√Every new dedicated Kia electric car to offer high-performance GT flagship

Kia is preparing a mass expansion of its high-performance GT line-up in the electric era, with up to nine super-speed EVs due in showrooms by 2027.

Every Kia electric car based on the company’s new dedicated battery-electric underpinnings will be available with a GT high-performance flagship, the company has announced.

As part of its plan to offer 14 electric vehicles by 2027, Kia confirmed to investors and media every new electric vehicle (EV) it launches will be available with a flagship GT variant, following the lead of the EV6 GT performance model due in Australia in late 2022 or early 2023.

While information initially distributed to media suggested all 14 Kia EVs would offer GT variants, Kia CEO Ho Sung Song confirmed to investors only the eight or nine models riding on the all-new dedicated E-GMP electric vehicle platform will offer them.

Kia’s debut electric GT model, the EV6 GT packs dual electric motors and a 77.4kWh battery pack capable of outputs of 430kW/740Nm, and a claimed 0-100km/h sprint time of 3.5 seconds.

However, don’t expect all Kia GT (or ‘eGT’) models to be that potent, as Kia says the GT treatment will be “optimised for each model” to offer “dynamic performance [differentiated] by vehicle category”.

A presentation given to investors lists lower-riding ‘crossover’ SUVs (like the EV6) and mid-size sedans as the most dynamic of the GT-badged electric range, with “on-road driving performance” with “overwhelming acceleration” and “high performance”.

Meanwhile, taller Kia GT SUVs are said to offer “prestige with power” – hinting at a less hardcore, more autobahn-friendly cruiser take on the performance car formula – while city cars will offer “urban … [and] agile performance on compact design”, pointing to a focus on agility for Kia’s first electric hot hatchbacks.

“The GT that enabled the EV6 to reach 0-100km in just 3.5 seconds will be applied to the entire dedicated EV line-up to deliver differentiated driving performance,” Kia CEO Ho Sung Song told investors on Thursday.

“The GT [treatment] optimized for each model will offer dynamic performance, while powerful acceleration, quick and easy charging and a dual motor will continue to
strengthen product competitiveness [across all E-GMP models, not just GTs].”

Kia’s next electric vehicle based on the E-GMP architecture will be the EV9 large SUV, due in 2023. Alongside the Tesla Model X, its GT variant serve as a cut-price rival to an emerging array of large electric performance SUVs from BMW, Mercedes-AMG and Audi.

For more details on Kia’s electric car rollout plans – including a pair of utes – click here to read the full story.

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