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Kia GT teased ahead of January debut and Australian launch

The upcoming 2017 Kia GT sports sedan has been teased again in a new video, ahead of its scheduled unveiling on January 8, 2017.


In this latest teaser, the new model is shown tackling the famed Nurburgring race track, hitting speeds up to 244km/h.

What should be the Kia GT's exhaust note can be heard throughout the video clip as well, and it sounds pretty sporty.

The teaser video and announcement of the car's reveal comes less than a week after the production version was leaked in an image online, snapped at the factory.

While the Kia has remained tight-lipped about the details of the new rear-wheel drive sedan, it appears the production version of the 2011 Kia GT concept will be geared towards sportiness and driver engagement as opposed to comfort and luxury like the upcoming Genesis G70 from parent company Hyundai.

Expected in Australia in the third quarter of 2017, the Kia GT - or 'K8' in its home market of South Korea - will sit above the Optima medium sedan in the company's local line-up, and between the Cadenza (K7) and larger K900 (K9) sold in overseas markets like the US.


Above: 2011 Kia GT concept

It's unknown what will power the Kia GT when it arrives Down Under, but it's believed the new sedan will share its platform with the Genesis G70 mid-sizer, which means it could also feature the 272kW/509Nm 3.3-litre turbocharged V6 that powers the Genesis G80 Sport (known here still as the Hyundai Genesis) and is also set to feature in the G70's line-up.


Australia

Kia's local arm has made it clear it plans to make the new model its top-shelf offering, with the first examples likely to hit Australian showrooms late next year.

In terms of pricing, Kia Australia chief operating officer, Damien Meredith, said in June: "We will be sensible about our price points with the car. Ideally we would love it to be in that segment that’s under luxury car tax, somewhere just above – just above – Optima. If you work in that band, that’s where we want to be".

That means the GT will be positioned between the Optima and the Genesis in terms of pricing, likely starting in the low-$40,000 bracket and topping out just under $60,000.

For fans of the rear-wheel drive sports sedan, the Kia GT could be the next-best thing once production of the locally-produced Holden Commodore ceases in October 2017.

What are your thoughts of the upcoming Kia GT/K8? Let us know in the comments below

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