Kia Stinger Sports Car Hinted in New Trademark Filing
Another piece of evidence has surfaced suggesting that Kia is moving ahead with plans for a small sports car.
The Korean brand filed a trademark with the United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) for “Kia Stinger,” listed under passenger cars and sport cars.
The name was first used on the GT4 Stinger Concept which was presented at the 2014 Detroit Auto Show packing a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine sending 315 horsepower to the rear wheels. A second concept called the Kia Novo previewed what a small sports sedan would like from Kia, and the most recent rumors suggest the production model will have four doors.
SEE ALSO: Kia GT4 Stinger Video, First Look
In November of 2015, Kia filed to protect “Kia GT4 Stinger” in Europe, but that filing garnered numerous opponents, which means other companies were claiming copyright infringement. The new filing in the U.S. drops the GT4 moniker and specifically lists the name as for a sports car, unlike the first filing which was listed with numerous uses.
Some details of the USPTO filing also suggest that Kia is trying to avoid a copyright issue. Specifically, it protects “an oval containing stylized wording “KIA” in capital letters, bold print font,” reads the filing. “To the right of the oval is the word STINGER in capital letters, print font.” This suggests that Kia isn’t trying to trademark the Stinger name specifically, just the use of its Kia name next to the word Stinger.
Production of Kia’s new sports car, likely called the Stinger, is supposed to begin in 2017.
Discuss this story on our Kia Stinger Forum
Stephen covers all of the day-to-day events of the industry as the News Editor at AutoGuide, along with being the AG truck expert. His truck knowledge comes from working long days on the woodlot with pickups and driving straight trucks professionally. When not at his desk, Steve can be found playing his bass or riding his snowmobile or Sea-Doo. Find Stephen on <A title="@Selmer07 on Twitter" href="http://www.twitter.com/selmer07">Twitter</A> and <A title="Stephen on Google+" href="http://plus.google.com/117833131531784822251?rel=author">Google+</A>
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