Kia priming rakish replacement for Stinger saloon
Kia is readying a streamlined electric saloon that could replace the previous Stinger.
Preview images posted to social media reveal it to be a long-wheelbase four-door with a cab-forward design. Although it shares many styling cues with Kia’s existing EVs, it is notably curvier than those models, with a bubble-like roof.
The interior can be seen only through the exterior glasshouse, but it appears to use a steering yoke rather than a traditional wheel, hinting that the brand could use the concept to preview steer-by-wire technology.
It also lacks traditional door mirrors, instead using cameras mounted on the rear faces of the daytime-running lights.
Kia has yet to confirm when it will reveal the model in full or name it.
Brand president Ho-sung Song previously told Autocar that an EV similarly positioned to the Stinger GT was under consideration to boost the public’s perception of Kia.
“That kind of model is under study,” he said. “What kind of model can help build the brand? This is what we are now studying.”
Such a car could be expected to be named EV7 or EV8, positioning it between the EV6 crossover and the EV9 SUV.
Any performance-focused halo model would be likely to supersede the existing EV6 GT, which employs two motors to send up to 641bhp through all four wheels. That car also features a system that replicates the power delivery of a combustion engine and a six-speed automatic gearbox, to boost driver engagement.
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