Photo: Kia
Korean automakers have made huge strides in terms of design and luxury. It used to be the case that Hyundais and Kia were budget cars for people who didn’t care what they were driving, but these days they have competitive products that rival Opel’s or VW’s.
From the tiny Picanto to the brand new K9 luxury sedan, not one Kia model looks out of place, but apparently, they still need a flagship. As if the cars they offered weren’t German-looking enough, Kia wants a new flagship model to take on the Mercedes CLS.
This would be a production version of the GT Concept (photo above), which made its debut at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, powered by a 390 horsepower 3.3-liter turbo V6.
Kia’s chief designer, Peter Schreyer has told AutoExpress that “Every company needs a halo car. The coupe market is dominated by German brands, and the GT is Kia’s first step – it’s like putting a foot in the door of the club. This car is aimed at a niche that Kia could fill. It could find a lot of customers.”
While we’re willing to put up with the new cee’d being compared to an Opel Astra, we’re not sure that a Mercedes rival built by Korean is going to work. Cars like this are more than the sum of their parts. Just think about all the millions Mercedes spends to make sure all the buttons feel the same, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
One thing Korean are good at, however, is offering efficient engines, ant the production version of the GT will not be any different. It will have turbocharged dour-cylinder diesels and petrols, plus a hybrid powertrain.
This would be a production version of the GT Concept (photo above), which made its debut at last year’s Frankfurt Motor Show, powered by a 390 horsepower 3.3-liter turbo V6.
Kia’s chief designer, Peter Schreyer has told AutoExpress that “Every company needs a halo car. The coupe market is dominated by German brands, and the GT is Kia’s first step – it’s like putting a foot in the door of the club. This car is aimed at a niche that Kia could fill. It could find a lot of customers.”
While we’re willing to put up with the new cee’d being compared to an Opel Astra, we’re not sure that a Mercedes rival built by Korean is going to work. Cars like this are more than the sum of their parts. Just think about all the millions Mercedes spends to make sure all the buttons feel the same, and that’s just the tip of the iceberg.
One thing Korean are good at, however, is offering efficient engines, ant the production version of the GT will not be any different. It will have turbocharged dour-cylinder diesels and petrols, plus a hybrid powertrain.
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