separate VR or AR glasses.
Unlike current head-up displays, which usually appear to the driver only as a small, flat layer of information on the surface of the glass, Distance's solution spans the entire width of the windshield from edge to edge.
The system uses light field technology that creates infinite pixel depth. This means that navigation instructions, warnings and other driving information do not appear to float on the glass, but instead seem to be located naturally as part of the surrounding 3D world. The technology makes it possible to place visualizations in exactly the right spot in the driver's field of view, making the information more intuitive to absorb and improving road safety.
In Kia's Vision Meta Turismo concept car, the technology is used to explore a new kind of digital interaction between human and machine. The car is designed to combine the driving experience and human-centered design in a way that merges the car's intelligence with the driver's perceptual abilities. The concept car was originally unveiled in Korea at the end of 2025 in connection with the company's 80th anniversary celebration, but the technology is now appearing in an international setting.
This is a concept, and the companies have not yet confirmed when the technology might be seen in mass production.
Written by: Janne Yli-Korhonen @ 24 Apr 2026 10:04
