Billed as a more affordable Mercedes-Benz CLS, the yet-unnamed car will essentially be a more conservative version of the GT Concept that bowed at the 2011 Frankfurt Motor Show.
The GT Concept was powered by a 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 with a power output of 390 horsepower. The production version of the car will be tamer and will rely on a wide range of gasoline, diesel and hybrid drivetrains that will send power to the rear wheels. The only rear-drive platform that Kia currently has access to is the one that underpins Hyundai's Genesis. Unless a new platform is quickly developed, the four-door coupe will borrow its chassis from Hyundai.
If the rumor is to be believed, Kia is in the early stages of developing the car and its debut is still several years away.
"We'll have to wait until at least 2016 before the four-door coupé arrives, but when it does it will mark Kia out as a genuine cut-price rival to the German premium brands, and be the crowning glory of [Kia design chief Peter] Schreyer's revamped line-up," an anonymous source told the U.K.'s Auto Express.
Developed as Kia's halo car, the four-door coupe will be sold in Asia, in Europe and in the United States.
