With VW wading into the budget roadster segment with its forthcoming BlueSport mid-engine roadster, it seems that Kia wants in on the action as well. Reports are surfacing in Europe and the US that the Korean automaker is making good on Peter Schreyer’s threats, and is developing its first roadster since it bought up the tooling and IP for Lotus’s front-drive Elan, which it sold in Korea between 1996 and 1999.
According to AutoBild, the new Kia roadster will be even shorter than the old Elan at around 144 inches, and should weigh about the same as the Miata at “just over 1000 kg” (2,204 lbs, or). With rear-drive, a 200 HP turbo engine, dual-clutch as an option and a mandatory cloth soft top, the new roadster is already being referred to as a “halo” by Kia’s US staff, so there’s no reason to suspect that this will be Euro-only forbidden fruit, although it will likely debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in 2013. In the meantime, Kia will be developing this roadster’s all-new, rear-drive platform jointly with Hyundai, which should likely offer its own iteration about six months after Kia does (a Toyobaru coupe-fighter, perhaps?). With VW, Toyota, Nissan and now Hyundai-Kia getting into the lightweight rear-drive game, it seems we may just be at the dawning of a new age of unprecedented enthusiast options.
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Don’t forget the GM Alpha plaform!
If they can keep the mission focused as a lightweight Miata-fighter then hopefully we won’t see an Alpha-like weight creep.
Looking forward to seeing this!
OH BOY!!!!
Drop in the 274 hp 2.0 DI Turbo and give it the steering feel of a Miata, price it similarily to the Sonata and I’ll be very interested. I’ll take the stick.
Make it a 4 seat hatch back coupe with suicide rear door (no B pillar), enough room in the back for 2 adults, an efficient 200 ish hp engine sub 3000lb for a reasonable price and I’ll want one
So, a conventionally-powered Mazda RX-8? I’m game for that. Also wouldn’t mind seeing a compact RWD four-door hatch.
If Mazda offered the 2.3 liter turbo in the RX-8, or even the NA 2 liter from the Miata, sales would be pretty good. Of course then it would have to be the MX-8, but I can live with that.
You’re looking for an RX-8. This is a mid-engine convertible. Do you really think a mid-engine 4-seater is a good idea?
I can’t read the German on Autobild’s site, but is this going to be rear-mid engined? I’m guessing not.
“With VW, Toyota, Nissan and now Hyundai-Kia getting into the lightweight rear-drive game…”
Sir, didn’t you report “[n]o word on whether the $23k-ish coupe will be offered stateside, but it will be available in Japan in the latter half of 2010.” regarding the forth coming Nissan coupe?
It would be interesting to see a mid engine roadster with 2000lbs and 200 hp turbo engine. That sounds like a blast to drive.
Yay for more roadsters!
Make the top an in car one handed manual operation with a glass rear window and defroster and skip the weight / expense of a power top option.
And an all wheel drive diesel hatch for the man who wants everything! ;)
Seriously, some miata(no MX-5 crap)competition would be lovely…
The best news an auto buyer can hear these days is that Hyundai/Kia is about to enter a segment that buyer is interested in.
In the end the buyer might not choose an H/K product, but H/K will put pressure on every other carmaker and drive a general increase in quality, styling, innovation, and features at a given price point.
Sign me up – if it is anything like my 2011 Sportage it’ll be great!