Kia’s upcoming sports saloon, tentatively called the GT after the four-door coupe the Korean automaker unveiled in 2011 at the Frankfurt Motor Show, is nearing its full launch and its creators are keen to show off its performance by touting it as their fastest-accelerating car yet.
According to the newly released teaser video, Kia claims the 0-100km/h sprint takes 5.1 seconds, which is definitely quicker than any of their previous cars. By comparison, other players in the performance saloon include cars like the Audi S4, which in its current B9 iteration will dispatch the same speed from rest in 4.7 seconds.
The statement that accompanied the footage is brief to say the least, saying that “The fastest-accelerating Kia to date represents a new paradigm of performance, its heart-pounding power encouraging you to grip the wheel a little more tightly.”
Clearly Kia is also honing the car to perform well around corners and not just in a straight dash of the line. We’ve previously seen amateur video of a prototype being driven around the Nurburgring and we hope this translates directly to a properly engaging car to drive.
Visually, as evidenced by a photograph covertly taken of an undisguised car in a Kia facility, much of the original GT concept has survived the journey into full production. The car’s engine note in the video, however, is harder to discern.
That being said, it will almost certainly be rear-wheel driven. Previous reports indicate a heavily boosted four-cylinder engine will be used and rumours persist that Hyundai’s 3.3-litre Lambda V6 has been chosen instead, possibly with a turbocharger or two.
Suppose, then, we’ll have to wait until the 2017 Detroit Motor Show to get a more complete idea of what Kia’s first performance saloon/coupe amalgamation holds in store.
For more on Kia vehicles, including pricing and specifications, check out our Showroom.
