Цей загадковий концепт Kia може стати наступником моделі Stinger

Kia has dropped a mysterious teaser for a swoopy new electric sports sedan on social media sending us into full CSI zoom-and-enhance mode. The darkened preview shows a slippery cab-forward four-door that could be our first preview of a spiritual successor to the Stinger sedan.The teaser is short on detail but long on clues. The car has a long wheelbase and very short overhang, indicating that’s it’s not a traditional front-engine, rear-wheel drive car like the Stinger was. Those proportions suggest we’re looking at an EV.Related: Kia’s EV9 GT Just Got Delayed IndefinitelyAlthough it clearly has four doors, the front half of the profile is almost supercar-like with a heavily reclined windshield that flows all the way back to the section of roof above the rear seats. The rear window pulls off the same trick heading in the opposite direction, only this time the glass splits to wrap around the windshield tongue.Other details visible in our lightened versions of Kia’s dark Instagram shots include muscular square shoulders like the EV4’s and front DRLs that run backwards from the nose into the camera-type door mirrors. Just about visible through the glass is what appears to be a steering wheel yoke, suggesting the concept uses a steer by wire system with variable gearing, like the Lexus RZ. Kia hasn’t named the car or committed to a reveal date but it could slot between the EV6 and EV9 as something like an EV7 or EV8. That positioning lines up perfectly with previous comments made to journalists from Kia president Ho sung Song who has openly floated the idea of building a performance oriented electric halo car to elevate the brand.Of course talk of a new Stinger successor only reminds us how much the original shook things up when it arrived in 2017. The Stinger GT was Kia’s coming of age moment, a RWD fastback tuned by former BMW M engineers with a choice of a 2.0 litre turbo or a 3.3 litre twin turbo V6. It had style, performance and a level of driver engagement nobody expected from a Kia. Though critics loved it, sales were modest and the Stinger bowed out quietly in 2023. But plenty has changed since then and models like the EV9 have paved the way for high-priced, highly desirable electric cars with a Kia badge on the nose. Or have they? After showing the high-performance EV9 GT at 2024’s LA Auto Show, Kia this year delayed the high-rise hot rod due to “market conditions,” so maybe this four-door coupe would have more success as a range extender hybrid. What do you think?