Photo: Pungtagi TV for The Korean Car Blog
Kia isn’t a byword for sporty cars, but with the Stinger GT and EV6 GT, the South Korean automaker is trying to prove the naysayers wrong. The big question is, why is Kia currently testing a mid-engine Stinger prototype?
Captured by Pungtagi TV for The Korean Car Blog, the mystery test mule is camouflaged from the roofline to the side skirts. Even thicker camouflage masks the front and rear ends but the side air intakes aren’t fooling anyone.
According to the cited publication, the prototype “is a hydrogen-electric hybrid car with a Stinger body.” It’s hard to imagine hydrogen and hybrid together, and it’s even harder to understand a midship hydrogen fuel cell. The Korean Car Blog also mentions that it’s one of five mules built by Hyundai for testing purposes, probably for the mid-engine N halo car.
The last time we’ve talked about the RM midship vehicle architecture, the Hyundai Motor Company presented us with an electric Veloster concept known as the RM20e. A single motor drives the rear wheels with a mind-boggling 810 PS and 960 Nm (800 horsepower and 708 pound-feet) of torque, figures that would make even the Dodge Hellcat blush in awe.
Another possibility for the mid-engine Stinger would be the all-new engine family known as the Theta III, which currently includes two 2.5-liter mills under the Hyundai Smartstream handle. Another Theta III powerplant is reportedly under development with 2.3 liters of displacement and four cylinders, but looking at the bigger picture, this lump may never happen.
Insiders told local media that Hyundai is slashing ICE powerplants in favor of all-electric vehicles, be it BEVs such as the all-new Ioniq 5 or FCEVs such as the Nexo. In the short term, Hyundai and sister brands Kia and Genesis intend to sell one million EVs per year by 2025, which is a very tall order when you remember that Tesla dominates pretty much everyone in the BEV business.
On that note, what do you think about this mid-engine Stinger prototype?
According to the cited publication, the prototype “is a hydrogen-electric hybrid car with a Stinger body.” It’s hard to imagine hydrogen and hybrid together, and it’s even harder to understand a midship hydrogen fuel cell. The Korean Car Blog also mentions that it’s one of five mules built by Hyundai for testing purposes, probably for the mid-engine N halo car.
The last time we’ve talked about the RM midship vehicle architecture, the Hyundai Motor Company presented us with an electric Veloster concept known as the RM20e. A single motor drives the rear wheels with a mind-boggling 810 PS and 960 Nm (800 horsepower and 708 pound-feet) of torque, figures that would make even the Dodge Hellcat blush in awe.
Another possibility for the mid-engine Stinger would be the all-new engine family known as the Theta III, which currently includes two 2.5-liter mills under the Hyundai Smartstream handle. Another Theta III powerplant is reportedly under development with 2.3 liters of displacement and four cylinders, but looking at the bigger picture, this lump may never happen.
Insiders told local media that Hyundai is slashing ICE powerplants in favor of all-electric vehicles, be it BEVs such as the all-new Ioniq 5 or FCEVs such as the Nexo. In the short term, Hyundai and sister brands Kia and Genesis intend to sell one million EVs per year by 2025, which is a very tall order when you remember that Tesla dominates pretty much everyone in the BEV business.
On that note, what do you think about this mid-engine Stinger prototype?
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