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Kia GT getting closer to production

The Kia lineup in the US has no lack of stylish models in their respective segments, but the brand's range doesn't have a larger, sporty model to appeal to more enthusiast-minded customers. A fix for that is on the horizon, though, because the official unveiling of the production Kia GT is possibly on the way. Since debuting at the Frankfurt Motor Show way back in 2011, the GT has kept tentatively stepping closer to the showroom. Coming from the pens of Peter Schreyer and his team, the concept presented a fastback, four-door coupe that was motivated by a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 with 389 horsepower driving the rear wheels. As far back as 2013, the vehicle was reportedly being heavily considered for production, and last year it allegedly finally received the green light. With the four-door GT nearing showrooms, the fate of the similarly sized GT4 Stinger coupe concept likely isn't quite so bright. Kia Motors America Vice President of Product Planning Orth Hedrick recently talked about the future of both vehicles to Australia's Drive. "I think for us the GT is a sedan so it has a lot broader appeal than a two-door coupe. They don't do well here. They do really, really good for 18 months and then they really fall off. You can get just as much emotional experience in a sedan, a more practical car, than a coupe," he said. According to Hedrick, the four-door coupe appeals to younger buyers who are already more interested in cars. These are just the type of people that any brand wants to grab the attention of. Finally seeing the GT in its production guise is a chance that might be on the way, too. "We'll have an announcement soon," he said to Drive.

How the Koreans are cracking the luxury market

South Korea's two largest automotive brands are no longer the same companies they were when they first entered the world stage.
Anyone who visits Seoul after a few years absence is likely going to be in for a shock. What was, not that long ago, a decidedly third-world city is today a thriving, sprawling metropolis increasingly on a par with the world's most modern cities.

Hyundai looking to add plant in Mexico

Mexico is rapidly becoming the go-to place for North American auto production, and companies including Toyota, General Motors, and Audi are all building new plants, expanding or shifting some production there. Now, Hyundai is investigating joining them in the future. "I'm sure that over the years we'll see production of Hyundai products in Mexico," Pedro Albarran, managing director for the automaker in Mexico, said to Bloomberg. Albarran indicates that a likely location for such a factory might be the state of Nuevo Leon, where Kia also has a forthcoming $1 billion plant. The site would be an ideal location near suppliers. It's probably going to be a while before any of Hyundai's models start coming out of Mexico. According to Bloomberg, the automaker wants to wait to make a final decision until sales there reach around 50,000 annual units, and that benchmark isn't expected until 2018. While Kia's plant is slated to have a capacity around 300,000 vehicles a year when it opens in 2016, Albarran thinks Hyundai might start smaller at just over 100,000 annual examples. Some of those would likely include subcompact models for the Mexican market. The Korean automaker was rumored to be looking into a factory south of the border as far back as 2013.