Kia's MX-5 rival revealed!

Be yourself not a copy

Kia shouldn't be trying to emulate what Seat is to VW, its been a disaster, just look at the sales.

Kia should just keep making better and better products while improving value and quality even more. They also have to get better at marketing.

By Arrowsmith on 25 March, 2011, 3:12pm

Pontiac Solstice??

I's it me or does this car look like a warmed over Pontiac Solstice? Short of the different tail lights and headlights this is a dead ringer for the Solstice. If KIA bought the rights to the tooling and design, I think thats a smart move since the Solstice was a decent car looking for a quality manufacturer. Good for GM and KIA.

By NWEnglish on 25 March, 2011, 3:31pm

@NWEnglish

Your right, it looks almost exactly like a Pontiac Solstice.

By Vauxhallstinks on 25 March, 2011, 4:17pm

NWEnglish: That's just a photoshopped version of the Solstice. I photoshop cars as well, and I would have changed a LOT more than that artist did, the base car is just too obvious and has nothing to do with Kia's current design language. You can rest assured that Peter Schreyer will NOT be using a Solstice as a base. I'm quite excited to see what he comes up with in a sports car. His new designs for Kia are stunning and there is no reason to think his Kia sportscar would be any less.

By artandcolour on 25 March, 2011, 7:20pm

Hmm...

Not sold.

By chickenfeed on 25 March, 2011, 9:22pm

Looks cool enough to me, especially the back. Not keen on the shape of the KIA grille generally but it looks OK like this. Solstice was pretty good looking car- prefer this though. Looks less girly than an MX5!

By uncle_paulie on 26 March, 2011, 7:20am

Pontiac Solstice & VW Marketing

@ NWEnglish, you took the words out of my mouth. This looks very much like the Pontiac Solstice, however I hope KIA does a better job at marketing this car than GM did globally. It truly is beautiful.

VW is a successful marketing and manufacturing Company, and there cannot be anything wrong with copying a concept that has proven to be successful. The way VW owns Audi, VW and Seat and builds the 3 brands on the same plafform and manages to market them all different and at different cost is nothing but pure genious. So if KIA/Hyandai wants to follow this trent, I say, go for it.

By Caribbean on 29 March, 2011, 7:47am

Yep! Definitely a Solstice

Thought it looked familiar, checked out the photos of the Solstice and yes, definitely a smart reworking of it. I think it looks great and the way these boys keep improving I think others in the Mazda/VW camps should be worried.

By asmithdesign on 29 March, 2011, 8:53am

Its not anythnig other than a A/E photoshop.

It's a PHOTOSHOP done by A/E.
It will look nothing like that at all, you can bet your life on it.
What is the point of announcing the possibility of a new car, and imagining what it "could" look like? You have no idea what it will look like. Kia probably have no idea what it will look like, even if the idea of an MX-5 rival is true.
Fake renderings are no use to anyone. Facts would be much better. Would A/E like the definition of fact, or are you able to read a dictionary yourselves?
ANOTHER total non story.

By Tazfan2 on 29 March, 2011, 9:15am

But the Pontiac Solice is a much more balanced & stylish better looker!

The AE photos are showing a possible derative of the well styled and smart sporty Pontiac Solice. The photos are showing something that is nowhere as smart or so well styled - sorry - nice try but the original is much better! Another sad example of GMs incomptence with a headcount of 1000s their sales and marketing still did not get this really off the ground like the MX5 etc.

Is GMs competence now in the year 2011 any better really? I have a sinking feeling GM in spite of all its technical expertise and facilities still has not really learnt a lot in designing practical cars for the future where fossil fuel will be terribly expensive or even virually non existant!

Does Photoshop really enable one to produce such restyled images ?

By vandenplas4litre on 29 March, 2011, 10:45am

Don't knock before you try it!!

Sorry guys, but who cares Solice this and Solice that!! to me this is a brand that is doing fairly well where others are slipping! nice looking brut! I'll have one anytime!

By taaudi on 29 March, 2011, 11:50am

KIA Mania...

Based on KIA's current form, once the final design has been signed off it will probably look even better than AE's speculative rendering. My one plea to KIA though would be that they supply a rear wheel drive platform for the car otherwise it won't be taken seriously.

By sgtgrash on 29 March, 2011, 4:39pm

Suuuuuupeeeeerb!

It looks fantastic, much better than the old fashioned MX5. Keep it up KIA. If it drives as good as it looks it will be Superb!

By denjar on 29 March, 2011, 4:47pm

3Deuce27

Welcome a new Sporty from KIA, but the image is a photo shopped Solstice.
We can all hope that the KIA Sporty doesn't drive like one(Solstice). The Solstice was a real disappointment as a driving experience, compared to the Miata, and that was comparing it to a 93' Miata a 16 year old car.

By 3Deuce27 on 29 March, 2011, 6:20pm

Confused

How can people still be commenting as if the rendering is real? It isn't real. Its is a photoshop created by A/E. It is not from KIA. It has nothing to do with KIA. It is a creation of Auto Expresses' (wrong more times than even close) imagination.

By Tazfan2 on 30 March, 2011, 8:50am

Original picture...

The original of the rear picture can be found here...

http://wiisit.com/Pontiac-Solstice-GXP,-2007_81.html

Flick it over. Change the colour of the mirrors, add a bit of shaing and play with brushes...

By Yorkie on 30 March, 2011, 7:12pm

Kia KEE

The rendering is loosely based on the Kia KEE Concept car:

http://image.automobilemag.com/f/multimedia/photo_gallery/7104124+w1024+h768+st0/0709_03a+2007_kia_kee_concept+rear_view.jpg

By witcher91 on 5 April, 2011, 3:43pm

nee Solstice

Truthfully, the solstice was bloated. It was almost as wide as a Corvette, with no room inside it. The alternate version from Saturn was a much better design, sleeker, balanced. Not to say it was perfect either, but still. This photoshop version reminds me a bit of the 1990 Mercury Capri that was supposed to also compete with the Miata and fizzled badly. I've got a 90 Miata that's my primary and it's great. I'd appreciate a coupe though, with the heat of summer, Arizona top down is brutal.

By thewizardofaz on 5 April, 2011, 5:49pm

Toy

The MX5 is a winner and you only ahve to read the reviews from many different respected auto journalists to see. It has a proven formula and the Kia will have a lot to live up to. It's not just looks it is how it drives and until you have driven an MX5 regardless of whether some of you say it looks old fashioned or girly, I bet it drives a lot better than what some of you making these comments are driving. The new Mk 3 facelift is a great looking car and not forgetting Mazda will be working on the Mark 4 which will simply blow this Kia out of the water, they have the histiry of the MX5 to build on, Kia's car simply looks like a toy, I'd still have an MX5 any day. Some will agree some won't it's called choice, I know which I'd rather choose.

By Scubasa1 on 12 April, 2011, 9:48am

Tazfan2.......and me. What a lot of 'chatter' about a non-existent car!

By barina47 on 24 April, 2011, 10:29am