Kia GT green lit for production

Kia has confirmed it is secretly developing a production version of the GT concept that was first shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show.

The news follows confirmation from Kia Australia in June that it will launch a large rear-wheel drive four-door 'coupe' -- powered by a twin-turbo V6, priced from about $40,000 and probably called the Stinger -- here in the third quarter of next year.

According to Autocar, the Korean car-maker's new flagship sedan is being developed under the 'CK' codename and will stay true the original GT concept's low-slung four-door coupe design.

Apart from a biturbo V6, Autocar says Kia's new four-door rear-drive sedan will come with an entry-level 2.0-litre petrol engine that will boast at least 235kW.

Originally, it was hoped Kia would make a Toyota 86-rival based on the 2014 GT4 Stinger concept but, speaking at a recent Kia event in Korea, design boss Peter Schreyer told the British magazine: “Two-door coupés are a little bit on the decline. It would be nice to make a new coupé, but if there is no demand, what’s the point?”

When asked about the halo car rumoured to be in development, the design director commented: “I think that acceptance or demand for two-door models has changed.

“I think it’s more towards four-door coupés or saloons, or coupé-like saloons, if that’s what you want to call them."

According to Autocar, the standard output for the new turbocharged 3.3-litre V6 'Lamda' engine that is being created for the Hyundai group's premium Genesis brand will be around 285kW, but the new engine could be boosted to a more muscular 320kW.

If that's the case, the new GT might benefit from the Korean car-maker's heavy investment in a performance division to develop the Hyundai N brand.

Led by former BMW M division engineer, Albert Biermann, the result could be a high-performance version that could see the Kia challenge BMW's M3 or M4.