Autocar UK – 31 July 2019

AUDI POISED TO UPDATE Q 5 NEXT YEAR

Audi will follow the recently facelifted A4 and Q

with a similar update for the Q5 next year. Seen

with a new grille and refreshed lights, it will also

get mild-hybrid petrol and diesel engines and new

infotainment. Expect more details in early 2020.

ASTON SHARE PRICE FALLS TO NEW LOW

Aston Martin’s share price has slumped after the

firm slashed its 2019 sales and profit forecasts. The

share price is over 60% lower than when Aston

was floated in October. It expects to make about

1000 fewer cars this year than previous forecasts.

Rio-based sporty SUV

would sit alongside

the next-gen Stonic

Kia mulls an ‘Xrio’ to

cover all SUV bases

KIA IS CONSIDERING adding

a second supermini-sized

crossover, possibly badged

Xrio, to respond to growing

demand for high-riding

cars, according to the firm’s

product planning boss.

The new model would be in

addition to Kia’s existing

B-segment SUV, the Stonic.

The expansion of high-

riding bodystyles at the

Korean maker has recently

been bolstered by the Ceed

hatch-based Xceed, a model

that, Kia claims, could

become the firm’s bestseller.

“What we are looking at is

whether the market is going

to split into low and high

seating positions for SUVs

and crossovers and whether

we need five models to cover

the market or four,” David

Labrosse, Kia Europe’s head

of product planning, told

Autocar, “and whether some

should be electric or not.”

Booming Xceed sales

would make a strong case

for a sporty Rio-based SUV.

“Nothing is decided, but

that’s a decision on the table

right now,” said Kia Europe’s

COO Emilio Herrera.

Herrera believes the more

car-like driving manners

of the Xceed could push it

beyond 100,000 sales in

Europe in 2021. In its first

ye a r of s a l e s , i n 2 0 2 0 ,

Herrera expects it to reach

around 80,000 units.

As the Sportage ages, its

sales are forecast to drop

from 125,000 last year

to 110,000 this year and

possibly under 100,000 in

2020, dipping below the

XCeed’s.

Kia classifies the SUV

segments as B-high/B-

low and C-high/C-low by

differing seating positions.

Currently, Kia covers the

market with four models: the

B-segment Stonic (B-low)

and, in the C-segment, the

Xceed (C-low) and Niro and

Sportage (both C-high).

The Stonic is a relatively

new model and due a facelift

i n l a te 2 0 2 0/ 2 0 2 1 , w i th a

replacement arriving in

around 2023/2024.

Although the Stonic has a

crossover body, its seating

position is set at the same

height as the Rio hatch’s,

which some insiders believe

should change for the

next model.

The next-

generation Stonic

could evolve into a

more ‘formal’ SUV,

making space for

a low-roof, sporty

crossover in the

mould of the Xceed,

based on the Rio.

of lower kerb weight and

increased power means the Kia

feels like a potent performer,

even within Silverstone’s wide

expanses, which tend to sap

speed sensations.

But it’s that soundtrack

that really makes you giggle,

the hard-edged metallic note

hardening and the volume

increasing hilariously as the

u n i t r e a l l y g e t s i nto i t s str i d e

beyond 4000rpm. Flat-chat

upshifts (the eight-speed auto

has been recalibrated) are

accompanied by a shotgun

crack and there’s a lovely

popping on the overrun.

A s yo u’d ex p e c t w i th su c h

specialised tyres, grip is

tenacious – an observation

that’s brought into focus by

some earlier sighting laps in

a standard GT-S, which soon

struggles to contain its mass

in such testing conditions.

There’s not much feel through

the GT420’s steering, but

there’s bags of front-end bite,

allowing you to place the car

accurately.

Through faster turns, the

Kia takes a neutral stance,

with little lifts and dabs of the

throttle being all that’s needed

to subtly shift the car’s balance

and attitude. And although

there’s still some body roll, it’s

well controlled, even through

fast direction changes. With so

l i t tl e we i g ht ove r th e r e a r a x l e

and a muscular torque output,

you’d expect the Stinger to

slide sideways out of slower

corners but, in the dry at least,

traction is terrific. Provoke it

and it’ll happily be coaxed into

neatly controllable oversteer. 

The braking is even more

arresting, the Brembo

brakes tirelessly hauling the

Stinger down from big speeds,

with a well-weighted and

progressive pedal.

The car’s relatively short

gestation means it’s a little

rough around the edges

and there’s a sense of more

potential to be unlocked: at

around 1700kg, it’s still no

lightweight. Yet the GT420 is

immense fun, and although Kia

vehemently maintains it’s a

one-off, the twinkle in the eyes

of the engineers suggest some

of the lessons learned here

may just filter through to more

focused Kias in the future.

JAMES DISDALE

Stripped-out

cabin helps cut

weight by 150kg

Logos give big

clues about what

Kia has tweaked

Disdale is

impressed by the

car’s potency

GT420 looks the

part and sounds

even better

IMAGE

Xceed^ has^ set^ the^

template^ for^ Xrio

NEWS

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