No Sting for GT4: Kia Not Getting a Toyobaru Rival After All

One of Kia's most interesting concept cars of recent years was the GT4 Stinger, shown at the beginning of 2014 during the Detroit Auto Show. Many were taken with its sharp lines and named it the Korean rival to the Toyota GT 86/Scion FR-S. Its designers went as far as to say it was penned with full production in mind. And yet as cool as it was, the GT4 is getting the red light because of several different reasons, the biggest of which is that it would be unprofitable.

Speaking to Automotive News, Kia's marketing chief Lee Soon-nam said the brand needs to first strengthen its image are reputation, before low-volume models like this one can be considered.

“The volume will be smaller and then we can’t enhance the brand image fully. We would like to build our brand image to some level. Then we can maximize the effects of the new car launch,” Lee said.

The Korean company's official then goes on to justify the decision even further, strangely comparing Kia to a Chinese brand to some degree.

“From a marketing point, a new car launch should be helpful to enhancing the brand image. If a Chinese brand introduced a roadster, would it affect customer perception? I don't think so," the Kia marketing chief says, believing that awareness of the Kia brand is not where it needs to be globally.

As cool as sportscars are, they rarely generate huge volumes. In recent years, sales of two-door models have significantly diminished as more and more buyers see SUV as the cars they want/need to be seen in. That's why some premium brands are launching coupe versions of their SUV instead of developing low, sleek models.

The work of Kia's California design studio, the GT4 Stinger Concept is designed as a 2+2. With a curb weigh of 2,874 lbs or 1,303 kg and a wheelbase of 103.1 inches (261 cm), it's relatively compact, which is why it's been compared to the Toyobaru. It's coolest features are a set of all-LED headlight which look like those of a race car and the transparent A-pillars. Giving this sleek coupe its power is a 2-liter turbocharged engine located up front and producing 315 hp.

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Spyshots: Hyundai Veloster Turbo Getting a Facelift

Our car spies stationed in Germany have managed to take the very first images of a redesigned Veloster Turbo, a model that's coming down Hyundai's pipeline later this year.. It's heavily covered in two types of camouflage and thus obscures most of the big changes, but we can tell they will target the front and rear ends of the car.

In the past year, Hyundai has revealed a number of new premium cars, all of which are designed using a new Fluidic Sculpture 2.0 language. We think the Veloster will receive similar look, with sharper lines and an Audi-like grille. Interior changes are also planned and hopefully engineers will do something about that numb steering.

Although considered a Korean car brand, Hyundai has a strong R&D team in Europe. Their Frankfurt test center gave us award-winning models like the i30 and ix35, and now changes are being planned for the ill-fated coupe.

There are a number of different things wrong with the Veloster Turbo. First of all, the European models don't have that much power: only 186 hp, compared to over 200 hp that American models get. A lot of B-segment hot hatches use 1.6-liter turbo engines, but the Veloster doesn't have the direct steering of a Ford Fiesta ST and its fuel consumption figures are not much different to a Golf GTI's.

It's also quite expensive considering the Hyundai badge is not associated with fun cars. An automatic Turbo costs €28,630 in Germany, so understandably, most buyers look to VW, Ford or Renault for their small, fun cars. Hopefully, the facelift will make the Veloster more appealing.

Launched in 2012, the Turbo was Hyundai's first compact with a small turbo engine. Its main selling points are the shooting brake body and the asymmetrical doors, similar to the MINI Clubman. Turbo models have their own unique styling, with wider fenders, a more aggressive front grille and 17-inch wheels. Round the back, LED lighting and very large twin exhaust mounted in the middle.

Based on Hyundai's typical modus operandi, the Veloster Turbo should debut at the Los Angeles Auto Show this fall.

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GMC Sierra, Chevrolet Silverado Getting Updates Soon

Jeff Luke, executive chief engineer of global full-size and midsize trucks at General Motors, declared at a recent press event that the automaker's full-size pickups will get updated for the 2015 model year, with more changes to follow year over year.

Although the official mostly kept its lips shut about what enhancements to expect, Luke declared for the Detroit News that the trucks will get "a whole array of neat, new technologies, some focused on fuel economy, some focused on capability."

On the fuel economy front, it's easy to see what's in store for pickup customers: the addition of Stop-Start technology, which will prove especially useful in city traffic by shutting the engine off at the lights or when stuck in a traffic jam.

For comparison, the handful of Ram pickup trucks which benefit from this fuel saving gizmo improved their economy figure by a modest 1 mpg on the combined cycle. However, GM may be also considering on cylinder deactivaton tech, which would be a first in this segment.

For the 2015 model year, both trucks will most probably get a number of stylistic changes, minor updates for the cabin and improved automatic transmissions benefitting from more gears and more economical ratios.

The Detroit giant will launch the 2015 Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra by the end of 2014, just when the all-new aluminum Ford F-150 will hit the market.

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