Kia’s GT models are about to get hotter

'Warm' GT models? “That’s gone now”.

Ford reserves the RS badge for hero models. Holden, in its last days, stuck it on a barely-warmed Astra.

More recently, Kia's GT models have sat somewhere between those two ideas – but now it appears to have found clarity in its plan.

Responding to the notion that Kia’s GT models are only warm options rather than hot, local product planning boss Roland Rivero told us this week: “that’s gone now”.

“As an example… probably revealing too much, but I’ll give an example: there’ll never be another case where the 1.6 turbo Cerato will be a GT. It’ll just be a GT-Line.”

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In this respect, it seems Kia is aligning to some extent with Hyundai’s approach: the 1.6 turbo is used in the i30 N-Line, while the lone designate N is for proper hotties.

“Yes. So, to get the GT badge, it has to perform.”

Would that make it a full N equivalent, however? On this, Rivero would not be moved to comment. Indeed, Rivero could offer no specific insight on where a newly hotted-up GT model – such as a Cerato GT – would sit in the segment, but clearly it will at least go harder than the variant offered today.

“I would say it’s more hot than warm, whereas right now – your words – the Cerato GT is really a ‘warm’ not a ‘hot’. From now on, GT means hot.”

Rivero went on to say that the upcoming EV6 eGT “can proudly wear the GT badge and be considered hot”.

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This latest evolution of Kia’s GT brand is sure to be good news for Kia fans – yes, there are hardcore Kia fans these days – with the Hyundai Group’s former performance boss Albert Biermann telling this writer at the 2018 Detroit Motor Show the existing GT range is “good enough”.

Fun, sure. But “good enough”? Now that’s open to interpretation.

The next-gen Cerato is expected to debut sometime in 2024 or 2025, and it stands to reason that could be the first model – other than the EV6 eGT – to debut a hotter GT variant.

Of course, as more brands move to electrify their performance models – even the all-conquering AMG C63 – could it be that future GT models will draw on electric power for their extra shove? Time will tell.