Kia goes sporty

Kia will introduce a new sports car by 2020 and it will take major design and engineering cues from its GT4 Stinger, pictured, and GT concepts. Paul Philpott, president of Kia Motors UK and Ireland, has confirmed the plan, according to a report by Autocar. It’s not the brand’s first “affordable” performance car because Kia bought the rights to the M100-Series Lotus Elan in the mid-1990s. From 1996-99, you could buy a two-seater convertible Kia Elan with a lightweight fibreglass body and front-wheel-drive. However, the new vehicle will likely be the manufacturer’s most high-profile vehicle in some time. The GT4 Stinger concept was unveiled at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, and wowed the crowd with its futuristic look, glaring “ignition yellow” paint and performance statistics. A lightweight coupe akin to the Toyota GT86, the rear-wheel-drive Stinger was equipped with two-litre turbocharged four-cylinder with 315hp. The GT featured familial styling, but was packaged as a luxurious grand tourer. Also rear-wheel-drive, the GT featured a 3.3-litre turbocharged six-cylinder with 390hp. Philpott also confirms a new B-segment crossover will arrive by the end of 2017. Designed to lock horns with the likes of the Nissan Juke, the vehicle could draw influence from Kia’s 2013 Provo concept.