Online automotive resource What Car? has received word that Kia Motors Co. is developing two hardtop convertibles.
There are few details. The convertibles will most likely be based on the Cee’d platform which will makes its first public appearance at the upcoming Paris Motor Show later this month. The Korean automaker displayed a hardtop convertible concept named the KCV III at the 2004 North American International Auto Show but had announced no plans to produce it.
Our take? Kia has long had a reputation for basic, inexpensive cars. It has been interesting to follow it and parent company Hyundai Motors as both moved up the car-buying segment into the hotly-contested mid-market. It can be speculated that since there are no reports that Hyundai is building a hardtop convertible, the automaker could be repositioning Kia with its own unique vehicles for a different market segment. On the other hand, Hyundai could have already developed such vehicles but What Car? only received reports about Kia’s vehicles which would be released later.
Via What Car?
Burtreyn0lds,
Don’t forget the Chinese
first saturn now the korean car companies, i have a feeling the *** gonna hit the fan come recession time and these low dollar brands have all turned to higher dollar luxury and sport car companies
I’ve heard the same as well. It’s hard to believe a Kia to be sporty.
Yeah, I think in the greater scheme of things, they’re positioning Kia as the “sporty” brand, and Hyundai as the “upscale” brand. It makes sense that they’d make a Kia roadster. However, you’d think a premium feature like a retractable hardtop would be something Hyundai would want to have. Hmm. I say kudos to both for breaking out of their “cheap” mold and making higher-quality and more desirable cars with every model year.