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Kia is considering a return to performance cars that burn petrol – such as a K4 hot hatch or Seltos sports SUV – but a reborn Stinger with V6 power is less likely.
A return to petrol-powered performance cars from Kia is under consideration to complement its growing range of sporty electric vehicles with GT badges.
Kia has moved away from petrol hero models such as the Stinger GT performance sedan and Cerato GT sports hatch in favour of only fitting its GT badge to electric cars, led by the EV6 GT that offers a much higher level of performance.
Now the company is evaluating the future of its performance badge, and has opened the door to petrol models across SUV and sedan body styles.
"We [are] currently reviewing what kind of GT strategy we have to take as a next level," Kia head of global business planning Spencer Cho told Australian media, including Drive.
"We're still working on that. We [haven't] finalised yet. So far, we were focusing on the EV models, trying to offer the old GT models, but we still see the opportunities for some ICE [petrol] models as well.
"We are looking all the options, including ICEs and EVs, and all those powertrain choices.
"Because of the wide range of the model lines, we cannot offer every model with the GTs, so we [will] try to carefully decide which model will be [the] right product for the GT."
The current Kia GT performance range in Australia covers the EV6 GT hatch-styled SUV and EV9 GT six-seat SUV, while overseas, Kia offers the EV3 GT small SUV, EV4 GT hatch and sedan, and EV5 GT mid-size SUV.
While all are electric, there is a disparity in performance between the EV6 GT – capable of 0-100km/h in a claimed 3.4 seconds, from up to 478kW – and the 215kW EV5 GT in Europe, which needs more than six seconds.
Cho expressed interest in sedan and SUV body styles for future Kia GT models, across a mix of power sources.
"Our sedan models might be a natural fit with the GT nomenclature, and the sportiness standpoint, but we also see some opportunities with the SUVs as well," the executive said.
"As long as we can provide enough capacities, and also the performances, we can consider either way, in ICEs or the EVs, and we can go any way."
While sedans were named by Cho, the chances of a new petrol-powered Stinger are less likely, given the modest sales of its predecessor outside of Australia.
Reports in recent weeks have claimed Kia is open to taking last year's Vision Meta Concept into production, but it would be an electric car, rather than a twin-turbo V6 offering.
Asked if GT versions of the latest K4 small car and Seltos small SUV would be feasible, Cho said: "Possibly, possibly".
The K4 and Seltos are the most suitable petrol-powered Kia models for the GT treatment, as they use the same front-wheel-drive underpinnings as the current, and likely next-generation Hyundai i30 Sedan N.
Today's iteration produces 206kW/392Nm from a 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol engine, while the next model is slated to adopt a 2.5-litre turbo engine with more power.
The next i30 Sedan N, due in 2027 or 2028, is expected to skip hybrid power, but it could be another avenue for Kia to increase performance while reducing emissions.
The most powerful engine available in the K4 and new Seltos globally is a 1.6-litre turbo-petrol four-cylinder with 142kW and 265Nm, matched with an eight-speed automatic transmission.
It will remain exclusive to the K4 in Australia – where it is sold as a GT-Line – as the new Seltos due later this year will be hybrid-only.
The last petrol-powered GT model sold by Kia locally was the Cerato GT in late 2024, which paired a 150kW version of the 1.6-litre turbo engine with stiffer suspension and a dual-clutch transmission.
The Picanto GT, a 1.0-litre turbo city hatch with a five-speed manual transmission, was dropped in mid-2023, while Stinger GT production ended in mid-2023.
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
