Kia has dropped a teaser for an aggressively styled concept car, and its apparent size suggests this could be the on-again, off-again all-electric replacement for the Stinger sports sedan.
Taking the Korean brand’s Opposites United design language to its extreme, the concept – referred to only as The Kia Concept – has a dramatic cab-forward stance, with a short and aggressively raked front end.
Indeed, this may have the stubbiest front-end yet of any Kia, and is a bold design choice given some electric passenger cars that eschew traditional shapes and proportions have been punished by buyers – look, for example, at the Mercedes-Benz EQE and EQS.
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As has become expected of recent Kias, there are plenty of aggressive creases, bulging and geometric fenders, and long, angular lighting elements. Even the glass roof of this concept is angular.
There’s no word yet on whether this vehicle will enter production, but all of Kia’s core concepts this decade have entered production – or, in the case of this year’s EV2 concept, been confirmed for production.
Alternatively, this could preview an electric replacement for the mid-size K5, which replaced the Optima that was offered in Australia previously. Sedans remain popular in Korea, where Kia offers the EV4, K5, K8 and K9 sedans, while the K5 is also available in various markets globally including the US.
Reports of an electric Stinger replacement first emerged from Korea in 2023, with the vehicle reportedly being referred to internally as the GT1 and earmarked for a late 2025 or early 2026 launch.
Subsequent reports suggested it would be based on the Hyundai Motor Group’s new eM platform, and produce 450kW of power from a dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrain, while offering 700-800km of range from a big 113.2kWh battery.
Less powerful single-motor rear-wheel drive and dual-motor all-wheel drive powertrains were also reportedly planned.
The Korean Car Blog then reported in February 2024 the GT1 would enter production in Korea in 2026 as the EV8, belatedly replacing the Stinger but also replacing the K8, a large front-wheel drive sedan that slots in under the rear/all-wheel drive K9 luxury limo.
Just two months later, though, the same outlet reported word from unspecified industry sources that the GT1 project had been scrapped, with the eM platform instead being saved for Genesis.
The Korean Car Blog subsequently reported word from sources in August 2025 that the GT1 had been green-lit for production again, with a 2027 release planned.
It’s unclear how a production version of this concept would be received. It’s still a passenger car, in a world where many markets now well and truly prefer SUVs over this format. And in Korea, where sedans remain popular, customer tastes tend to be more conservative.
Even the Stinger wasn’t popular in Korea, being a sporty-looking liftback. And both in Korea and in export markets, those who bought this now-defunct model – which was available with a twin-turbo V6 petrol engine – may not be drawn to an electric replacement.
The crucial US market, another where the Stinger didn’t exactly sell like hotcakes, has also seen EVs face headwinds following the removal of federal incentives and the imposition of import tariffs. The shift in market conditions saw Dodge trim its electric Charger lineup, with a greater focus on the petrol-powered versions that were launched subsequently.
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