The Kia Stinger is the company's sportiest model to date, but fans waiting for a high-performance version could be out of luck.
In an interview with Motoring, the head of Kia's high performance development department (and former BMW M boss) Albert Biermann said the company doesn't have any plans for a performance-oriented model that would slot above the Stinger GT, which has a twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 engine that develops 365 hp (272 kW) and 376 lb-ft (509 Nm) of torque.
According to Biermann, “We have to launch this car and see how it does in the market place. What kind of customers do we get? What would be their next requirement from Kia?"
The exec didn't rule out the model altogether, as he confirmed the car has the potential to be upgraded. However, it appears the company wants to see how well the car performs in the market before considering a performance variant. As Biermann noted, “I think first we need to establish some sort of customer base of these kinds of cars and then maybe next steps can happen."
In the meantime, he suggested the company could offer additional GT variants of existing models. After that happens, Biermann says, the automaker might consider the next step: “At a later stage, when the GT is more established into a stronger sub-label within Kia, then maybe at some point we need a GTR or something,” he commented. “But for now there is nothing going on.”
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