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2018 Kia Stinger GT Long-Term Review Update | It's an ideal grand touring car

When you think GT car, you probably conjure up images of European sports coupes. Aston Martin DB11s, Ferrari Portofinos and the like. Surely you think of the Maserati Gran Turismo, its name literally being the long form of GT. They all share some key features. They're incredibly beautiful and stylish, they're very fast and they're actually reasonably comfortable and practical. You know what else fits that description? Our 2018 Kia Stinger GT. It nails all those criteria, and for a heck of a lot less money than those exotic coupes. First off, the Stinger GT is arguably the most distinct and exciting car in its small-to-midsize luxury sport sedan segment. It looks hunkered down over its massive 19-inch wheels. The proportions are proper with a long nose, short deck, and plenty of space between the front wheels and the base of the windshield. Its fastback shape both evokes classic coupes while also disguising its practical hatchback. It's a car with real presence wherever it goes, and the fact that it isn't selling in Camry numbers means that it's still rather cool to see one in the wild. In fact, when I came back from one of my press trips and was on the airport shuttle back to the parking lot, the driver became really excited when he saw I was driving our Stinger. He started asking me questions about it and how much he loved it when he saw it at the last Detroit Auto Show. So that's style nailed down. As for performance, the Stinger GT has plenty of that, too. Even though it's been in our fleet a few months, the twin-turbo V6 still impresses with its 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque. After just a minute delay when hitting the skinny pedal, boosted power hits with a rush, and of course that power is available throughout the rev band, meaning you never have to work the engine hard to go fast. It's coupled with an extremely composed chassis that doesn't lean too much, and is happy to leap into action at the behest of the very quick steering wheel. This all-wheel-drive model does feel a little less quick to turn in than the rear-drive model we had earlier this year, but it does also provide a certain feeling of security if the rear gets loose. Its big Brembo brakes bring the Stinger to a halt in a hurry, too, and with solid brake feel. It's all good enough that senior editor Alex Kierstein took one to a racetrack. The biggest issue I have with the car is the transmission.

Kia Sportspace Concept is a big, red wagon that previews the future

The Kia Sportspace Concept might preview some design elements for the next-gen Optima, but for now the Korean brand is keeping the focus on this somewhat sporty looking wagon on display at the Geneva Motor Show. Its shape is designed specifically to appeal to European tastes, and the styling comes from the company's design studio Frankfurt, Germany. Despite the European design ethos, there's no mistaking the Sportspace as anything but a Kia. Up front, it features a sharper version of the brand's familiar tiger-nose grille that runs horizontally to link the LED headlights. However, the major visual focus for the concept is the long roof and angled rear hatch. The designers even pitch the D-pillar forward for a slightly more sporty style. The interior almost appears to come from a completely different model. The combination of black upholstery with carbon fiber trim and large pieces of anodized aluminum makes it look like a very dark place for a drive. Kia is apparently trying to appeal to the Sportspace's Swiss audience, though. The company touts that there's enough room to store a set of skis by fitting them between the rear seats. Power for the Sportspace comes from a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder with 247 horsepower that spins the front wheels, but the automaker doesn't specify anything about the transmission that it all routes through. Looking at the current Optima, it isn't hard to see the future design evolving this way. Get a preview from this big, red wagon on the show floor of the Geneva show in our gallery, above. DESIGN OVERVIEW: THE KIA SPORTSPACE CONCEPT The working week is over. The late afternoon sun is glinting on the ice crystals in the road-side snowbanks and turning the snow-capped peaks ahead pink. The road snakes ahead towards a weekend of fun and action. The journey demands a swift, efficient and refined machine to allow the maximum pleasure to be extracted from the time available. This is exactly the role for which the Kia SPORTSPACE was conceived. Its muscular proportions are ready to deliver a safe, secure but speedy passage to the slopes. Its cosseting and refined interior provides convivial yet individual space for its four passengers. Its sleek and elegant lines – both inside and out – are functional but stylish, allowing its travelling partners both comfort and convenience within a bodyshape that stands out from the crowd. This is a concept that has extracting the maximum from life at its heart.

Kia GT spied looking like a rakish, sexy Forte

Just over four months ago, we told you that Kia would offer a production version of its handsome GT concept. Now, we have images of the svelte new four-door testing in Germany. It looks like we're getting a sexy, rear-drive performance sedan the size of a Kia Forte. And we're pretty stoked. Judging by our spy images, Kia is going to stick pretty close to the concept car's rakish lines. That means more four-door coupe than three-box sedan, which is precisely the kind of thing Kia could use. Beyond the overall shape, the headlights retain the same interesting shape as the concept, albeit in a more production-focused look. They crown a production-spec fascia, with more conventional vertical intakes. In back, the vehicle-spanning taillight element from the concept car appears to have been replaced by a conventional set of lamps – there's camo where the lighting element should be. Speaking of the tail, look at those tailpipes. Few things shout "Rawr, I'm a performance car," like a meaty set of quad exhausts. It's hard to tell here, but the rear fascia looks much more conventional than the GT concept, too, which went with a very aero-intensive design. Under the skin, our spies tell us the GT rides on a shortened version of the rear-drive platform slated to underpin the upcoming Genesis G70 – that backs up the reports that the GT would challenge the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. Our most recent report pointed to a range of four and six-cylinder engines from 2.0- to 3.3-liters. Our spies suggest that twin-turbocharged V6 will put out anywhere from 365 to 400 ponies. Obviously, this would be a range-topping model, but what a range-topper it would be. It's like a budget M4. Our best intelligence points to the GT's production debut at the 2016 Paris Motor Show, with an on-sale date in just under a year.