300+ hp, rwd and it's a....Kia?

Count me in the minority, but I'm not sure if I like this one. To me, it looks like they took a bunch of ideas and threw them in a blender. I see the Audi A7, various BMW's, The 2011+ Dodge Charger, and the KIA Optima and mashed them all together. And while all good designs on their own, I think the car looks busy with all of those design elements together. It looks sort of like a car you'd see in a Burnout video game: an imaginary car that has design elements of a bunch of real ones. I want to see it in person, and in other colors before I pass judgement, but hey, at least they are trying!

Also, didn't KIA snag Audi's former chief of design a few years ago? This looks like his work.

The genesis sedan seems like such a good low buck solution as it takes it's depreciation hit. This could be interesting. I find I need to see them in person to really wrap my head around them.

The Hyundai Kia Mobis triumvirate intends to be a solid fast follower rather than a class leader. In this way they have put out some nice cars in the last couple of years. Not at the top of my list but hard to ignore given the value and warranty they offer.

In reply to 84FSP:

Unwrecked 2009s with the V8 are down in the 8k area around me. The more I drive my rolling projects, the more I think a luxo barge has some great potential.

The pics from the show floor are even better.

Houston, we have liftback!

G_Body_Man wrote: Houston, we have liftback!

Oh that's dirty...

In reply to G_Body_Man:

Omg I saw the roofline and lamented in my head that it wasn't a liftback .. and you go and show me the wonderful truth!! Thank you. The car just got a lot more interesting to me.

Apparently most of the testing was carried out on the winding roads of Europe. It was tested on the Nurburgring, which hopefully means it doesn't fall to bits. The GT model has big Brembos, a twin turbo V6, 365 HP, a standard LSD (on rear-drive models), will do 0-60 in under 5.1 seconds, and has an expected top speed of 167. Here's an early review which suggests that it's a very neutral chassis, and you can turn all the nannies off at a simple press of a button. You can also get a 2.0T model, and this article suggests that pricing for that will slot between the Optima and the Cadenza.

Also, it has very pretty drilled aluminum speaker grilles when specced with the Harmon Kardon system.

In reply to G_Body_Man:

Excuse me for a moment.

Now we can see that lovely liftback in blue.

Found an underhood pic. That bracing looks beefy. Also, remember in 2014 when the head of BMW's M Division moved to Hyundai? Turns out he was the one who set up the chassis and powertrain on this thing.

https://www.youtube.com/embed/idh0ktrSyD8

Sorry for the excessive amounts of posting I've done, but there's actual footage of the liftback and cargo area at 55 seconds in. This is exciting.

Hmm still unsure what to think of the hood vents but the rest of the beak looks great. Still think it's bdonka donk might be it's best feature so far.

In reply to G_Body_Man:

I'm suddenly wishing I was in the market for a new car. Maybe in a few years when I'm in a better position to make a bad decision.

OK, I'm sold. That is hot as hell. Still would love to have the Tau V8 but meh... I could deal. I bet that thing is a fantastic cross country cruiser

holy liftback batman! And it's as fast 0-60 as my Mustang. I'm starting to feel like an old man - "this one's fast AND cushy!"

Ya know, the hood vents don't bother me, but those chrome dinner plates behind the front wheel are an issue.

The lift back does it for me. The G90 also features the 3.3TT or 5.0L now if anyone prefers an understated sedan.

This, a diesel everest or Colorado and the ND would make for a very enjoyable garage circa 2023.

Man, seeing this thing in other colors is really giving me the fizz. I hope it suffers from normal Kia depreciation, the Versa will be needing a replacement in a few years.

I like it. Especially the liftback!

Yeah, I'm sold. I "bet" that there will be a GTS version or R-spec (I know, wrong Korean) with the Tau V8. The M3 used to always come out a few years after the new 3 series. The Mustang and Camaro still don't put out the serious models on the first year. Give it two model years and I bet we see a REAL fast version.

OOOHhhhhhh daddy like.

Not sure if want (I will be the eleventh to say it, needs moar clutch pedal) - but I really like the effort Korea is putting out. I remember when the Genesis R-Spec, and then Veloster came out, I thought that Detroit and Japan really need to take notice about the momentum Korea is generating. Now with the Stinger, they may have reached exit velocity. Im hoping an arms race in the V6TT affordable mimd-size sedan segment is quietly underway, and Korea has simply struck first...

Oh, wait... it's a liftback?

THAT CHANGES EVERYTHING. Color me... interested.

G_Body_Man wrote: https://www.youtube.com/embed/idh0ktrSyD8 Sorry for the excessive amounts of posting I've done, but there's actual footage of the liftback and cargo area at 55 seconds in. This is exciting.

Is that one in that video not white but a light gray? It looks kinda good.

Bobzilla wrote: Also, the article I read was so stupid it made me want to stab someone. Some comment like "and at 365hp it'll be the most powerful Kia ever made". Really? You already forget the 420hp N/A K900? douchebag. They give out new journalism degrees in boxes of cracker jacks now?

Ask them for your money back. Free doesn't mean good.

I hope it's a success, but look at the conversation we've just been having re the Chevy SS going out of production. As far as Kia Hyndai have come in the last 10 years, they are still not BMW or Mercedes. Those companies seem to be able to sell a large 4 door rear drive sedan, but the SS was a flop. It's going to be interesting to see how this does, as nice as it is I'm not sure what this is offering that the SS didn't.

In contrast to my comment above, I've just remembered the Dodge Challenger. Doh.