ohtourist.com: Frankfurt preview: Kia’s RWD 4-door concept is called GT

Monday, September 12, 2011

Frankfurt preview: Kia’s RWD 4-door concept is called GT

Fast rising brand Kia will be bringing a dramatic rear-wheel drive four-door sports sedan to the Frankfurt show. We’ve seen some pics of the concept already, but details were scarce. Now we know that the big sedan will be called GT, thanks to leaked official pics.

Apparently, this will be the first in a series of concept cars that will see the Korean brand explore new market segments with style-led models. This approach is already in place to some extend in the brand’s main model lines – the Forte, Optima and Sportage are eye catching cars in their respective segments.

“No matter from which perspective you look at it – this concept car is roaring with energy and ready for take-off. I believe the car is a strong statement from Kia: we are ready to fast forward to an all-new chapter,” said Kia’s design boss Peter Schreyer.

As for what’s under there, Autocar UK says that it’s based on the Hyundai Genesis saloon with a big V8 engine under the hood. Don’t expect a production version of the GT in the near future though.

“We have made good progress recently. But it is now important for us to improve our brand power. Concepts like these will help a lot with that. But we are prepared to take our time. We will test plenty of ideas before we make any decisions about production,” Kia’s vice chairman and CEO, Hank Lee, told the mag.

More pics after the jump. Do you think Kia is ready to challenge the premium boys?