The Kia GT Heading to Production in 2016

2011 Kia GT Concept (Credit: © Kia)

There have been rumblings in the industry that the Kia GT, which debuted at the 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show as a concept, would make its way to production. Now we can put those rumors to bed thanks to a report from Edmunds.com. This report cites a conversation with Kia executives at the Paris Auto Show, and according to Edmunds, it will arrive in dealers by the end of 2016.

The report goes on to say that the GT will retain most of its styling cues, including its fastback silhouette and premium cabin. What will not make it to production are the suicide doors and the wild styling of the front fascia.

Under its hood, the concept GT was a 3.3-liter, turbocharged V-6 that delivered 390 horses to the rear wheels via an eight-speed auto transmission. Chances are that this drivetrain will also be included in the production model. I suspect that Kia will also consider adding its 420-horsepower Tau V-8 to the mix in later years. Edmunds.com reports that a diesel engine is in the cards for European-spec GT as well.

2011 Kia GT Concept (Credit: © Kia)

According to Edmunds.com, the GT’s main rival will be the Audi A7. The base A7 carries a 3.0-liter, TFSI engine that produces 310 horses and 325 pound-feet of torque, giving the Kia a hefty advantage in raw power numbers. Considering the A7 benefits from quattro AWD, you can expect similar straight-line performance numbers between the Audi and the GT. If Kia chooses to add the Tau V-8 to the GT lineup, it will take aim at the S7 and its 4.0-liter, TFSI V-8 that cranks out 420 horses and 406 pound-feet of torque.

As is standard with Kia’s higher-end models, expect the GT to undercut its S7 rival by thousands of dollars. In 2014, the A7 runs $65,900 in its base format and will likely increase slightly in the next two years. This means you should expect a base price of around $57,000 for the GT and luxurious features that easily rival the A7.

Needless to say, Kia is continuing its march into segments that it previously had no business competing in. I only hope that the GT isn’t the sales dud the K900 has been so far.