Currently reading: Kia's sportier, rear-driven future
Rear-wheel drive sports coupe to spearhead Kia's future lineup

Kia’s future model line-up could be spearheaded by a new affordable sports car, according to company design chief Peter Schreyer. The German designer, responsible for the original Audi TT, told Autocar that he wants to repeat the trick for his new company. Rumours are that Kia could use sister company Hyundai’s new rear-wheel drive architecture for a new sports coupe. "Rear drive would make it easier to get great proportions to the design," said Schreyer "but I wouldn’t want to make an expensive car. Any coupe should cost around £20,000." Schreyer also indicated that designing a "more emotional SUV" is also on his wishlist – possibly with coupé-like styling. You can also expect more dramatic styling from all Kias in the near future. "We’re going to stop trying to appeal to everyone and move away from Hyundai with a sportier and more dramatic look," said Schreyer.Kia’s design boss also hinted that a convertible Cee'd should hit the showrooms in late 2009, strongly based on the Excee'd concept seen at this year’s Geneva motor show. Rather than the fashionable metal folding roofs, the Cee'd cabrio will have a conventional fabric roof and be built at the same Slovakian plant as the hatchback.

Advertisement

Latest business news

Fiat Scudo Ellesmere Port
Stellantis builds vans in Luton and Cheshire, which Tavares says should count towards its ZEV quota
Stellantis CEO: Terrible ZEV mandate will kill UK car industry
Mini Oxford production line
Oxford will produce only combustion-engined versions of the new Mini Cooper until 2026
UK car production falls amid several model changeovers
1.Ford Otosan Yeniköy drone
Last year Ford Otosan made a profit of the equivalent of £1.1 billion
Inside Ford’s Turkish goldmine: home of the Transit

Read our review

Car review

The Kia Cee’d is more than good enough to harry the opposition, which is an achievement in itself for the fiercely competitive family hatchback class

Add a comment…