Kia Stinger replacement set for 2026 release
But not in Australia according to our sources, which say the GT1/EV8 will be left-hand drive onlyFresh reports of an electric Kia Stinger replacement have surfaced out of Korea, largely mirroring similar leaks dating back to June last year.
The Korean Car Blog has published an excerpt of the Kia Union’s new vehicle production schedule, which reaffirms everything revealed about the internally-named ‘GT1’ Stinger replacement last year, including a 700km-plus cruising range and 450kW peak power output for the flagship variant.
The model is also confirmed (again) to be underpinned by the car-maker’s next-generation ‘eM’ architecture and will be the first Kia application of the all-new platform that will eventually underpin all higher-end EVs from the Hyundai Motor Group, starting with the 2025 Genesis GV90.
As before, the GT1 is forecast to feature a huge 113.2kWh battery pack paired with an incredibly slippery body as well as new-generation motors in order to maximise range and performance simultaneously.
The report echoes previous rumours of a lesser 320kW variant being in the mix – below what’s tipped to be known as the 2026 Kia EV8 GT – and forecasts a circa-160kW rear-drive version to open the line-up in a similar fashion to the current Hyundai IONIQ 6 portfolio.
Series production of the EV8 will reportedly start in 2026, primarily at Hwaseong Plant – the same one responsible for producing the EV6.
But before readers go getting too excited, carsales understands the GT1/EV8 will not be coming to Australia – despite the EV8 nameplate being trademarked here as far back as March 2021 – because it’s been earmarked only for left-hand drive production at this stage, which immediately rules it out for both our market and the UK.
The Kia Stinger, by contrast, was produced in both left- and right-hook configurations, and was a true global product for Kia during its six-year production run. The same is now true for the EV6 and especially the top-shelf EV6 GT, which has taken over as Kia’s flagship performance offering.
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