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Kia design boss hints at an electric version of the Stinger

We return to the much-scrutinized Kia Stinger, the critically acclaimed but slow-selling performance sedan whose future is the subject of intense speculation. Thanks to an interview in Top Gear with the head of Kia design, Karim Habib, we now have not only official confirmation that the four-door fastback is getting a mid-cycle refresh, but also some hints about how the model might stick around by evolving. In the interview, Habib said he hopes that the “spirit of the Stinger” remains as the Kia brand evolves. “As the technology goes toward EVs and as the world and its appetite for these types of cars changes, the concept probably has to evolve as well,” he said. Is that a hint that the Stinger might eventually go electric? LetÂ’s explore. Kia has already announced its intentions to launch 11 new electric vehicles globally by 2025, including some with an 800-volt charging system for high-speed charging. TheyÂ’re doing so on a platform that will be purpose-built for EVs in partnership with Hyundai that can support larger and more powerful electric vehicles than either the Soul EV or Niro EV, KiaÂ’s two existing battery-electric offerings. Presumably that opens the door to build an electric Stinger or similar four-door sedan — Habib talked about the need to keep the “sporty, affordable, beautiful sculpture” around, if not necessarily the nameplate itself. But electrifying the Stinger would in all likelihood easily eclipse the 255-horsepower from the base 2.0-liter turbo-four and at least match the 365 hp offered by the twin-turbo V6. It would also undoubtedly represent a huge upgrade in fuel economy, which tops out at 25 mpg combined and is one of the StingerÂ’s few weak points. Kia is also working on battery technology that promises up to 310 miles of driving range. For now, anyway, we know from spy shots that Kia is preparing to give the Stinger interior and exterior styling updates and, reportedly, slight power boosts by tweaking the existing 2.0-liter and 3.3-liter mills. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.    

Sales incentive growth clustered around brands with few CUVs, trucks

While it's arguably been around the longest, the dominance of the four-door sedan has been under threat for many years. As a further sign of the hurtin' that SUVs and crossovers have put on today's four-doors, a new report from Automotive News points to the increasing use of incentives by brands reliant on cars and light on CUVs and pickups.
Honda, Toyota, Volkswagen and Kia have all been stung by double-digit increases in their incentives-to-transaction price ratio, according to AN, which cites data from TrueCar. Honda's ratio is up 14 percent, while Toyota, VW and Kia are up 18, 15 and 19 percent, respectively.
"Most of the incentive growth we have seen is in product segments with low demand - midsized or large sedans," TrueCar CEO John Krafcik told AN. "As this trend goes on, the brands with three-sedan strategies are going to be in worse shape on incentive spending than the crossover brands."

Kia Soul to get AWD?

The funky Kia Soul is one of the three affordable, efficient and style-first boxes on sale today (along with the Scion xB and Nissan Cube). Like its competition, it sits atop a front-drive platform with a longitudinally mounted four-cylinder engine.
It's a dandy car in this setup, but it sounds like Kia may be looking to differentiate the Soul from the herd by offering an optional all-wheel-drive system in the future. According to the report filed by Kia World, the popularity of the small, stylish crossover segment is expected to expand considerably over the coming years, especially overseas.
Citing the optional all-wheel drive on the Renault Captur, Ford Ecosport and Opel Mokka (Buick Encore in the US), along with the eventual arrival of a sub-Tiguan Volkswagen, called the Taigun, an all-wheel-drive Soul seems to make a lot of sense for these foreign markets. In the American market, meanwhile, AWD would open the Soul up to a new segment of buyers that like its looks but want all-wheel ability. Kia World is claiming the Soul AWD could hit markets in 2016 wearing a ruggedized version of the sheetmetal shown on the 2014 Soul that debuted in earlier this year in New York. Expect a bit of extra ground clearance to accompany the new drivetrain. Finally, all-wheel drive would likely only be available on the mid-range Soul + and top-spec Soul !.