Frankfurt Motor Show 2011: Kia GT

And now for a Frankfurt Motor Show launch that isn’t electric, isn’t made for a family of six, isn’t a crossover and might even be fun and affordable. Err, if it goes into production, that is. This four-wheeled bundle of mischief is the Kia GT concept car, the Korean automaker’s first-ever rear-wheel drive vehicle.

Like many a concept car, it is a taste of what is to come for the brand’s designs and we like the powerful lines on the GT. As well as looking pretty darn good, the GT has a 3.3-litre V6 turbo-charged engine mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox. It has 390bhp and 394lb-ft of torque.

Described by Kia as a “four-door sports sedan”, the GT concept has come to fruition reasonably swiftly with work starting on it in November last year. Kia’s European designers are responsible for the good looks and the company hopes the combination of style and performance will appeal to European and American markets as well as the brand’s loyal Korean fans.

Aeronautical themes inspired the project with multi-piece propeller-style alloy and carbon-fibre wheels, jet-themed rearview cameras, low-slung front air intake, aerodynamic rear diffuser and front flank with winglets that flow into the headlights. The doors, meanwhile, open with a slight upwards slant.

To ensure that it could not be mistaken for anything other than a rear-wheel drive performance saloon, the bonnet was extended with the front wheels pushed out to the front, powerful rear shoulders were added and the back end was truncated. Intriguingly, copper was used to highlight the slick lines from the A-pillar towards the end of the car.

The designers were inspired to use copper after Kia’s colour and trim team went to the DMY International Design Festival Berlin where copper was one of the stand-out materials on show
- the warmth of the copper on the GT contrasts with the pale grey paintwork with mica flakes. Copper also features on the brake calipers.

Inside, the light, airy leather-heavy interior has room for a driver and three passengers perched on single-piece seats. The cockpit is driver-centric with a button-heavy centre console and a glass instrument panel features three layers of LEDs to give a 3D feel.

No production date has been announced yet but at the very least, the Kia GT is a great indicator of how things will look for the new Kias of the near future.










www.kia.co.uk

Enjoying the show so far? Why not check out our Frankfurt Motor Show 2011 mega gallery of hot new models…


By Georgia Lewis

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