DETROIT AUTO SHOW: Does Kia's GT4 Stinger Concept Look A Little TOO SIMILAR To The 2005 VW EcoRacer?

Since we first got a good look at Kia's all-new concept it debuted at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show, the GT4 Stinger, we've been noticing a lot of VWAG influence in its design. In fact, one of the first things Agent 001 pointed out to me was that its fastback roof design looked eerily similar to the Quattro Concept. Then there's the wide mouth grille that doesn't make it look too dissimilar from the Audi, either.

But our friends at VWVortext scored a dead-on hit with what it recently pointed out in a post.

The Kia showcar actually looks VERY close to a 2005 concept that Volkswagen put out called the EcoRacer. In fact, if you actually click over to post and see the comparison images, it's scary how some panel gaps are actually located in the same spot and how the rear taillights are literally the same shape.

Is this simply competition at its finest or is this a bit overkill?

Kia seems to like Volkswagen – a LOT. It would appear in a number of ways that Kia sees itself as a natural competitor to Volkswagen and that in and of itself, makes sense. However back in 2006, Peter Schreyer (then with VW design) went to Kia and took with him a fair number of other VW and Audi designers and engineers. This type of thing happens in this industry all the time. However it seems that Kia has been doing few things that mimic Volkswagen a bit rather than forging their own path.