Oh, Kia Stinger. Why did we forsake thee? Well, there are literally just a few causes, like consumers being turned off by the comparatively low value the Stinger commanded, due to a lingering stigma in regards to the badge. The worst, although, had been the sellers, who used that (not) legendary Kia supplier customer support to mark them up whereas treating them like unobtainium, inflicting consumers to stroll. Sales numbers suffered, and now it’s gone. We may not have to attend lengthy for a substitute, if a report from Korean outlet ETNews is to be believed.
According to them, the EV6 GT received’t be carrying the efficiency torch for Kia going ahead. According to the report, Kia is readying a flagship efficiency EV to interchange the Stinger. And if the specs maintain up, it’ll be one of the vital highly effective EVs in the marketplace.
Codenamed GT1, it’s purported to experience on the following era of Hyundai’s present e-GMP platform that the EV6 and Ioniq 5/6 referred to as eM. The platform is claimed to be designed with Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA). This fancy automobile engineering mumbo jumbo simply means the tech, motors, and batteries of the platform may be rearranged to create totally different fashions from the identical platform. It’s purported to be an enormous automobile, categorized as a big automobile the identical measurement because the Kia K8 (we knew it because the Cadenza).
The alleged specs are spectacular. Starting with the battery, ETNews says Kia is capturing for a capability of 113.2 kWh. If that holds up, this “GT1” may have a extra highly effective battery than Lucid’s Air (112 kWh), Mercedes’s EQS (107.8 kWh), and Tesla’s Model S (100 kWh). In its strongest twin motor configuration, the GT1 may have some severe efficiency and vary: 603 hp and a variety between 700 and 800 km on the Europes WLPT scale, which works out to 435-497 miles, although most likely much less with American testing.
ETNews says that Kia has already signed off on the specs, and the corporate has basically confirmed that a few of these issues are coming. Hyundai has been touting the IMA platform and its elevated vary since late final yr. And translated feedback from Kia’s head of selling Quan Yiquan on the 2022 Chengdu Auto Show in China almost verify {that a} GT EV mannequin is coming together with two SUVs — a minimum of for merchandise coming to China.
I reached out to Kia to see if they may touch upon this and can replace in the event that they reply. At a minimal, it appears Kia’s head is in the fitting place.
Source: jalopnik.com