It is a rare concept car that completes the uncertain journey from motor show to factory production. But when Kia unveiled a GT sports sedan at the Frankfurt Motor Show back in 2011, the Korean manufacturer soon realized it had something very special on its hands.
“The reaction was so positive that we decided we had to put the vehicle into production,” says Artur Martins, vice president of marketing at Kia Europe.
Now branded the Stinger, and launched at the Detroit Auto Show in January, the car is the brainchild of a crack team of mainly European designers, led by legendary German designer Peter Schreyer. Since Schreyer joined Kia in 2006, he has transformed the brand by introducing sophisticated European styling.
The dynamic, aspirational designs created by Schreyer have helped Kia win new segments of consumers around the world. The high-performance Stinger is the culmination of this process. “The Stinger will be our brand ambassador,” Martins says. “It is a bold move that represents what we want to be as a brand, in terms of design, technology, and the driving experience”
