Summary
- The Kia Stinger was a transformative event in the carmaker's history, changing the perception of Korean cars and showcasing Kia's ability to produce exciting machines.
- The Stinger was extensively developed and tested, honed at places like the Nordschleife and frozen lakes in Sweden, by a dedicated vehicle development team.
- The Stinger offered a combination of style and substance, with powerful engine choices, impressive performance numbers, and a high-quality interior with modern features, all at a lower price compared to its German competitors.
Throughout the life of any entity, there comes a point of before, and after. When something special happens, and from there, either that event transforms things overnight or paves the way for gradual, and positive transformation. The Kia Stinger is that event in the carmaker's history.
Introduced in 2017, as a fastback sports saloon for Global markets, the Kia Stinger was the first properly exciting machine that, arguably, transformed the way the world looked at Korean cars. And we've used the term “properly exciting” because the Kia Stinger isn't just a looker, with a borrowed motor shoehorned under its hood. Neither is it a lazy, badge-engineered effort.
Before it was presented to the world, as is standard practice for the best in the business, the Kia Stinger was honed at unforgiving places like the Nordschleife and atop frozen lakes in Sweden, for thousands of hours by a 100-strong vehicle development team.
Did Kia Or The World Need A Stinger?
Every automaker needs a halo product. Something that provides an apt platform for the maker to showcase its engineering prowess. These machines are a statement in motion of what the brand is capable of and aren't necessarily built to set the sales chart on fire. Until the Stinger entered the picture, Kia's portfolio included cars that appeared to be purpose-built for everything else but to excite.
There was the need to manufacture something cool. Something that deserved a name like the Stinger. And something that the rest of their bread-and-butter portfolio could look up to and be proud of. Designed by the same hands that gave us the timeless Audi TT, and engineered with inputs from a former vice president of BMW's M division, the Stinger announced the arrival of Kia as a maker of exciting machines. A maker of cars which were ready to take on the best in the world.
In the Stinger, Kia had found its fun side, and it wasn't shy to explore it further. Because they could've made one go-fast version and stopped there. But they did not. They decided to offer multiple engine choices under that long hood and asked us to pick if we'd like a purely rear-wheel-driven version or one where the engine sends its power to all four wheels.
The result of this full-blown brand-building exercise was that when the Stinger reached dealerships, it was already making the right waves as a lower-priced alternative to the mighty Germans. And for a product that managed to achieve that in the very first attempt, that's saying something! Kia also left no stone unturned when it came to backing their transformative product with stellar PR activities.
Style With Substance
Backing up its appearance on a seriously popular motoring show, the Kia Stinger was just as impressive on paper. Besides the healthy powertrain options, the fastback was loaded with enthusiast-pleasing kit like Brembo brakes, dual twin-exit exhaust pipes which sounded rather fruity, wheel designs and sizes that matched the bodywork, a limited-slip differential on RWD models, and torque vectoring for those where power went to all four wheels.
On the inside, the cabin layout and features on offer were up there with the very best. A midlife update brought along more modern comforts and boosted the Stinger's equipment list. Kit on offer included up to 19-inch wheels with factory-fitted Michelin rubber, LED projector headlights, Nappa leather seat trim, a 7.0-inch instrument cluster with sport gauges, a head-up display, Harman Kardon premium audio, powered seats, and the latest from the Kia Driver Wise Assist technology suite.
Numbers Which Pack A Sting
- 0-60 mph in as low as 4.7 seconds
- Two engine choices for North American markets - A 3.3-liter, twin-turbocharged, V-6 engine (368 Horsepower, 376 pound-feet of torque) or a 2.5-liter, turbocharged, Four-cylinder engine (300 Horsepower, 311 pound-feet of torque)
- GT2 trim could be specced with electronically-controlled suspension which offered on-the-fly tuning options
Kia Stinger GT2 Highlights
Engine | 3.3-Liter, V6, Twin-Turbocharged |
Power | 368 HP & 376 LB-FT |
Transmission | Eight-speed Automatic With/ Paddle Shifters |
Power Delivery | Available AWD With Dynamic Torque Vectoring |
Curb Weight | 4,176 lbs |
MSRP for the GT-Line, which was powered by an inline-four engine, started at $36,690. On the other hand, the V6-powered GT2 version could be bought at a starting price of $51,890. And this is where the Stinger introduced value in the performance motoring space. For that kind of money, the Stinger offered performance that could be enjoyed in everyday conditions, without the need to sacrifice practicality.
Why Is The Stinger Leaving Us?
With the world moving towards an electric future for its transportation needs, Kia has been rather quick in identifying this transformation. It has already invested heavily in an all-electric platform, called the Electric Global Modular Platform (E-GMP). And the results have started coming through, where the EV6, which is based on the aforementioned platform, was named the 2023 North American Utility Vehicle Of The Year by the NACTOY jury.
The EV6 also debuts Kia's futuristic, “Opposites United” design philosophy, which is in stark contrast to the traditional, low-slung appeal of the Stinger. This battery electric vehicle (BEV) also marks Kia's transition to electrification, as the brand begins its mid-to-long-term strategy for BEVs, PHEVs (plug-in hybrid electric vehicles), and HEVs (hybrid electric vehicles) to make up 40 percent of its total sales by 2030.
Is There A Successor?
Kia has officially confirmed that the Stinger will pass the baton to the brand-new EV6 GT. An all-electric model, the latter is now the fastest accelerating Kia, achieving the 0-62 MPH sprint in a mere 3.5 seconds, shaving 1.2 seconds off the Stinger's time! The EV6 GT is also the most powerful production car Kia has ever made. Its dual-motor electric powertrain produces 577 Horsepower and 546 pound-feet of torque, allowing it to achieve a top speed of 162 MPH!
However, where the Stinger was designed to appeal to the traditional purist, the EV6 GT is a futuristic, coupe-inspired crossover. It is powered by a 77.4 kWh battery, which claims to offer a driving range of 265 miles (WLTP). Boasting of 800V charging technology, the right charger can recharge the cells from 10-to-80 percent in 18 minutes, allowing the EV6 to stay true to its GT suffix in the electric scheme of things.
Coming back to the Stinger, it will go down in history as a car that had a transformative effect on how people saw Kia. For all of its six years of existence, the Stinger probably exceeded the target it had set out to achieve. And Kia's new-generation cars are the ones that will reap the benefits of this achievement.