Why Do Kias Drive So Nicely? Thank This Man

Exhaust your theories, run your algorithms, complete all of your experiments. At the end of the day, a real, live, breathing driver is required to fine tune a vehicle.

There may be no engineer better suited to the job than Albert Biermann. For over three decades, Biermann was on the BMW team. Eventually, from 2008 until his 2015 departure, Biermann headed up engineering for BMW's M division. Yes, that M, the one that designs and builds BMW high-performance vehicles such as the iconic M3 and M5.

Biermann, however, is now in charge of vehicle testing and high-performance development for Kia. While you'd see the fruits of his labour most obviously in the Stinger, Biermann is proud of the work that distinguishes Kia's more affordable models. "If you drive the Stonic now, you might find the drive not exactly what you expected from a little B-segment SUV," Biermann says. The Stonic sits in Kia's global crossover lineup below the Sportage, in the same slot as the production version of the SP Concept will reside in Canada. "It's also maybe a little bit more nimble, a bit more fun to drive than you would have expected two years ago."

As for the new Forte, which is already on Centennial Kia's lot, Biermann says, "you can expect a good step up for driving fun, precision, agility and so on compared with the previous Cee'd [the name for Kia's Forte-class car in other markets]; and that's a car that gets a little more attention and focus in that area."

This is Biermann's passion, and it's evidenced by results. Kia vehicles now spend ample time being developed at the Namyang facility at which Biermann is based, though much of the chassis development is also done on UK roads. "The UK adds more challenge. You have bad roads, the surfaces are poor and you have more crown," Biermann says, "and the narrowness of the roads where everybody has to go between hedges. And narrow city roads too."

Prince Edward Island's not so different, with rough surfaces aplenty, uneven roads in all three counties, limited shoulders, and narrow city streets. It should therefore come as no surprise that each successive new Kia rides and handles with the precision that's expected by the world's foremost chassis engineer.