Back at January's 2014 Detroit Auto Show, we were shocked by what a great show it was. It felt like the auto industry was back — at least to me. But one vehicle stood out amongst the delights over those two press days.
That, my friends, would be the Kia GT4 Stinger.
I mean, just look at it. Boasting elements of a Chevrolet Corvette, Nissan GT-R, Audi R8 and Audi Quattro, it's an astonishing looking product. Though Agent 001 and I love the Nissan 370Z, if Kia were to introduce this and make it with a great powerplant, the legendary Z car would have some trouble.
As with most things in the automotive industry, there's just one problem: they're NOT going to make it. We assume Peter Schreyer is disappointed. That's because his team knocked this one out of the park and it will never see the light of day.
According to Kia's top brass, they just don't feel confident it would generate enough volume to have a solid business case.
Do YOU think that Kia is making a mistake by playing it safe OR does the company NEED a halo car to help raise awareness in the marketplace? What say YOU, Spies?
A top Kia Motors Corp. executive doused designer Peter Schreyer's dreams for a sporty roadster, saying it wouldn't adequately build the brand or boost profits.
Kia's first priority needs to be strengthening brand image and awareness, overseas marketing chief Lee Soon-nam said. Only after doing that can the Korean carmaker dabble with niche products.
"The volume will be smaller and then we can't enhance the brand image fully..."
Lexus is the exclusive sponsor of the 2014 Detroit Auto Show Photo Galleries.
2014 Detroit Auto Show
Read Article