Kia unveiled its GT concept at the Frankfurt show, but showed it for the first time in North America at the L.A. auto show this afternoon. Kia describes the GT as a glimpse into its future showroom, and while there are certainly some engaging elements to it, I'm not sold on the styling overall. More on that later.
Nothing has changed between the September Frankfurt show and today's viewing of the Kia GT. Under the hood is a 3.3-liter turbo V6 that's good for 395 horsepower. The aft doors are hinged to the rear for a wide suicide door opening and expansive view into the cabin. The sleek, four-door coupe profile seems quite a bit more graceful than the Porsche Panamera, and these are certainly all good things.
To my eyes, at least, the Kia GT seems overstyled. The nose is the biggest offender, in my opinion, with odd proportions between the lights, grille and those exaggerated scalloped side inlets. Some of its details are also a point of contention for me, with the copper exterior trim and matching interior leather treatments inside.
On the plus side, the floating glass gauges are what I pictured the future would look like. I'm also a fan of the rear section, which reminds me of the new Dodge Charger (Kia Design Chief Peter Schreyer said 70s muscle cars were an inspiration). The rear-facing mini cameras replacing external mirrors have been seen on other concept cars, and I'm still waiting for someone to actually implement them in production.
Personal critiques aside, I'm still optimistic. I hope something like the Kia GT sees production, just without that nose or the copper accents.
Editor's Note: Takahashi's wrong, I think it's cool. MM
drhorrible says:
06:20 AM, 11/17/11
Panamera or Gran Turismo styling? Aren't the pitot tubes on the hood facing the wrong way? I know they are rearview cameras but they just that look like pitot tubes.
silverstang1 says:
08:22 AM, 11/17/11
Wow, surprisingly I actually like the rear.
On saturday I will be going to a focus group and am told to meet by the Kia booth to look at a concept car. wonder if this is the car?
addicted2sp33d says:
09:49 AM, 11/17/11
If this was in production around $30-40k, it would be on my short list.
dwharwood says:
03:39 PM, 11/17/11
Takahashi is dead wrong. The copper seats and accents are hot. It evokes a kind of 60s space-race aesthetic, with all of the copper-and gold-colored shielding used on capsules back in that day, especially against the bright silver trim. He is right about the mirrors, but loses points for the proof. Side mirrors set up the greenhouse. And they add an element of motion as they sweep backwards, propelling the A-line. Mounted on the fender, they similarly accent the progression of the character lines backwards. They add a lot, which you don't notice until theyare gone, in which case the car is like a face without eyebrows. The fact they put the cameras on the fender is like a half-point, because the fender mirrors also evoke a kind of sixties sports feel and are distinctly japanese/asian too.
zr1man says:
08:53 PM, 11/17/11
I am definitely not in to japanese cars, but this thing is much better looking than the lowly gtr.
That being said:
Still Be Proud. Buy American
litewerk says:
10:35 PM, 11/17/11
If and when it makes it to production, I'm sure it will be toned down a bit in certain areas. I find it to be a great design. Yes, especially like the rear.
deanoflas says:
05:55 AM, 11/18/11
.....Am i the absolute only one on the planet who finds this thing a horrendously tacky matchup of pilfered design cues?? The One-77 gill-like eyelets, the A7 roofline, and that gaudy chrome strip from the Optima that runs across it. Then theres those hideous wheels.....and I really hope that these skinny seated, over illuminated, interiors that every new concept is adopting isn't what we can expect for future interiors....
lolxd says:
08:57 PM, 11/19/11
Clean all of this concept's proportions and give it a REAL interior then they've got themselves a winner.
Meanwhile at Hyundai... *crickets chirp*