Kia Motors Corp. showed the Kia GT, its first rear-wheel-drive concept car, at the Los Angeles Auto Show. The low-slung four-door sports car seems to have more in common with a Porsche Panamera or Aston Martin Rapide than with some of the dowdy Kia economy models of the past decade.
The GT is part of what Kia, a unit of Hyundai Motors Co., calls a “design-led transformation” that has seen vehicles like the Optima sedan and Sorento and Sportage SUVs become more stylish, feature-laden and desirable. The GT is meant to reflect roughly the next few steps in styling direction for the Korean car maker.
“Over the past three years Kia’s design-led transformation has delivered more new products than any other brand, and the first showing of the striking GT concept on U.S. soil provides a glimpse into our future showroom and the continuing role world-class design will play in the development of our vehicles,” said Michael Sprague, Kia’s vice president of marketing and communications.
Kia’s European design team created the concept under the direction of chief designer Peter Schreyer. The GT has a 3.3-liter V6 engine that is turbocharged to generate 395 horsepower. Power is transferred to the wheels through an eight-speed transmission..
The car maker showed the concept in Frankfurt last spring but this is its first appearance in the U.S., which would be a primary target market for such a car.
Courtsey of the Wall Street Journal
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