When Korean manufacturers like Hyundai and Kia came to the U.S., they were fighting an uphill battle against American, Japanese, and German cars that were often regarded as having nicer materials and better build quality, among other things. Fast forward to today, and Hyundai has spawned its own performance/luxury brand called Genesis and Kia now has a premium and performance wagon that looks to compete against models like the Mercedes CLS and Audi A7. I’m not talking about cars like the Kia Cadenza or the K900. I’m talking about this interesting looking test mule with a rear-oriented greenhouse, a long and shapely front end, and a fastback-looking rear end. It is based on the Kia GT Concept from 2011 and could carry the GT name, or as some rumors suggest, it could end up being called the Stinger.
This isn’t the first time the GT Concept-inspired production car was spotted, as we saw it on the back of a truck a while back in its home country. This is the first time, however, that we’ve spotted it getting put through the paces in the wild. Kia has gone to great lengths to cover up its newest test mule but we can make out a few design cues here and there. We have a few rumors to talk about too. With that said, let’s take our first good look at Kia’s next performance vehicle.
Updated 06/14/2016: Our spy photographers caught the upcoming Kia GT up for a new testing session, this time somewhere in the Alps.
Continue reading to learn more about the 2017 Kia GT.
Spy Shots
June 14, 2016 – Kia GT caught testing in the Alps
June 13, 2016 – First testing session
Exterior
At this point in time, rumors suggest that the new GT, or “Stinger” if you prefer, will be underpinned but a shortened version of the platform used on the Genesis G80 
and G90 sedans. Up front, the padding and nylon wrapping is heavy, but we can see that the car as a wide and short grille to go with a much larger air dam down below. There are air inlets on the far outside corners of each fascia, and the headlights look to be thin and mounted rather high on the fascia. Given the amount of padding on the hood, I suspect that Kia is concealing some muscular character lines, or some stylish hood vents.
Overall it looks like an interesting design, but Kia has its work cut out for it if it’s going against the likes the Mercedes CLS or the Audi A7.
When it comes to the side profile, there isn’t much we can make out in the terms of character – the side skirts are even missing at this point. But, when viewing the car from the side, we can see that the roof is raked somewhat steeply with its fastback-like design and that Kia will offer up at least 18-inch wheels with rubber band-like tires all the way around. In the rear, however, there is a much different story going on.
At first glance, the rear looked somewhat flat, and I wasn’t sure whether or not this thing just had a near-flat rear windshield or if it is a hatchback. On further inspection, however, the seams in the nylon wrapper indicate that this thing is likely a hatchback. The taillights look like they wrap around onto the rear quarters a bit, and there are dual exhaust outlets on each corner. I can’t make it out for sure, but it looks like Kia ’s next performance car may even sport a small rear diffuser insert between those exhaust outlets. Overall it looks like an interesting design, but Kia has its work cut out for it if it’s going against the likes the Mercedes CLS or the Audi A7.
Interior
At this point in the testing phase, the interior of the Kia GT is a complete mystery. Considering the fact that Kia is looking to take on Mercedes and Audi, this thing needs to have an upscale, luxurious, and functional cabin. With that said, Kia will probably look to the Genesis brand for design ideas, so the GT may have a cabin similar to that seen in the G90 sedan. Expect heated and cooled perforated seats, elegant trim inserts, a large touchscreen infotainment system, and – at the very least – a digital instrument cluster and two-tone interior. Given the fact that this thing could very well be a hatchback, expect the rear seats to fold down to offer expanding cargo room on demand. Furthermore, there will likely be tablets mounted to the front seatbacks for rear passengers to go with a dedicated rear entertainment system.
Drivetrain
We’re not exactly sure where Kia is going with the drivetrain department, but since it is likely riding on a shortened platform from the G80 or G90, it could very well have the 365-horsepower, 3.3-liter V-6. Then again, Kia could have put on its engineering and tuning hat, and managed to squeeze some more power out of the engine – potentially increasing the output to as much as 400 ponies. Of course, as the model evolves and different trim levels are available, it is likely that there will be less-powerful models. There could be the option of a manual or dual-clutch transmission, and it’s possible that this baby could get all-wheel drive, at least in the upper trim levels.
For now, it’s just a bit of speculation, but we expect this thing to hit the market for the 2017 model year so stay tuned for future updates in this department.
Prices
With the Mercedes starting out at $66,900 for the CLS400 and climbing to as much as $76,600 for the CLS550 4MATIC and the Audi A7 featuring a similar price point, we expect the new Kia GT to be priced about the same. Of course, Kia is new to this niche, so expect Kia to go right for the jugular and undershoot pricing by at least a couple thousand, potentially starting out as low as $60,000 – now that’s how you poach customers from a set of German brands that experience extreme brand loyalty.
Competition
Mercedes CLS
Mercedes started a whole new niche when it created the CLS for the 2005 model year, and it didn’t take long for Audi and BMW to jump on the wagon either. Currently in the middle of its second generation, the CLS got a refresh of the 2015 model year. Like the car you’ve seen in the spy shots thus far, the CLS has that rear-sitting passenger cabin and a long nose that allows for plenty of space under the hood. It is available with a number of engine configurations that yield anywhere between 329 horsepower and 402 horsepower and fuel economy that can reach up to 30 mpg on the highway – not bad for a sedan that weighs as much as a small SUV at more than 4,300 pounds.
At the time of this writing, the CLS starts out at $66,900 and climbs to as high as $76,600. For those of you who have a limitless pocketbook and crave more power, there is also an AMG CLS63 that offers up 577 horsepower and 590 pound-feet of torque from a handcrafted 5.5-liter, Biturbo, V-8 that will set you back by a whopping $107,800.
Read our full review on the Mercedes CLS here.
Audi A7
The A7 was Audi’s answer to the Mercedes CLS and was the first liftback from Audi since the 1970s. Like the other models in this niche, it has the long front end and a greenhouse situated closer to the rear. The A7 when through a generational update in 2014, and for 2017, the model gets some new exterior color options, new wheel choices, and some extra interior features to help keep it on par with its competitors. Here in the U.S., the A7 is available in Premium Plus or Prestige trims that start out at $68,300 or $70,950, respectively.
Read our full review on the Audi A7 here.
Conclusion
It really seems like the Koreans have really upped their game in the past 10 years, doesn’t it? Brands like Kia and Hyundai that would once never stand a chance against the Germans are now taking them head on. From what we’ve seen so far, it looks like Kia is on the right track, but we’ve yet to see official performance numbers or the interior of this new ride, so at this point, Kia’s success has yet to be seen.
If the brand expects this new GT or Stinger to be a success, it needs to focus on bringing plenty of power under the hood and the best luxury that the brand can come up with. There is still plenty of time before this new model is ready for showrooms, so stay tuned for updates in the future.