A concept more than six years in the making

A car that first debuted as a concept at the Frankfurt Motor Show in 2011 will finally see production for the 2017 model year. This car is the all-new Kia GT which will finally go from concept to production and become the flagship of the Korean automaker, especially in the U.S. This four-seater car is meant to replace the K900 and the K700 with a bit of flair from each of them and provide some serious excitement for the GT that will be loaded with both power and luxury features as Kia takes it second stab at offering a luxury car with the outgoing K900 being the first attempt.

Ray Skillman shows us that some of the wonderful features expected on the GT when it hits the market include a great deal of carbon-fiber parts, the OLED glass-panel interior controls, shaved suicide doors, and many of the sills and fins that have been viewed on the concept model. Some of these features may prove impractical for a production model, but with an overall design that has taken some style cues from the Audi A7 and the Porsche Panamera, the GT will certainly be in great company as far as looks are concerned.

Of course we must talk engines and the one that will be inside the engine compartment of the GT will show up as a highly powerful 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 that offers 390 horsepower and 394 lb.-ft. of torque and set up to be a rear-wheel drive vehicle. This will be attached to an eight-speed automatic transmission (the same ones used in the Hyundai Equus and Genesis) to give the best gear changes possible. There may be a four-cylinder base engine for the GT’s base model, but that is yet to be determined as production is planned.

As a sport oriented luxury car, the GT does borrow some features from its sibling company, Hyundai, but has a look and feel all its own. The GT is a model that will be built to provide the “wow-factor” so many luxury car owners want, and having it in a sports car model puts the icing in this otherwise very enticing cake. As of yet the pricing structure for the GT has yet to be determined, but this car is certainly something to watch and enjoy as the process unfolds in the next two years.

Giving us a sports luxury sedan is certainly a bold move by Kia, but a great choice considering the low sales of the K900 and the lack of availability of the K700 in the United States. Unleashing the GT in the U.S. market in 2017 will provide Kia with almost instantaneous feedback to give an idea of the success this car will experience during its lifetime. Normally billed as an economy car automaker, this breaking into the luxury car segment has not gone the way Kia had desired so far, the GT could be the right car to change that outlook by giving power, performance and luxury features to attract the high end crowd.

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