Remember the Stinger GT S? It was a car for those of us who still believe driving should be a visceral experience, not just a commute. Well, Kia has finally shown us its spiritual successor, the Vision Meta Turismo, and it’s a stunning piece of “Opposites United: Evolution” design that looks ready to devour the Autobahn. There’s just one tiny, accountant-shaped problem: it’s currently too expensive to actually build.
Presented in Korea to mark Kia’s 80th anniversary, the Vision Meta Turismo isn’t just a flight of fancy; design boss Karim Habib admits it’s about 90% ready for the assembly line. It’s a low-slung, four-door “super GT” aimed squarely at the generation that grew up on Gran Turismo rather than grease and carburetors. In a segment Kia dominates but admits is getting a bit crowded, the Meta Turismo is a breath of fresh, electrified air.
But don’t reach for your checkbook just yet. Habib was honest with Autocar, noting that the cost of producing high-performance EVs is the primary bottleneck. While we wait for the price of batteries to stop behaving like a volatile tech stock, Kia is focusing on “Evolution, not Revolution”. They’ve dubbed their updated design language a “sequel”, which is a polite way of saying they’ve found a look that works and they aren’t about to break it.
Interestingly, Kia’s interior lead Jochen Paesen thinks the “gamer generation” doesn’t care about the synthetic V8 roars or fake gearshifts that traditional petrolheads crave. Instead, they want an “authentic” digital experience. It’s a bold gamble: replacing the soul of a V6 with a minimalist, functional aesthetic that feels like a high-end lounge.
While we wait for this halo car to become financially “sustainable,” Kia will keep the lights on with the EV1, an electric Picanto successor due in 2027. But we’re all just waiting for the day the bean counters finally give the green light to the Meta Turismo’s 90% finished dream.
