{"id":66638,"date":"2013-10-25T06:33:20","date_gmt":"2013-10-25T10:33:20","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thedetroitbureau.com\/?p=66638"},"modified":"2013-10-25T03:58:53","modified_gmt":"2013-10-25T07:58:53","slug":"kia-planning-production-version-of-gt-concept","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/2013\/10\/kia-planning-production-version-of-gt-concept\/","title":{"rendered":"Kia Planning Production Version of GT Concept"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Kia GT concept first appeared in Frankfurt in 2011.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Kia will put the wildly popular GT concept vehicle unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show into production, according to reports from Korea. Or, to be more precise, it will add a GT model that will borrow some of the show car\u2019s design cues but which may undergo significant changes from the vehicle displayed in Germany.<\/p>\n

Most notably, the production Kia GT may wind up shifting away from the concept\u2019s rear-wheel-drive layout, opting instead for a front-drive platform like those used for all but the Korean maker\u2019s biggest new executive car.<\/p>\n

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Your Auto News Source!<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

\u201cWe have plans to build a GT \u2013 we spoke about it at our global marketing conference in Singapore,\u201d Soon-Nam Lee, Kia\u2019s vice-president of overseas marketing, told the British publication Auto Express. \u201cWe\u2019ll be mainly targeting the end of 2016 or early 2017.\u201d<\/p>\n

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The sweptback rear had a slightly retro feel to it.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

The GT concept was one of a number of recent offerings penned under the guidance of Kia\u2019s well-respected global design director Peter Schreyer to generate serious buzz among the automotive community, the Korean carmaker quickly suggesting it would consider a production version.<\/p>\n

(Spy Shots: Jeep’s Jeepster caught in testing. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for a closer look.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

The concept featured an unusually short front overhang with scooped side intakes framing the signature Kia grille \u2013 here moved higher up than on the brand\u2019s other models.\u00a0 From the side, a character line swept off the front fenders, topping the door sills and providing a foundation for a sporty roof line that curved inward in an almost \u201860s-era fastback fashion. From the rear, a large carbon fiber diffuser anchored horizontal exhaust pipes.<\/p>\n

Inside, the GT Concept was decidedly luxurious and sporty, with super-thin, racing-style seats.\u00a0 The cabin was accessed through four doors including two pillar-less, rear \u201csuicide\u201d portals.<\/p>\n

It was certainly not the sort of design you might have expected just a few years ago from the Korean carmaker.\u00a0 No more eye candy for the kids promising a cheap ride and no real power, ala the Soul.<\/p>\n

(First drive: 2014 Kia Soul. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> for the complete review.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

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It remains to be seen how close the production car will be to the Kia GT concept - inside or out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

But how much of the show car will carry over is far from certain \u2013 starting with the GT concept\u2019s rear-drive platform.\u00a0 As Auto Express noted in its report, the only such platform currently available from the maker is the one anchoring the big new Kia K9 model.<\/p>\n

As to what other options, sources suggest Kia could be looking to go several ways, such as sharing the architecture of the Genesis Coupe produced by sibling Korean maker Kia \u2013 if it has enough flexibility to handle the four-door body layout. Another approach might be giving the GT an all-wheel-drive option off a front-drive package, in line with Audi has done so successfully.<\/p>\n

Acquired by Hyundai following its own bankruptcy at the beginning of the new Millennium, Kia has been struggling to both increase its brand perception and put more breathing room between it and Hyundai. Schreyer\u2019s designs have helped with distinctive models such as the Optima, Kia\u2019s alternative to the partner brand\u2019s Sonata.<\/p>\n

(First look: 2015 Cadillac Escalade. <\/em>Click Here<\/span><\/a> to check it out.)<\/em><\/strong><\/p>\n

Like Hyundai, however, Kia is looking to add more breadth to its line-up and, among other things, is looking at everything from a luxury entry to something small and sporty.\u00a0 The maker is expected to reveal a new roadster at the upcoming Detroit Auto Show in January that would apparently be its answer to the likes of the next-generation Mazda MX-5 and the anticipated open top version of the Scion FR-S.\u00a0 What sources say will be revealed in Detroit should reach production later in the year.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Kia will put the wildly popular GT concept vehicle unveiled at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show into production, according to reports from Korea. But how close will the production model be to the Kia show car? Check out this report from TheDetroitBureau.com.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":42335,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[8],"tags":[],"make":[],"post-state":[],"category_old":[151],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66638"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=66638"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/66638\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/42335"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=66638"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=66638"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=66638"},{"taxonomy":"make","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/make?post=66638"},{"taxonomy":"post-state","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/post-state?post=66638"},{"taxonomy":"category_old","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/thedetroitbureau.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/category_old?post=66638"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}