Spied! Two Kia GT Mules Captured Testing in Death Valley

Earlier this week we brought you images of a new small crossover from Hyundai-Kia. In that same convoy of test mules were two Kia GT prototypes, and our own associate editor Christian Seabaugh got close enough to hear them and make some powertrain guesses.

Spotted in Death Valley, the two cars feature different tailpipe and wheel designs. But one key difference between them was the sound. Seabaugh reports hearing what sounded like a V-8 in one of the prototypes, possibly a version of Hyundai-Kia’s Tau engine found in the Genesis G80, G90, and Kia K900. The 5.0-liter Tau V-8 makes 420 hp and 383 lb-ft of torque in the top-trim G80 and G90 models. The other prototype sounded turbocharged, so it could have been equipped with the twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 that we’ve heard the Kia GT is getting. That engine makes 365 hp and 375 lb-ft in the G90. However, we’ve also heard the twin-turbo 3.3-liter will be Genesis-exclusive. Sharing engines with those larger rear-drive models makes sense, as the Kia is expected to ride on the same platform as the G80.

The car hasn’t changed much since we last saw it, but we can now more clearly see cut lines in the camo for the rear hatch, confirming that it will get a liftback-style trunk like the Audi A7. That shouldn’t come as too big a surprise, as the GT was penned by Hyundai-Kia chief designer Peter Schreyer, who designed the A7 when he was at Audi.

We’ve heard that the Kia GT will arrive in the U.S. in 2017 as a 2018 model year. When it does, we expect it to start below $40,000.

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