Hyundai vs. Kia: The Race to Launch the First Supercar

Hyundai announced that its concept car, the N Vision 74, unveiled in 2022, will hit the market in 2026. This vehicle will be Hyundai’s first supercar and is expected to be the world’s first supercar powered by hydrogen fuel upon its launch in 2026.

With news like this coming, the concept car that Kia previously revealed has also come under the spotlight. Kia attracted everyone’s attention by unveiling the two-door coupe concept car GT4 Stinger in 2014. However, it was never mass-produced, leaving many enthusiasts disappointed.

The GT4 Stinger sports concept car equipped with a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine

Kia introduced the GT4 Stinger, a rear-wheel-drive sports concept car, at the 2014 North American International Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle boasted a stylish exterior, original front engine, and rear drive ratio. Additionally, it is said to be equipped with a turbocharged 2.0-liter engine and a 6-speed manual transmission capable of producing 315 horsepower.

The GT4 Stinger weighs approximately 1,270 kg (2799.8 lbs), and it is said that efforts were made to reduce the weight as much as possible by focusing on driving performance from the design stage. In addition, the vehicle is equipped with a steering system that responds sensitively to operation, allowing for more dynamic driving.

Equipped with Kia’s unique tiger nose grille and a carbon fiber splitter

In terms of body size, the length is 4,310 mm (169.7 inches), the width is 1,890 mm (74.4 inches), and the height is 1,250 mm (49.2 inches). The front of the GT4 Stinger combines Kia’s unique tiger nose grill with vertically arranged LED headlamps, creating a simple yet powerful impression. In addition, a splitter made of carbon fiber was installed under the front bumper to improve aerodynamic performance, emphasizing that it is a high-performance sports car.

The interior of the GT4 Stinger features a D-shaped steering wheel and an LED instrument panel that prominently displays key vehicle information, like the speedometer, making it easy to read even at high speeds. Kia’s unique dynamic atmosphere is further enhanced by bucket seats reminiscent of a racing car. Despite being a manual, the vehicle includes paddle shifters behind the steering wheel, which control the turn signal and cruise control functions separately.

Will Kia launch the GT4 Stinger in response to Hyundai’s supercar announcement?

The GT4 Stinger concept is said to have been designed at Kia’s California studio, which has been designing concept cars and mass-produced cars since the early 1990s. In 2014, Kia’s Senior Design Manager of Kia Design Center America, Kurt Kahl, said, “In everyday life, the goal was to design a vehicle with 2+2 sports car proportions that the driver could use.”

Unfortunately, the GT4 Stinger sports car concept never reached production. However, with Hyundai’s recent announcement about launching its first supercar, speculation is mounting about whether Kia will follow suit. If the GT4 Stinger were to be launched as a supercar with upgraded performance, it would likely feature an electric powertrain instead of the previously planned turbocharged 2.0-liter engine.