DETROIT MOTOR SHOW: Kia's Commodore fighter to debut within three months

Kia’s first large rear-wheel drive sedan, the Stinger, will make its global public debut in January, motoring.com.au has learned.

With the Korean car-maker's all-new twin-turbocharged V6 sports sedan now in the final phases of testing, which will eventually include a rigorous Australian tuning program, it is understood the 2017 Detroit motor show will play host to its very first public appearance.

Kia officials were coy when asked about the exact timing of the secret project at the Paris motor show last month. However, industry sources have previously pointed to an Australian arrival around the third quarter of 2017 – shortly before the end of production of Australia's last remaining large sedan, the Holden Commodore.

“I couldn’t possibly comment,” Kia’s chief operating officer Michael Cole said coyly when asked about the production version of the 2011 Kia GT concept.

“We’re not making any statements at this point.”

Kia’s global powertrain boss, Michael Winkler, added: “That is a good question but V6 is nothing we will talk about today, since there is no vehicle that we will launch today. I will like to give you the chance to come back so we can talk about it later”.

The GT, codenamed CK, is essentially a production version of the stunning Kia GT concept shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.

As reported by motoring.com.au, the Korean sedan will be priced from about $40,000, with an all-out 270kW performance offering topping the line-up at about $50,000.

Despite the top-secret nature of the project, Kia Australia is publicly gunning for the new model to reach local showrooms as it will enable stakeholders to pursue new marketing and customer opportunities.

Kia Australia boss Damien Meredith recently told motoring.com.au he saw great potential for a large sedan in the local market.

“We can’t wait for CK,” he said. “It will be here in the third quarter of next year, in two specifications priced from about $40,000.”

Meredith confirmed the Stinger – confusingly, the same name applied to a smaller Kia concept now unlikely to reach production – will come here with the Genesis G80’s new biturbo 3.3-litre V6, which delivers 270kW and 510Nm – around the same outputs offered by Holden’s 6.0-litre V8-powered Commodore SS before it was upgraded in 2015.

Meredith also made it clear the large four-door ‘coupe’ will be aimed at traditional Commodore sports sedan buyers, who will not have access to a rear-drive sedan when the last Australian-made Commodore is replaced by an imported model based on Germany’s next-generation Opel Insignia. It’s understood the Insignia will be front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive only.

“It’s perfect timing,” Meredith said. “CK will arrive just before the unfortunate demise of Australian car manufacturing, and it will appeal to the same buyers in that segment. It’s a great opportunity for us.”

Like all Kias, the Stinger will undergo a rigorous Australian chassis tuning program before its release in less than 12 months. Around the same time, Holden engineers will be finalising the specifications and tuning for the wholly-imported Commodore. The stage is now set for Kia to even out-power and out-perform Holden’s imported large car.