Albert Biermann on why Hyundai and Kia are performance-car-ready

Which is all very well, Albert, if the Stinger is a flagship vehicle. But what of the cars beyond that? “We try,” Biermann says. “If you drive the Stonic now, you might find the drive not exactly what you expected from a little B-segment SUV. 

“It’s also maybe a little bit more nimble, a bit more fun to drive than you would have expected two years ago. But it’s not like it’s the ultimate fun machine - it has to serve for city driving and so on.”

He also says Kia has “put a lot of effort into the next Cee’d, so you can expect a good step up for driving fun, precision, agility and so on compared with the previous Cee’d; and that’s a car that gets a little more attention and focus in that area. But, as you know, we make tons of cars and we cannot give the full [dynamic attention] to all of them. 

“The philosophy for the Stinger was different, because we were challenging on a premium OEM level, and I think the effort we put into the car was also a little bit focused on that challenge, so we put more effort into that car than others.” 

Hyundai has had its Genesis saloons before – and will again – but the Stinger is the first time that Kia has attempted to mix it with the European big boys. Has public perception shifted at all? “I can’t tell yet, but I’m sure it will happen,” Biermann says. “The Stinger will change the expectation of Kia cars in general, because people will think we can perform at a higher level.” He knows, though, that it will be a long haul to get a Kia into the same conversation as an Audi, BMW or Mercedes-Benz. 

As you would expect from someone who spent so long at M division, it’s the dynamics that get Biermann’s attention. Hence the visit to the UK. “That event clearly gave us more focus on attribute tuning. Our team went to the UK again [in late August], so we definitely take more care of UK’s driving requirements,” he tells us. 

Britain’s uniquely crappy roads are one of the reasons why the Kias and Hyundais of today and tomorrow will be better to drive than the current ones. 

“The UK adds more challenge,” Biermann says. “You have bad roads, the surfaces are poor and you have more crown; and the narrowness of the roads where everybody has to go between hedges. And narrow city roads too. You don’t find that so much in Germany, where so far we have focused our European tuning.” 

Coming to the UK means “we are clearly focused on more agility, steering response and steering precision for the future,” he says. “And also to adjust a little bit more for the harsh roads.” 

Not all companies do that, you know; pay attention to the little details like that, to get things fundamentally right. It’s new for Kia too. “We have some new experiences,” says Biermann. “But it’s very fruitful because, all of a sudden, our car is competing on a premium European car level. And they’re enjoying it, you know.” 

So are we, Albert, so are we. 

Biermann’s greatest hits: 

BMW M3 (E30) RACE CAR - Touring cars get little more successful or famous than the E30 M3, one of Biermann’s early projects at BMW, owing to a background in which he did a spot of racing himself. 

BMW X5 (E70) - The original X5 (E53) was a groundbreaking car. Biermann was project leader on the second- generation version, tasked with making it more luxurious. 

BMW 1 SERIES M COUPE - Biermann’s arrival at BMW’s M Division, which he became head of in 2008, largely coincided with M’s move to turbocharged engines. The 1 Series M CoupeÃ, a cult classic produced in 2011, is arguably the greatest of those so far.