Kia's Future Will Be Sportier, but Let's Not Kid Ourselves

Matt Posky
by Matt Posky

Hyundai has clearly committed itself to sporting models. While we’re positive the new N badge will attach itself to a handful of undeserving models in the years to come, go-fast versions of the overseas i30 and North American Veloster show it won’t be the norm. The brand seems to have hit upon something and intends to keep funneling high-performance models through its N sub-brand.

Now with a sporting model of its own, Kia wants in on the fun. But the Stinger GT looks to be in a safe place as the company’s premiere performance model for a while. Rather than focusing on lap times, the Korean brand intends to build smaller range of GT models with an emphasis on everyday performance. That could be a kinder way of saying “watered down,” or simply an admission that Kia wants fun-loving automobiles but knows it can’t step on Hyundai’s toes.

Kia is, after all, a value brand, and not many of its customers are interested in track day mayhem — or the associated expenses. But they would probably all appreciate the option to buy something that encourages you to misbehave slightly when the traffic clears up.

“For Kia, it is not the decision to enter with high-performance cars,” Albert Biermann, head of Hyundai Motor Group’s performance development division, told Autocar in a recent interview. “We did it with Hyundai N but there’s a clear decision not to with Kia, and GT needs to be a reasonable package. With the Ceed GT now, the minute you go high-performance, you need to work at a race track, and then the costs go up and the business case gets very challenging. Doing that next step is not an easy step.”

The company chose to keep the 2.0-liter turbo out of Europe’s Ceed GT, despite its presence in the base Stinger. That was likely done to minimize cost and ensure it doesn’t get in the way of the hot hatches coming from Hyundai. But the Ceed GT isn’t a snooze fest, either. Its 1.6-liter unit, found in the Hyundai Elantra Sport, is good enough for 201 horsepower — more than enough to be enjoyable in a relatively light automobile.

Kia’s progress toward performance will be steady, with GT versions introduced on some if its models in the coming years. Biermann said the next big leap takes place with the next-generation Optima. “For the next Optima GT, you can expect an interesting powertrain and suspension at the next level,” he said. “It’ll be the next level of Kia driving performance.”

However, the brand says it wants to see improved dynamics across the board, which is something else Biermann has been working on. “You can accept a little compromise on ride comfort, especially in Europe, for some sportiness,” he explained.

That should manifest itself primarily through improved body control and heavier steering. But Kia doesn’t want to paint itself into a corner, either. “It can be the way the gearshift feels, the way you feel when you sit down in the cabin — it’s a wider philosophy that’s being introduced and there are many more things to follow,” said Biermann.

While the automaker did not conform a GT variant of the Soul, the performance head did say it would be the next model to benefit from that wider philosophy. Expect superior agility from the third-generation model, scheduled to debut next month.

[Images: Hyundai Motor Group]

Matt Posky
Matt Posky

A staunch consumer advocate tracking industry trends and regulation. Before joining TTAC, Matt spent a decade working for marketing and research firms based in NYC. Clients included several of the world’s largest automakers, global tire brands, and aftermarket part suppliers. Dissatisfied with the corporate world and resentful of having to wear suits everyday, he pivoted to writing about cars. Since then, that man has become an ardent supporter of the right-to-repair movement, been interviewed on the auto industry by national radio broadcasts, driven more rental cars than anyone ever should, participated in amateur rallying events, and received the requisite minimum training as sanctioned by the SCCA. Handy with a wrench, Matt grew up surrounded by Detroit auto workers and managed to get a pizza delivery job before he was legally eligible. He later found himself driving box trucks through Manhattan, guaranteeing future sympathy for actual truckers. He continues to conduct research pertaining to the automotive sector as an independent contractor and has since moved back to his native Michigan, closer to where the cars are born. A contrarian, Matt claims to prefer understeer — stating that front and all-wheel drive vehicles cater best to his driving style.

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  • Lightspeed Lightspeed on Sep 30, 2018

    Stinger is a damn fine looking car and pretty fast. Whether it's as good as an Infiniti or Audi right now doesn't matter. Just remember how far they've come in the last 5-7 years and project that into the future.

  • Gtem Gtem on Oct 01, 2018

    "“You can accept a little compromise on ride comfort, especially in Europe, for some sportiness,” he explained." Just when Kia gets out of the woods on poor ride quality in the last 3 years or so on their cars, they're going back (albeit with better handling to go with it). I've praised a base LX-FE Optima rental I had on here before, I thought the ride handling balance with the base 205/65R16 tires was nothing short of superb.

  • Dartdude The bottom line is that in the new America coming the elites don't want you and me to own cars. They are going to make building cars so expensive that the will only be for the very rich and connected. You will eat bugs and ride the bus and live in a 500sq-ft. apartment and like it. HUD wants to quit giving federal for any development for single family homes and don't be surprised that FHA aren't going to give loans for single family homes in the very near future.
  • Ravenuer The rear view of the Eldo coupe makes it look fat!
  • FreedMike This is before Cadillac styling went full scale nutty...and not particularly attractive, in my opinion.
  • JTiberius1701 Middle of April here in NE Ohio. And that can still be shaky. Also on my Fiesta ST, I use Michelin Pilot Sport A/S tires for the winter and Bridgestone Potenza for my summer tires. No issues at all.
  • TCowner We've had a 64.5 Mustang in the family for the past 40 years. It is all original, Rangoon Red coupe with 289 (one of the first instead of the 260), Rally Pac, 4-speed, factory air, every option. Always gets smiles and thumbs ups.
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