RWD Sedan And A Range Of Sporty Models For Kia

[William Maley]

RWD Sedan And A Range Of Sporty Models For Kia

William Maley - Editor/Reporter - CheersandGears.com

March 24, 2011

Kia has ambitious plans in their lineup for the future including a new RWD flagship and a series of sporty models. The RWD flagship, possibly named K9 will be the first use of sister brand Hyundai's RWD architecture for Kia. Kia will borrow Hyundai's 4.6-Liter Tau V8 and ZF's eight speed transmission. The K9 could make its first appearance in 2012.

As for sporty models, the first model that could receive an injection of sportiness is the new Kia Rio. Benny Oeyen, marketing and product planning chief for Kia said,

"I can imagine a sporty Kia in Europe; we have to develop the brand."

Also in the pipeline is a RWD sports car concept to be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show this year. No word yet on what the concept will look like.

Source: Car Magazine, 2

Source: Autocar

[SAmadei]

Maybe Kia will be a place for some Pontiac folk to go afterall...

It would be nice to see Kia mirror the Zeta in styling... because while the Genesis sounded great on paper, I really thought the exterior still looked like it was trying to be a Mercedes. Kia has been building some reasonably attractive cars of late... and even built a coupe.

I shutter at buying a Korean car... but then again, the US gov helped shut down my favorite make, and therefore must not want my money. This is a cheaper way to go than a BMW.

[Intrepidation]

I want an Optima SX(with different wheels and better tires)

[thedriver]

So, what comes on the Doctor Who Edition? Will it come in silver or blue?

[smk4565]

I'd like to see some rear drive Kias, it give another option on the lower priced performance market. The new Kias look good, a bit of Acura or Lincoln style with the lights, overall I think their new cars look a bit sporty and classy for their price without looking tacky. A rear drive Kia sedan geared more for sport rather than Lexus-like ride would be a nice way to top off their brand. And a good car for people that can't afford a German car, or think a Genesis is too soft or conservative looking. At least someone is looking to make RWD that is affordable, I wish Ford/Lincoln would take notice.

[Robert Hall]

At least someone is looking to make RWD that is affordable, I wish Ford/Lincoln would take notice.

I wish GM would take notice also..I'd like to see both Ford and GM get back into the large RWD game...I'd love to see Charger and 300 competitors from Ford and GM.

[PurdueGuy]

The only reason I care about this is that it adds pressure to other better brands to compete with these products, and I might be interested in those products.

[ZL-1]

K9 has to be one of the funniest names ever

[FUTURE_OF_GM]

Nice! Now even Kia can do RWD and Chevrolet can't?

LOL.

[siegen]

The new Optima is quite a striking vehicle. Worth a test drive.

[balthazar]

So Dr Who gave his licensing approval, eh?

-- -- -- -- --

Aren't people going to say 'hyundai is putting a kia engine in their genesis' ??!??

[Paolino]

Aren't people going to say 'hyundai is putting a kia engine in their genesis' ??!??

On the flip side you could say my Kia has the same engine as the Genesis. However, I see your point. Does the Equus use that engine too or is it strictly the 5.0L

[ocnblu]

How is it that GM is running scared of CAFE, while Hyundai/Kia continue their relentless march into all segments, including upper end RWD?

[Robert Hall]

How is it that GM is running scared of CAFE, while Hyundai/Kia continue their relentless march into all segments, including upper end RWD?

Because H-K has loads of small fuel efficient vehicles and meets the CAFE regs w/ ease? They don't have the burden of large numbers of 6000lb trucks in their sales #s...

[ocnblu]

A horrible side effect of burdensome, overreaching, punitive, invasive CAFE regulations.

[Croc]

A horrible side effect of burdensome, overreaching, punitive, invasive CAFE regulations.

Please. If GM didn't cheap out and punish their buyers of small cars for not buying a larger car, more people would buy GM small cars. Look at the Cruze--when GM decides it wants to do it right, it won't have problems finding buyers. GM's lack of small car sales and its CAFE balance is its own doing more than anything else. GM has always made class-competitive trucks, but not so much with cars, especially smaller ones. Oops.

Edited March 27, 2011 by Croc

[ocnblu]

They put their development money into vehicles a majority of Americans wanted to buy. You know very well bigger profits are to be found in trucks than small cars.

So GM is a victim of giving customers what they wanted. How ironic is that?

It was money well spent what they put into the GMT900, Lambda, and Theta v.2 platforms. Shame they had none left to keep the Cobalt and Aveo up to date and competitive.

[Croc]

They put their development money into vehicles a majority of Americans wanted to buy. You know very well bigger profits are to be found in trucks than small cars.

So GM is a victim of giving customers what they wanted. How ironic is that?

It was money well spent what they put into the GMT900, Lambda, and Theta v.2 platforms. Shame they had none left to keep the Cobalt and Aveo up to date and competitive.

Because no one was ever buying Civics, Corollas, Sentras, 3ers, MINI Coopers, Golfs, or anything like that at all, right? Like, who wants a Fiesta? So small and cramped, especially when you can get a truck like a Colorado, right?

GM didn't give the customers what they wanted, they pandered to the market they saw the most profits in at the expense of almost every other segment, and now that consumer preferences have changed, they're kind of scrambling and having to prove themselves because of all the throwaway crap they made in those segments before.

GM has no problem selling good cars, regardless of size. But if all you're making are Cavaliers and Sunfires, yea your customers aren't gonna want that.

[CSpec]

A horrible side effect of burdensome, overreaching, punitive, invasive CAFE regulations.

GM's lack of small car sales and its CAFE balance is its own doing more than anything else. GM has always made class-competitive trucks, but not so much with cars, especially smaller ones. Oops.

Why would they bother with lame small cars when they could make huge profits off trucks that are protected by a 25% import tariff and cheap gas (by international standards).

Great photo of the Optima in the OP.

[ocnblu]

They put their development money into vehicles a majority of Americans wanted to buy. You know very well bigger profits are to be found in trucks than small cars.

So GM is a victim of giving customers what they wanted. How ironic is that?

It was money well spent what they put into the GMT900, Lambda, and Theta v.2 platforms. Shame they had none left to keep the Cobalt and Aveo up to date and competitive.

Because no one was ever buying Civics, Corollas, Sentras, 3ers, MINI Coopers, Golfs, or anything like that at all, right? Like, who wants a Fiesta? So small and cramped, especially when you can get a truck like a Colorado, right?

GM didn't give the customers what they wanted, they pandered to the market they saw the most profits in at the expense of almost every other segment, and now that consumer preferences have changed, they're kind of scrambling and having to prove themselves because of all the throwaway crap they made in those segments before.

GM has no problem selling good cars, regardless of size. But if all you're making are Cavaliers and Sunfires, yea your customers aren't gonna want that.

Your phaser gun cannot harm me. I traded my Colorado for various reasons, NONE OF WHICH had to do with CAFE regulations. Besides, the Fiesta has been great fun. If you study the tao of ocn, you will see a precedent for my vacillation between truck and small fun car extends back to 1992 (you were prolly still swimmin' around in dad's scrotum) when I bought my Golf II GL 2-door hatchback in light green metallic.

Edited March 27, 2011 by ocnblu

[William Maley]

On the flip side you could say my Kia has the same engine as the Genesis. However, I see your point. Does the Equus use that engine too or is it strictly the 5.0L

For now the Equus is using the 4.6 V8. The 5.0 V8 will be coming along later in the year.

[Croc]

They put their development money into vehicles a majority of Americans wanted to buy. You know very well bigger profits are to be found in trucks than small cars.

So GM is a victim of giving customers what they wanted. How ironic is that?

It was money well spent what they put into the GMT900, Lambda, and Theta v.2 platforms. Shame they had none left to keep the Cobalt and Aveo up to date and competitive.

Because no one was ever buying Civics, Corollas, Sentras, 3ers, MINI Coopers, Golfs, or anything like that at all, right? Like, who wants a Fiesta? So small and cramped, especially when you can get a truck like a Colorado, right?

GM didn't give the customers what they wanted, they pandered to the market they saw the most profits in at the expense of almost every other segment, and now that consumer preferences have changed, they're kind of scrambling and having to prove themselves because of all the throwaway crap they made in those segments before.

GM has no problem selling good cars, regardless of size. But if all you're making are Cavaliers and Sunfires, yea your customers aren't gonna want that.

Your phaser gun cannot harm me. I traded my Colorado for various reasons, NONE OF WHICH had to do with CAFE regulations. Besides, the Fiesta has been great fun. If you study the tao of ocn, you will see a precedent for my vacillation between truck and small fun car extends back to 1992 (you were prolly still swimmin' around in dad's scrotum) when I bought my Golf II GL 2-door hatchback in light green metallic.

You're proving my point. All I'm telling you is that there are plenty of people, yourself included, who buy small cars on their own volition for logical and/or emotional reasons that have nothing to do with CAFE or anything like that. GM previously ignored, neglected and abused those customers, and as a result they have a CAFE balance that doesn't allow them the freedom that other manufacturers have. They have to prove themselves in smaller segments, segments where no one questions whether or not the Honda Civic is a good vehicle because it's utterly owned that segment for 20 years.

Edited March 27, 2011 by Croc

[Potluck]

Americans have always been open to small cars, but not at expense of driving a crap box.

[ocnblu]

What is the best selling vehicle in the United States of America for the last, oh, 30 years?

GM's small cars do pretty well when they're current. And there are many J-bodies still running with ridiculous miles on them. It is GM's habit of no continuous improvement that hurts them. They bring out a vehicle and let it rot for 10 years before doing anything abote it.

[Potluck]

those J-bodies had to have rebates on them since about 1985 in order to maintain sales rates.

[Satty]

Please find me a J-body owner who enjoys the driving experience their Cavalier offers.

[ocnblu]

Maybe a J-body owner is more interested in longevity, ease and cost of maintenance (including a timing CHAIN, as opposed to a belt that requires changing), and price of entry.

[Drew Dowdell]

What about a Jbody owner interested in the door handles not falling off after 5 years?

Americans have proven time and again they'll drive.... they'll even wait in line... for small cars that aren't afterthoughts by the manufacturer.

3-series, Corolla (up until recently, but people are still buying them anyway), PT Cruiser, New Beatle, the old Jetta, the Focus when it first came out, the Mazda 3.... the list goes on.

[§carlet §wordfish]

I love my Sunfire. I know it's a piece of crap, but it's my piece of crap.

Though it may be Stockholm syndrome.

[smk4565]

I could see Kia making a sedan slightly larger than the Optima, but with the 5.0 liter V8 available, and that would beat the overweight Cherger/300C and really outmatch the Infiniti G37 or Acura TL. And a 333 hp V6 and 8-speed transmission will soon be in the Hyundai parts bin, so there could be some fun on the way. I just hope the K9 (horrible name) isn't a big 17 foot long luxury barge, but a sports car instead, sort of G8-like, but lighter, more powerful, better interior.