German Car Forum

Kia to rival Audi TT with 2009 model

Korean automaker Kia is planning to unveil a concept version of an Audi TT competitor at the Frankfurt Motor Show, according to a new report. The car was penned by Kia's design head, Peter Schreyer, who formerly worked for Audi and designed the original TT.

Even the car's codename, Project Snowflake, is alludes to the original TT, which was codenamed Raindrop. "The name shows the link between the cars, but hints that ours will be even cooler," a Kia insider told U.K. magazine Auto Express.

The front-wheel-drive car will arrive as a concept in September, with production no later than 2009. "It will shock the world," the Kia source claims.

Source: LLN

It is, by the way, an old trick in the marketing playbook to draw comparisons between lower tier brands and luxury brands to create buzz and change perceptions.

This strategy is currently being employed by Hyundai's new Santa Fe campaign where they draw comparisons with the Land Rover LR3 and BMW X3.

"It will shock the world," the Kia source claims.

Looking forward to see that

Kia kcv3 Concept




I wonder if it will look something like this. Looks slightly like a baby Veyron.

Kia to rival Audi TT with 2009 model

is it a joke?

Yes it is. April's fool is early this year.

Korean car makers did - just like Japanese ones had done in the past - open design & engineering centres in Europe: to design & engineer vehicels that suits European customer better than the ones from Korea (or eg. Japan). Nissan had done it, Honda as well, so did Toyota, and Hyundai, Kia etc

And mind that they have bring many designers & engineers from respected Euro car makers (eg. Fink from MB, Schreyer from Audi etc).

I'm sure Hyundai & Kia can't hurt premium automakers much (rivaling Audi TT sounds very funny!), but the economy class can be worried: just look at latest Toyota Auris, Kia Cee'd, etc

But Kia vs Audi?


C'mon!


Like I said many times: cars are not products only - they should be considered as brands as well. And brands come also with intangible values based on emotions, and where also history & tradition & brand cache is important factor. You can offer a perfect car, but without emotional buzz (eg. emotional design, brand values etc) such a car wont have much added value.

Today emotions (based on brand image) are the most important factor - not even the technology is an advantage (eg. even a new Renault Twingo has an optional iPod integration available, and bluetooth!; even small cars came with navigation systems & voice recognition etc).

So brand image (based on core brand values + brand cache (history & tradition) + design) will be the most speciall added value in the future. And here some car maker have a huge advantage.

OH I AM SHOCKED ALRIGHT!


What an ugly car. SHOCKING!

Shouldn't you have posted this in "The Garbage Bin"?

Good idea.

Did you heard the other news? Lada will make a BMW M5 rival...

WHAT?!!! Lada wants to make a BMW M5 rival? You're kidding, right?

It's the new Lada Samara twin turbo with 561.5 donkeys.



j/k

Even if it was true, it would probably start falling apart after reaching 50 km/h!

Kia vs Audi they're dreaming

It will shock the world (maybe) ...? It's not shocking me (for sure) ...!

Well here is the first official "glimpse", via CAR Magazine:



Kia sports coupe concept: the first glimpse

Do you detect hints of Audi TT about this low-slung sports car concept? Maybe you should, because it’s the shape of Kias to come and was designed by Peter Schreyer, the Koreans’ new design director and former head of design at Audi. It’s being hailed as a landmark car for Kia, and we’d say that for once the PR puff is spot-on. Make no mistake, this car is a line in the sand for Kia.

The unnamed sports coupe concept will be shown at the Frankfurt Motor Show in September. Only this shadowy teaser pic has been released so far, but we know it’s a 2+2 tin-top around 4500mm long. We hear that ‘it’s pointing to a production version’, available with both front- and four-wheel drive.

All sounds far removed from Kias of old. It was as recently as 1991 that the budget brand arrived in the UK with the likes of the white-tyred Pride. Fast forward 16 years and it looks like Kia is finally about to get serious in Europe.

We’ve already had the Golf clone Cee’d hatchback and Schreyer’s first design was the Excee’d cabrio concept, itself destined for production. Such slick quality at bargain prices and backed up with seven-year warranties helps explain why Kia sales have doubled to 1.3 million in the past 10 years. And it’s now targeting 2 million by the start of the next decade.

Schreyer said: ‘Kia has given me the opportunity to shape its whole brand design and character. Seldom does a designer have such a clean sheet to work with. We started this exciting journey with the Kia Excee’d cabrio concept at the Geneva show back in March, and at Frankfurt I’m sure Kia will surprise the entire automotive world when people see our new sports coupe concept in the metal.’

Teaser pictures can be annoyingly short on information and Kia’s is no different. But here at CAR Online we can’t wait to see the full picture. We’ll have the complete story in the coming weeks.


Kia sports coupe concept - First Official Pictures - Carmagazine.co.uk


I didn't know they had an ex-Audi design boss. That explains their fierce looking concepts as of late. Uh-oh, good looking Korean cars?

M

Lol, everything is possible these days...

Peter Schreyer is a brilliant designer, with many good ideas.

He was for Audi like Bangle is now for BMW, or Sacco was for MB.

I love Audi designs from Schreyer era much more than the current Audi designs. Schreyer's Audi's were a great example of avantgarde techno-design. But thesedays Audi's are - yes, pleasing to the eye - but too conventional & neither avantgarde nor techno.


I hope KIA will give Schreyer free hands - some excellent design can be produced then.

Good for KIA!

Great design but wrong manufacturer to begin with

I agree 100%.

it's called stimuli generalization.

from the picture, it looks like an ugly car with cool LED light, which probably won't make it to the production model, so the production model will just be an ugly car.

I'm really in eager anticipation of new Euro-designed KIAs.

Why?

Recently Schreyer (KIAs Euro design chief; ex Audi design chief) lured many young & talanted VW and Audi designers into his KIA Euro-design team.

One name is especially worthy to be mentioned: Robert Lesnik - the man responsible for current VW exterior design - especially face & rear (Concept R, Concept C, Eos, Passat). Same guy also designed exterior of VW IROC Concept / upcoming Scirroco.

With recent changes in VW organizational structure (new CEO, new bosses, new design directions etc) many young designers & junior managers left VAG, since their ideas & solutions were overridden by (new) senior executives.

Yep, under Schreyer's command KIA's Euro-design center is becoming one 'helluva' design team.



I really do hope KIA executives will give this design team a chance, and realize all the fresh ideas.