The fact that the vehicle is being called the "GT1" means it won't be a big boat like the G80. The chauffeur role of Kia has already been relegated to the K8, which they even renamed from the K7 to denote its rise in status. Not to mention that the
Stinger has always been a bigger vehicle than the G70.
Didn't say that it was going to be the same size as the G80, but closer, and more importantly, more upmarket than its predecessor.
Both things are needed to even have a chance in its domestic market.
More importantly, the
Stinger was on its deathbed globally well before they announced the cancellation, with the axing of the 4-cylinder in most global markets and getting the 2.5T years before the G70 to incentivize sales.
Kia axed both the diesel and the 4-pot in Europe, and despite the high CO2 taxes (as well as having been canceled), the V6
Stinger still outsells the G70 in Germany and Switzerland (also vastly outsells the G70 in Australia).
And prior to that, the
Stinger would outsell the entire RWD lineups for Lexus and
Infiniti in Germany by a good margin.
Even with adding a shooting brake bodystyle, the G70 doesn't even come close see to those nos.
G70 sales were double that of the
Stinger in South Korea. HMG saw less of a case to keep that vehicle alive than the G70- yet an EV replacement is being developed anyway.
Genesis already has the G80 and G90 for the Korean market.
With the K9 being dropped, Kia needs a RWD "sedan" to slot above the K8, as the upper end of the lux market is highly lucrative in Korea.
Would not be surprised if this
Stinger "replacement" is a good bit closer to the price of the Electrified G80 than the G70.
The only "Genesis coupe" we may be getting in the near future is the X, which has literally nothing to do with the sedans.
The coupe was never going to be a 2-door version of the existing sedans, but a different design.
However, the initial plan for the Genesis lineup called for an entry-level/compact coupe, but they abandoned that plan and decided to go with a larger (midsize) 2-door (despite the higher price segment) as that would be something more likely to sell in Korea than a competitor to the 4 Series.
That the sales numbers are even within reach of each other in these countries despite Genesis not even having a proper dealer network in any of these countries says more about the Kia than it does the Genesis...
Can't keep using that excuse as the GV70 doesn't seem to have any problem selling in far greater nos. than the G70.
For instance, for May/June in Australia, Kia moved
641 Stingers, with only a handful being the 4 pot, so healthy margins.
Genesis, otoh, sold a measly
11 G70s, but managed to move
280 GV70s.
Here, Genesis sales are up 21.7% for the year, but G70 sales are
down 4.6%.
And that's despite the G70 being priced a good bit lower (relative to its competition) than the GV70, and having by far the largest discounts in the Genesis lineup.
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