Kia and Hyundai will invest no less than $18 billion in their transformations to companies selling only electric vehicles somewhere around the end of this decade. As part of their strategies, the South Korean manufacturers will develop an all-new electric vehicle architecture, which will reportedly support one of the industry’s largest batteries. The first production model to be based on that platform should be a Kia-branded sedan.
According to a new report from ET News, the project name of that vehicle is GT1 and it is expected to be positioned in the mid-size segment, likely as an ideological successor to the Stinger. Actually, the report claims it will be an E-segment vehicle according to Europe’s classification, which probably means it will be slightly larger than the current Stinger in terms of exterior dimensions.
Gallery: Kia Stinger And EV6 GT
Riding on the new eM platform, the vehicle will be developed with a massive 113.2-kilowatt-hour battery pack in mind. This would mean it will have a larger capacity battery than the Mercedes-Benz EQS, Tesla Model S, and Kia EV9 for a maximum range of up to 497 miles (800 kilometers) when fully charged. But that’s not even the most exciting part.
According to the report – which we take with a grain of salt considering nothing has been announced from Hyundai or Kia yet – there will be a few different versions depending on the powertrain’s output. Single- and dual-motor models are reportedly under development with the range-topper allegedly featuring a system with 603 horsepower (450 kilowatts). This would make it the most powerful production Kia in history with more power than the EV6 GT.
Naturally, the GT1 project won’t be the only model from Hyundai-Kia to feature components and technologies from the new architecture. It will reportedly go one step further from the E-GMP in terms of modularity.
Until this new Kia arrives in 2025, the South Korean automaker will continue selling its existing lineup of electric and plug-in hybrid vehicles. The PHEVs aren't Kia's favorite products, though it still sees some demand and will keep producing them.
As far as the Stinger is concerned, it is going to be discontinued soon but not before the 2024 Kia Stinger Tribute Edition is sold out. It starts at $54,565 with destination and handling fees included (see the related links above).
