The Kia Stinger may be about to make a comeback as an all-electric sedan. The Stinger was foreshadowed by the 2011 GT Concept and the Kia GT4 Stinger Concept before finally entering production in 2017. With a front-engine rear- or all-wheel-drive setup and sharp styling, it drew comparisons to the BMW 3 Series, and all who drove it applauded its keen handling. However, sales weren't strong enough to justify its continued existence, and in April 2023, production came to an end. But new images and videos shared to Kia Worldwide's social media channels suggest that its spirit may live on in a new concept, which could well reach production without a scandalous price tag.
Fastback Sedan Styling Is Quickly Becoming Trendy
Kia
Like the B10 Audi A5, the concept appears to have a liftback trunk, though it's tough to tell from the meager views we've been provided. What we can see is that the styling follows Kia's "Opposites United" design language, and the concept has a long wheelbase and four doors. Though the multi-pane glass roof, it appears that the steering wheel is actually a yoke, and as is popular with concepts (and some production cars over the pond), the design forgoes traditional door mirrors in favor of cameras. The lack of shutlines on the hood and DRLs protruding from it effectively confirms an all-electric powertrain.
Little more can be gleaned; the captions on the posts only read, "A new future is on the horizon. Our vision takes shape soon." Typically, when an automaker uses the word 'vision,' it's talking about a concept, but don't let that discourage you. The comment that this is part of a "new future" implies that something like this could make production, and we've heard reports of just such a thing not too long ago.
Kia's New Concept Could Preview An Affordable But Fast Sedan
Kia
As recently as September, reports out of South Korea indicated that the long-rumored Kia GT1 project is targeting a 2027 launch as a flagship/halo grand tourer with electric power, underpinned by the Hyundai Motor Group's next-gen "eM" platform. This means more efficiency and more battery capacity than current EVs on the E-GMP architecture (as much as 113.2 kWh, enabling nearly 500 miles of range), but it also means that more than 600 horsepower could be possible from a dual-motor AWD setup. Entry-level trims would reportedly make do with a single motor on the rear axle, and these configurations call to mind those of the Stinger. Other (as-yet unconfirmed) reports suggest that base models would start at around $43,000, while the range-topping variants would creep towards $60,000. Those figures are not intimidating at all. Is this concept a preview of that attractive performance EV? We'll have to keep our eyes peeled, but fingers are crossed.
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