Photo: CarPix
A long time ago, in a land called Frankfurt, Kia presented the GT Concept. Fast-forward to the present moment and here we are today, in the presence of a pre-production prototype of the damned thing. Notice anything different about the concept and the prototype spied by the carparazzi?
That’s right, ladies and gentlemen, Kia equipped its upcoming four-door coupe-like sedan with a trailer hitch and an enclosed cargo trailer. To boot, engineers put the prototype through its paces in the Alps, the highest mountain range in Europe. The question is, why would Kia do such an exaggerated thing?
The answer may come as a surprise to some readers, but the thing is, the 2018 Kia GT has to be tough as nails from a mechanical point of view. Towing things in the Alps is one way to test its toughness, a toughness that will act as the selling point of this thing in Australia and New Zealand.
The South Korean model will fill a niche left wide open by the imminent closure of Holden and Ford factories in the Land Down Under. With no Falcon replacement in sight and a Commodore that’s expected to be based on the front-wheel-drive 2017 Opel Insignia, the stage is set.
Internally referred to as CK, the 2018 Kia GT is a RWD offering with the looks to kill, the go-faster credentials to thrill, and the potential to act as an alternative to large car buyers. Expected to debut as soon as the 2016 Paris Motor Show in October, the Kia GT will slot underneath the luxury-oriented Kia K900.
Because the GT is a performance-oriented model, the get-up-and-go will be sufficient for most buyers in this segment. A 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 will act at the range-topping engine choice. At least for the time being.
In terms of dimensions, the 2018 Kia GT is said to compete with the likes of the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. That's a rather tall order, but the RWD coupe-like four-door sedan will undercut its rivals by a sensible margin as far as pricing is concerned. On an ending note, the rumor mill suggests that the 2018 Kia GT could arrive on the market bearing a different nameplate: the Stinger.
The answer may come as a surprise to some readers, but the thing is, the 2018 Kia GT has to be tough as nails from a mechanical point of view. Towing things in the Alps is one way to test its toughness, a toughness that will act as the selling point of this thing in Australia and New Zealand.
The South Korean model will fill a niche left wide open by the imminent closure of Holden and Ford factories in the Land Down Under. With no Falcon replacement in sight and a Commodore that’s expected to be based on the front-wheel-drive 2017 Opel Insignia, the stage is set.
Internally referred to as CK, the 2018 Kia GT is a RWD offering with the looks to kill, the go-faster credentials to thrill, and the potential to act as an alternative to large car buyers. Expected to debut as soon as the 2016 Paris Motor Show in October, the Kia GT will slot underneath the luxury-oriented Kia K900.
Because the GT is a performance-oriented model, the get-up-and-go will be sufficient for most buyers in this segment. A 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 will act at the range-topping engine choice. At least for the time being.
In terms of dimensions, the 2018 Kia GT is said to compete with the likes of the Audi A7, Mercedes-Benz CLS, and the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. That's a rather tall order, but the RWD coupe-like four-door sedan will undercut its rivals by a sensible margin as far as pricing is concerned. On an ending note, the rumor mill suggests that the 2018 Kia GT could arrive on the market bearing a different nameplate: the Stinger.
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