Hot Kia GT design details shown in new preview video

The 2017 Kia GT sports saloon has been previewed again in a new video that shows certain exterior and interior design details.

Less than a week before the car's Detroit motor show debut, its headlights, tail-lights, body trim and exhaust tips are shown, as well as the outline of the car's engine and an above view of its centre console. The size of the car's engine and the carbonfibre trim that can be seen in the cabin suggest the featured car is the anticipated range-topping model.

The Stinger GT has been revealed - see the production car here

That car will be Kia's first performance saloon and a future rival for hot versions of the BMW 3 Series. It will be capable of accelerating from 0-62mph in 5.1sec, making it the fastest accelerating Kia to date, and have a top speed above 150mph, as shown by the video below.

Albert Biermann, Kia’s head of performance, has previously told us that the car will have rear-wheel drive and is likely to use the 315bhp four-cylinder engine from the GT4 Stinger concept, which, according to Biermann’s comments, has been shelved.

The video shows the Kia GT testing at the Nürburgring, and Kia has also released images confirming that it is being tested on its own high-speed handling track at the brand's Namyang R&D centre in South Korea.

In the footage above, the car's odometer reads 13,164km (around 8180 miles), showing the length of testing procedure that this GT has already undergone.

Below the hottest model there will be a diesel GT for Europe, too – most likely with the 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel engine from the Hyundai Santa Fe. 

Late last year, a news site posted the first photo of the car undisguised (shown below), which is believed to have been leaked from Kia. The car clearly takes influence from the Kia GT concept of 2011 in its overall shape and what's visible of the front-end styling. The concept's rear-hinged rear doors and dramatic ‘floating’ front intake housings have not been carried over to the production version, though.

The GT will be positioned at the top of Kia's range, above the Kia Optima. This will put the GT up against a range of more upmarket rivals, such as the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class, so a price of around £30,000 is expected.

Due to be revealed in Detroit on 8 January, sales for the GT are expected to commence this summer.

Jimi Beckwith and Sam Sheehan