BrownPride

I'm certainly impressed with the effort they've put forth. From the exterior and interior design to the performance credentials they really did their homework. Meanwhile, GM on the other hand probably still can't figure out why their Chevy SS flopped on the market. It was a badge engineered car from overseas with ancient tech, unimpressive styling, and a poor interior. I'd definitely like Kia to prove me wrong as far as sales go and show that there is a place for RWD, 360 hp sedan on the market from a non-luxury brand.

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Kia got it right going after the A7, which is smarter than going after the SS

mmarshall

There was nothing wrong with the car (I did a full-review on a new SS). GM just wouldn't build the darn things....they limited first-year production to just a couple of thousand (I was actually pretty lucky to find one to do a review on). I've said it many times,and I'll say it again......you cannot sell what you don't build.

GM just wants to phase out Holden-based engineering...despite the fact that Holden vehicles are well-designed and generally durable. The usual reasons...it costs too much.

.............which is exactly what it needed to compete with the Dodge Charger SRT. Actually, the interior wasn't bad at all.....the usual GM good level of fit/finish and attention to detail.


Well, there's one sure-fire way to help do that.....

Aron9000

GM Australia/Holden had some extra capacity(like a few thousand units) at their factory, thus we got the Chevy SS(and police spec Caprice) in limited quantities. It was a way for GM to use the extra capacity and make a quick $$$$, you can tell they didn't take any time to try and restyle the car for our market. Still it was an awesome chassis and engine in a very plain/boring wrapper IMO. All of that is a moot point, since GM(and Ford) closed its factory in Australia and there is no more big V8 Aussie cars in the world.

TangoRed

Yup.

Albert Biermann, previously head of BMW M, and his engineers are assigned to Hyundai and Kia though. Gotta start somewhere. It won't be a big seller but it's a statement.

Maybe at the beginning, but there was plenty sitting on lots unsold this year. The bland styling really didn't help things.

pman6

the other problem is that "kia" just sounds juvenile when pronounced.

Even Kelley Blue Book's youtube video of the stinger had the host chanting "k-k-k-kia", a spin from the Chia pet anthem.

"yo, what do you drive?"
"a kia"

not trying to be a brand snob, but just listen to the sound of that.
I wish kia lots of success, if only to push toyota, honda, and nissan to make some mainstream rwd cars themselves. Bring over some lexus and infiniti platforms, add some cloth seats, and sell em for cheaper.

Back in the 80's, everything was RWD. we need to go back to that.

Aron9000

Agreed, Nissan sold A LOT of interesting RWD(and AWD cars based off those RWD platforms) in the late 80's/90's, and except for the 300zx, we didn't get any of the good stuff they sold in Japan. No turbo fours or turbo inline sixes in the states, no Skylines, no turbo Silva's, no turbo 180SX, no turbo Cedrics or Glorias

mmarshall

Well, the styling isn't any more bland than that of its chief competitor, the Dodge Charger, which sells like hotcakes......though I will admit that the SS doesn't offer the wild retro paint-color choice that the Charger does, which is reminiscent of late 60s/early 70s Dodge/Plymouth muscle cars.

The main difference seems to be that Chrysler was committed to both the Charger and Challenger, whereas GM basically limited its production efforts to the Camaro.

Lexuslvr91

Nothing special compared to what?

Lexuslvr91

It also didn't help that the SS only came in one trim level, fully loaded V8 at $45k vs $27 V6 for the Charger.

TangoRed

We'll have to agree to disagree there. The Charger styling is rather distinct from other vehicles on the road and has a high degree of recognition. An SS goes down the road and non-enthusiasts wonder if its a performance Malibu.

mmarshall

Well, I certainly respect your opinion (I always have) . But as I see it, it really doesn't look that much different from many other large sedans, and its four doors (as opposed to the original Charger's two) is, IMO, a drawback for Charger enthusiasts. (that four door weakness, of course, also affects the Chevy SS). It does, however, have some ties to the original with the scalloped-sides on the body panels.

It is definitely a performance car. Try one out yourself, if you can find one available.

Also, don't forget that many of the most successful American muscle-cars of all time, including 60s-vintage GTOs, Road Runners, Torino GTs, Malibu SS, etc..... were nothing but large-engined versions of the bread-and-butter mid-size coupes....Pontiac Tempest/LeMans, Plymouth Belvedere/Satellite, Ford Fairlane, Chevy Chevelle/Malibu, etc.... Except for some hood scoops/deck-spoilers, and some minor trim differences, there wasn't much to distinguish the performance versions from the bread-and-butter ones.

TangoRed

Definitely agree on that and I always value your opinion as well.

My brother owns a 6-speed SS with "Red Hot 2" paint. I logged about 400 miles in it over the holidays. Love the way it drives. Also totally aware of the classic hot take on a mid-size coupe/sedan formula, was just reinforcing my original point that the SS never looks particularly exciting imo despite being a distinct model. I guess my disappointment stims from the fact that the Holden and Vauxhall versions got more sporty looks depending on the trim.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

speaking of the 80's the same things were said about brands like honda, nissan/datsun, subaru, maybe not toyota so much... the brands were said as a put down, probably because they were 'foreign-sounding' all it takes is to keep bringing out winners, and eventually no one cares about the name unless it's truly ridiculous (daewoo wasn't the best ). but when hyundai did their 'rhymes with sunday' campaign, that made a big difference as in 'oh, i get it now'.

a kia k900 is no joke of a car. has it sold well? no. is it class competitive with big luxury sedans? well, not really, it's still on the 'value' side. is it great that they put it out there? sure!
i think it looks great by the way, although could do without the side buick portholes.



hyundai is still working on branding obviously, now with 3 brands in the u.s. (hyundai, kia, genesis). toyota has also had changes over time, it went to 3 including scion, but has now ditched that brand, so no one goes in a straight line toward perfection.

back to kia, i was behind a new optima the other day, looked WAY nicer than the current accord and camry. sorrento has done well. cadenza is a screaming value and very nice car. my only beef with kia and hyundai is the interiors are kinda cheap looking and not very stylish. they need a makeover. sorrento's ride has been criticized as not class competitive. sedona is excellent but in a heavily competitive segment...

so kia/hyundai/genesis will keep plugging away... one benefit they have is 'trying things' in their domestic market before bringing them here. tastes won't be exactly the same but at least they can work out some of the kinks first.

Tantrix

Agreed. The name is a big liability for the company. Sounds like its a clothing brand for toddlers....like osh kosh.