Kia Cross GT Concept
Strengthening the brand-exceeding standard set by the Kia GT which was unveiled in 2011 at Frankfurt, the brand raised the curtains from the Cross GT crossover concept in Chicago. The earlier GT concept made a strong hint about the brand offering a full sized luxury car in near future. Now, the Cross GT concept is a clear indicator that Kia is making up its mind to step into the big and bold premium-crossover market.
Kia’s Design Center America takes pride in their group of California-based designers who presented the market with the 2014 Forte sedan along with the Track’ster and Soul’ster concept. The same group of designers has designed the Kia Cross GT and it looks a little bit like an Infiniti at the first sight. But that ought to be a great thing since Infiniti managed to capture sights and hearts at its revelation. As is the GT sedan’s armature, the Cross GT sports a similar 122 inch long wheelbase. 192.8 inches long and 79.1 inches wide clubbed with a 65.3 inch overall height makes Cross GT look fun and chunky. With comparatively shorter rear and front overhangs, the ride still manages to show off the brands familial resemblance especially though the C-pillar and the nose.
While the brand strictly claimed that the hybrid powertrain Cross GT concept boasts is “strictly a concept”, the probability of the crossover to actually go hybrid when it reaches production is close to one. A 3.8 liter V6 powerful engine mated to an eight speed automatic transmission will be seen working in conjunction with an evolution of Kia’s parallel hybrid system. This translates to a system providing torque-vectoring all-wheel drive that, the brand claims, will be able to produce a whopping 500 pound feet of torque and massive 400 horsepower with an all-electric range of 20 miles.
The four-passenger vehicle sports rear hinged suicide doors that allow easy access to the rear buckets. The interior materials exude harmony with nature. Selected from re-harvested stock, the American walnut stunningly compliments the instrument panel while the Almond-Terra colored leather seats are tanned with chemical free dyes. A fun element to the interiors is the saddle-inspired seats affixed to a central tunnel that almost appear to be floating within the cabin.
A touch screen and central mouse control help access the entertainment functions, climate controls and the telematics. The infotainment and the internet are not denied from the rear passengers for the head-rests of the front seat feature flat-panel screens to allow the access. The flat load floor in the cargo area efficiently hides beneath it, a large storage compartment.
Kia’s executive vice president of marketing and communications, Michael Sprague said, “Our customers are looking to the Kia brand to offer relevant vehicle in the premium segment that take value to new levels of sophistication. The Cross GT is the next logical step in that evolution. And while only a concept today, it signals one possible design direction we may explore for the future.” It is easy to read between the lines and make out what the Kia Cross GT will be if/when it sees the production lights.