By: IOL Motoring Staff
Detroit Motor Show - Kia's aggressively-styled GT4 Stinger concept is sure to be one of the stars of the show.
The 'petrol-head' designers at Kia's Californian design studio created this rear-wheel drive 2+2 seater as a modern salute to the “purebred, affordable sports cars” of yesteryear.
Or as Kia's US design chief Tom Kearns puts it, the GT4 Stinger is “a throwback to days when driving a car was a visceral experience that wasn't muted by electronic gimmickry.”
To smoke up the back tyres in style, Kia threw in a 235kW version of its 2-litre direct injection turbopetrol engine, which is mated to a close-ratio six-speed manual gearbox.
No V8? Well, let's consider that this is something of a compact and back-to-basics coupé that's actually around the same length as a Cerato hatch, although (for ultimate cornering talent) it's wider than an Optima.
DRIVING SATISFACTION
It's built on a custom RWD chassis with independent double wishbone suspension, and the Kia hugs the ground atop bold 20-inch alloys.
After all, driving enjoyment was the number one priority in designing the GT4 Stinger, according to Kearns.
Of course, this sporty concept car also has its fair share of flash, thanks to its bold exterior design that's simple yet powerful.
Kearns explains that the GT4 Stinger was designed to convey a shrink-wrapped appearance, “as if the body panels were formed around the chassis instead of merely welded to it.”
Perhaps its biggest departure, however, is at the front end, where the concept stands out with a large and bold iteration of Kia's signature 'tiger nose' grille, flanked on both sides by Cadillac-like vertical LED headlights.
Although the GT4 Stinger seems production-ready in many ways, Kia has not spoken of any concrete plans to put it into production.
Would you like Kia to build it as is?