Kia still hasn't replaced the Stinger, and at this point, the car is beginning to feel like one of those bands that broke up too early and somehow gained a bigger following after disappearing. Dealers couldn't always move them when they were new. Now enthusiasts talk about the twin-turbo sedan like they're preserving history around a campfire.But Kia apparently hasn't forgotten about the idea entirely. It's just approaching the problem from a very different angle.Speaking with Autocar, Kia design boss Karim Habib confirmed the company is actively developing a production version of last year's Vision Meta Turismo concept, describing it as a "sports sedan for the gamer generation." Which, admittedly, sounds like a sentence generated by an algorithm trained entirely on Twitch streams and Gran Turismo loading screens. Still, underneath the marketing speak is something genuinely interesting: Kia wants another emotional halo car in the lineup, even if the recipe has changed completely.And yes, that means no combustion engine.The Vision Meta Turismo was first shown publicly during Milan Design Week. It has razor-sharp bodywork, a dramatically low roofline, and a lounge-style interior. Yet according to Habib, the project is further along than most concept cars ever get. He claims a fastback variant already exists in "90-percent production-ready" form.That's usually automaker code for "we're trying to convince finance not to kill it."Kia's internal debate now appears less about design feasibility and more about economics. Habib admitted the cost of developing a dedicated high-performance EV is slowing the project down. Which makes sense. Performance EVs remain brutally expensive to engineer, especially when you're not selling them at Porsche margins. Even then, just look at the financial narrative around Porsche right now.Still, Kia insists this won't simply be another sporty trim package slapped onto an existing crossover. The production Meta Turismo is reportedly being developed from the ground up as a dedicated electric sports sedan. In spirit, it sounds much closer to what the original Stinger represented - something slightly irrational inside a company otherwise busy selling practical family transportation."We have a small history of doing cars like the Stinger and that's something we don't want to give up on," Habib said.What's more interesting, though, is Kia's philosophy around performance itself. The company seems determined to avoid some of the fake theatrics currently creeping into the EV world. Hyundai's Ioniq 5 N and upcoming Ioniq 6 N lean heavily into simulated engine noises and artificial gear shifts designed to mimic internal combustion behavior. Some enthusiasts love it. Others think it feels like karaoke for drivetrains.Jochen Paesen, the company's head of interior design, said that younger buyers simply are not emotionally attached to combustion engines the same way older enthusiasts are. Artificial V8 noises and pretend shifts don't resonate much with that audience either.Kia believes design and technology can replace at least some of that emotional connection. Whether that works in practice remains another conversation entirely.The market doesn't need another EV pretending to be a gasoline car through synthesized noises pumped into speakers. If the Meta Turismo succeeds, it'll need to succeed because it drives well, looks distinctive, and gives buyers a reason to care beyond straight-line acceleration figures. EVs already do fast. The hard part now is making them memorable.Production timing remains unclear, and Kia isn't offering much beyond vague future intent. Given the development costs involved, it's unlikely this thing will arrive within the next year or two. By the time it finally lands, the design will almost certainly be toned down. Federal safety regulations tend to ruin everybody's fun eventually.Become an AutoGuide insider. Get the latest from the automotive world first by subscribing to our newsletter here.
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