Kia's Commodore fighter here next year

Just when you thought big, affordable rear-drive sedans would go the way of the Dodo when Holden's final homegrown Commodore rolls off the line at the end of next year, along comes a potential replacement from the unlikeliest of sources: Kia.

That's right, the upstart Korean brand will not only launch its first rear-wheel drive passenger car in Australia in the third quarter of next year – before local Commodore production ceases – but it will be priced from about $40,000.

Furthermore, Kia's all-new flagship sedan – codenamed CK but likely to be called 'Stinger' – will be available with a 270kW twin-turbo V6 for about $50,000, undercutting the $60K-plus Hyundai Genesis on which it's expected to be based.

Although he was reluctant to be quoted because a production version of the stunning 2011 Kia GT concept; is yet to be confirmed let alone revealed, Kia Australia COO Damien Meredith confirmed all of the above to motoring.com.au today.

Disguised versions of the production GT have been photographed in Korea for more than a month and we expect the showroom version to make its world debut at the Detroit motor show next January.

When he revealed it almost five years ago in Germany, Kia (and now Hyundai) design chief Peter Schreyer – who has since overseen the renewal of Kia's entire model range -- made it clear the GT concept was his crowning glory and the model he most wanted to see in Kia dealerships.

Now, even at the risk of getting his wrist slapped by Kia's Seoul HQ, Meredith can't hide his enthusiasm for a new brand flagship that is locked in for an Australian release in a little over 12 months.

"We can't wait for CK," he said. "It will be here in the third quarter of next year, in two specifications priced from about $40,000."

Kia's local chief ruled out the 5.0-litre V8 fitted to both the GT concept and – in overseas markets -- Hyundai's facelifted Genesis large sedan, which will be known as the Genesis G80 when it arrives here in the first half of next year.

But he confirmed the Stinger – confusingly, the same name applied to a smaller Kia concept now unlikely to reach production – will come here with the G80's new biturbo 3.3-litre V6, which delivers 270kW and 510Nm – around the same outputs offered by Holden's 6.0-litre V8-powered Commodore SS before it was upgraded late last year.

Meredith also made it clear the large four-door 'coupe' will be aimed at traditional Commodore sports sedan buyers, who will not have access to a rear-drive sedan when the last Australian-made Commodore is replaced by an imported model based on Germany's next-generation Opel Insignia.

"It's perfect timing," he said. "CK will arrive just before the unfortunate demise of Australian car manufacturing, and it will appeal to the same buyers in that segment. It’s a great opportunity for us."

While mainstream versions of the first imported Commodore will be front-wheel drive and fitted with four-cylinder petrol and diesel engines, performance versions – which could wear SS, VXR or OPC badges – should bring a circa-300kW turbo-petrol V6 driving all four wheels.

However, unlike the big new Kia, no 2018 Commodore models will offer rear-wheel drive – a configuration once promoted by Mark Skaife in Holden's Commodore advertising, and still a key ingredient of large premium sedans from BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz.

Interestingly, while it remains to be seen whether the Kia GT show car's rear-hinged 'suicide' rear doors continue into production, the side profile of both the concept and the disguised prototype appears similar to that of the next Insignia/Commodore.

While Kia has ruled out a local release for the wagon version of its current passenger car flagship (the Optima, which tops out at $44,000) the next Commodore will again be available in wagon form.

However, while spy shots reveal the 2018 Commodore 'sedan' will in fact be a five-door liftback for the first time, the Kia Stinger -- if it stays true to the Kia GT concept -- will be a traditional four-door booted sedan, albeit with sleek coupe-like proportions not unlike the Audi A7 and Mercedes-Benz CLS.

Like all Kias, it will also undergo a rigorous Australian chassis tuning program before its release in less than 18 months.