Another segment
“We are currently thinking about what segment we next want to conquer”, says Kia president, Hyoung-Keun Lee. It is clear that this is no empty threat but rather more another throwing down of the gauntlet in the direction of Wolfsburg. The South Korean’s Rio model is a direct challenger for the VW Polo as is the new Cee’d for the Golf and the Sportage for the Tiguan… and the contest is not just taking place in Germany where understandably Kia cannot claim anything approaching Volkswagen’s market share. But seen globally Kia is becoming a serious rival for the Volkswagen concern. No wonder, then, that even a quick glance at the Kia GT awakes thoughts of the Audi A5 Sportback. Already before the IAA even opens its doors the Koreans have sounded the charge. The 4.7 metre Gran Turismo concept has a softly rising hip line and a high rear section. The alloys are styled in propeller design and LED lighting arrays dominate the front fascia. On the forward flanks the four-door sports sedan has prominent air intakes. The radiator grill expresses Kia’s idiosyncratic design language... it looks like lips puckered for a kiss. The exterior rear-view mirrors have been replaced by tiny cameras that resemble the antennae or Pitot tubes of a jet fighter. At the back there is a wide band of lights traversing the boot hatch and further down a diffuser has been positioned.
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- “Our goal was to come up with a similarly gracious, sporty and self-confident automobile, without any aggressive or arrogant traits”, says Gregory Guillaume, head of Kia design for Kia Motors Europe.
A rear-wheel-drive concept
The notion of building a big car with rear-wheel-drive has been preoccupying Kia for some years. The designers have sought their inspiration in the classic Gran Turismo models of the seventies. “They were luxurious and elegant automobiles, whisking their occupants in style, completely relaxed and at high speeds from Paris to the south of France”, says Gregory Guillaume, head of Kia design for Kia Motors Europe. “Our goal was to come up with a similarly gracious, sporty and self-confident automobile, without any aggressive or arrogant traits”, Guillaume continues. For the Korean car manufacturer the GT class is not only a new segment but the drive train configuration also marks a further break with the past. The concept car is rear-wheel-driven. There is, of course, from the Hyundai/Kia concern the Hyundai Genesis Coupé. “With a rear-wheel-drive architecture it is possible to introduce entirely new proportions setting the car about from front-wheel-driven models”; says Kia head of design Peter Schreyer. “The classic configuration of a high-powered sedan with front motor sending the energy to the rear axle is one which has appeal not only for Korean car buyers but also for Europeans and Americans”, the designer stresses. He is responsible for the styling which over the past few years have made the marque increasingly attractive.
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- The doors of the GT open in opposing direction, swinging slightly upwards. The occupants are accommodated in four individual seats, elegantly formed and anchored to their curving mounts so that they appear to float in the car’s interior.
Suicide doors
The doors of the GT open in opposing direction, swinging slightly upwards. The occupants are accommodated in four individual seats, elegantly formed and anchored to their curving mounts so that they appear to float in the car’s interior. The colour scheme is dominated by rust-brown leather, and the warm glow is accentuated when the daylight falls through slightly golden tinted windows. The dashboard comprises an array of glass-covered instrument displays and is made up of three layers of organic light diodes. This replaces many of the conventional control buttons and switches. The steering-shell is slightly flattened at the bottom and has three spokes. The starter button is low on the middle console and is grouped with the drive selector governing the automatic transmission. There are small, slender LED monitors on the doors giving the driver the rear view he would normally have via mirrors. The motorization of the Kia GT is the equal of the car’s sporting appearance. The 3.3 litre V6 turbo-boosted petrol-fuelled power plant delivers 395 horsepower and a maximum torque of 534 Nm. The transmission is an eight-stage automatic. “It would be a dream come true is the GT were to achieve series production”, admits Peter Schreyer. But given the ambitions of the Kia concern currently the possibility certainly cannot be ruled out.
