At the Chicago auto show, Kia was one of the few brands making big news, showing its 2016 Optima hybrid and plug-in hybrid, as well as its all-new Prius-fighter, the Niro hybrid. We sat down with Kia Motors America COO, Michael Sprague, to see what else Kia may be cookin? up for next year and beyond.
The most compelling subject of our conversation concerned the recent revelations by company insiders in Korea that Kia is planning to launch a small, rear-wheel-drive sports sedan that would represent a budget alternative to the ubiquitous BMW 3-series. Presumably, that vehicle would look something like the Novo concept (seen at top), a car that, come to think of it, looks an awful lot like a 3-series.
Sprague claims that he was as surprised?and delighted?as the rest of us to learn of this. ?Last week somebody in Korea said that, yes, there?s a rear-wheel-drive vehicle coming next year . . . someone close to the situation,? said Sprague. ?We read the same article you did. We were like, ?All right! Cool!?
?It would be great for the brand,? Sprague continued. ?The Soul has really been a halo for the brand in terms of that fun, funky coolness. The K900 has pushed us into the luxury space and serves as a halo in that space. It would be great to have a sport sedan to really connect with the enthusiasts.?
Kia does have a pretty good track record of producing its well-received concept cars. ?If you look at the history of the brand, we use auto shows to introduce concept vehicles. We...