Kia Motors had built a solid reputation of building quality cars at affordable prices, but to this point have done little to challenge the luxury market.
That may change if they release a new 4-door coupe that they believe can seriously challenge the Mercedes CLS.
The new car, which would sit somewhere between the BMW 5 and 7 Series in terms of size, is the brainchild of Kia design head Peter Schreyer, who has always made it known that he wants a halo model for the brand.
The feeling is that the look of this new upmarket vehicle may be hinted at in the Kia GT Concept.
When that model was revealed at the Frankfurt Motor Show last year, Schreyer spoke of how the coupe market was dominated by the Germans, yet felt that a halo car released by Kia could definitely find a spot in that category.
It was there that the idea of a halo car for Kia was born, with Schreyer truly believing that such a vehicle could attract a ton of customers.
Like every concept car that has ever gone before, you shouldn’t expect every design detail of the Kia GT to make it to the production phase.
What you can likely expect is a more subdued version of the ‘tiger-nose’ grille and front air vents.
Details like the full-width rear lights and high turbine alloys will need to be modified in order to be road ready, but you can expect little change in the sweeping roofline and low-slung stance exhibited buy the GT show car.
There will likely be changes under the hood too, with the 390-hp 3,3L turbocharged V6 engine likely to be replaced with something a little less powerful.
Consumers can expect to see the new car follow the traditional fuel-efficient setup that Kia has become known for and will likely be available in petrol, diesel, and hybrid models, giving it a broad market appeal.
Kia will want the driving experience of the car to match its sporty style, which will mean a rear wheel drive platform.
There is a pretty good chance that it will share the platform used by the next-generation Hyundai Genesis sports sedan, which is currently unavailable in European markets.
Insiders believe that it will likely be 2015 or even 2016 before the Kia GT 4-door coupe sees the light of day, but when it does consumers can expect a value priced model that will seriously go after the German stranglehold on the market.
Watch the video displaying the Kia GT up-close:
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