A step closer for Kia's VG
Kia has revealed official pics of its production model based on the Hyundai Grandeur -- and it's pretty flashThe replacement for Kia's Opirus/Amanti large car has been officially unveiled. While the new car, codenamed VG, is impressively handsome, the real news is that the pics were released by Kia's UK office.
The press release accompanying the images makes it clear that there are no plans for the large car, built on the same basic platform as the Hyundai Grandeur, to be sold in Britain. But the very fact that the British arm of Kia has released the pics shows a willingness to test the market's reaction to the car. If that market reaction should prove positive, then you can bet your bottom dollar a right-hand drive version will be homologated for the UK market.
From there, a business case for selling the car in Australia is a much stronger proposition, based on the observations of local Kia PR man, Jonathan Fletcher -- as canvassed in our previous report concerning the likelihood of the VG being sold here.
With the VG's eye-catching style -- and Kia's rapidly improving reputation for quality and dynamics -- we wouldn't be a bit surprised if it outsold its Hyundai cousin in this market, given the chance.
The VG is scheduled to go on sale in South Korea at the end of this year. It will also be exported to North America, where the car it will replace is currently marketed as the Amanti. Kia also intends for the VG to replace the Opirus in Europe. Since the car is homologated for all these different markets, certification for Britain and Australia shouldn't be a major hurdle, other than the right-hand drive engineering.
"VG clearly demonstrates the next stage in Kia's design evolution and showcases our new design principle of 'sophistication by simplicity'," said Kia's Hyoung Keun Lee of the new car.
Lee, Senior Executive Vice President and COO of International Business Division for the manufacturer, welcomed the release of the official pics, also noting: "The exterior is a seamless blend of powerful front, sleek profile and sophisticated but simple rear lines to create an elegant and luxurious appearance."
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