Kia has made a solid name for itself in the US, but the South Korean automaker has bigger aspirations. Unlike its compatriot, Hyundai, it doesn't plan to launch a luxury line or sports brand. But it is going to make sportier cars, like the upcoming GT sedan. We have seen a bit of the GT testing at the Nurburgring, although that prototype was covered in camo. Thanks to Kia-World we now have this image of what looks to be a nearly finished GT. According to Kia-World the GT will be known as the K8 in South Korea and will share powertrains with the Genesis G70.

We don't know much about the GT, but we do know that a V8 is off the table. Albert Biermann, head of performance development at both Hyundai and Kia, confirmed as much in a chat with Autocar earlier this year. Since the G70 will go up against the likes of the BMW 3 Series, expect a range of four-cylinder engines and a top-tier V6, perhaps the 3.3-liter twin-turbo unit shared by the G90 and G80. The GT seen here bears some resemblance to the concept car that debuted five years ago at the Frankfurt Motor Show. We can't see the front end but it looks as if the gaping air intakes might have been kept, albeit in shrunken form. That rear-end with the rail-thin wraparound tail lights and squared-off trunk also appears to have made the cut.

Those wheels are different from the concept's but still look kind of cool! Still, this thing has a bit too much in common with Kia's sedans currently on the market, at least when viewed from this angle. That's certainly not a bad thing. But if the South Koreans want to run with the big boys over in Germany they'll eventually need to start taking some risks on the design end. Here's hoping Kia proves us wrong and unveils a visually stunning GT sedan in the next few months.