Screens that keep growing, ubiquitous electronic helpers, and SUVs proliferating by the day: the automotive world is evolving, but not everyone is happy with the pace or the direction. Graeme Gambold, Kia Australia’s chassis development lead, argues that manufacturers are gradually forgetting the car enthusiasts who truly love to drive.
Kia regrets a car that has become too tech-heavy
Technological progress clearly isn’t winning universal approval in the auto industry. In an interview with Australia’s Carsales magazine, Graeme Gambold, the vehicle dynamics engineer at Kia Australia, was notably critical of how modern cars are evolving.
According to him, manufacturers are now paying far less attention to drivers who genuinely relish the act of driving. The push of electronic equipment, the proliferation of onboard functions and the emphasis placed on comfort would gradually overtake the thrills of actually piloting the car.
The engineer specifically points to the intrusive nature of certain driver-assistance systems. He laments the difficulty of finding today a car that is enjoyable to drive, well-equipped, but whose electronic systems don’t constantly intervene.
This observation does not mean Kia intends to drop these devices altogether. Many of them have become mandatory on new vehicles due to evolving regulations. The question, therefore, also concerns how they are integrated.
Soon an electric heir to the Stinger
This critique does not mean Kia is abandoning cars for enthusiasts. The Korean automaker has already demonstrated an interest in performance with the Stinger, now discontinued, and the EV6 GT.
Two different models, but they show that the brand does not want to limit its lineup to family-oriented vehicles.
The future could hinge on the Vision Meta Turismo concept, an electric sports sedan pitched as an indirect heir to the Stinger. Its design chief, Karim Habib, has spoken of a car aimed at a new generation of drivers, with an approach to sports cars that differs from traditional staples.
But the project is not yet ready to reach showrooms. According to our colleagues at Motor1, development costs are slowing its progress. And no precise commercial timeline has been announced. A fastback-bodied variant is also said to be very advanced, though its launch has not been confirmed.
Kia is still searching for the right formula. Between regulatory constraints, electrification, and enthusiasts’ expectations, the automaker will need to figure out how to preserve the fun of driving without giving up the progress of modern automotive technology.
