On the surface, Kia’s generation two, rear-wheel-drive sports sedan is not the usual car to find in amongst the pages of NZ Company Vehicle magazine, but it possibly should be.
I’m not privy to the line of thinking behind the Stinger’s development. I do know that Kia wanted the world to see that in addition to SUVs and fleet friendly vehicles, the Korean brand was able to produce a world class performance car.
The Stinger certainly is that, and I find it interesting that Kia’s twin company – Hyundai – has yet to produce an equivalent.
And now that Stinger is seeing its second incarnation, it looks like Kia’s going to retain its – somewhat prestigious – spot as Korea’s performance sedan producer.
It’s fair to say that of the mainstream market in Australasia, Kia is really the only game in town with a sub $80k, rear-wheel drive grand touring sports sedan boasting an under 5 second 0 to 100km time.
Now, some might say this is a narrow market to play in, but think about this: when the world is focused on SUVs, how cool is it to have a car that is both practical and the most automotive fun you can have with your pants on at the same time?
There are still two Stinger models, both of which will do the business for you, but the full fat GT Sport is the one to pick if your FCO is even remotely open to the idea of a gran turismo vehicle on the company fleet.
On fleet? Actually, yes. While the Stinger is obviously appealing to the private sector, there is no reason for it not to be a director’s car.
While it is a four door, the Stinger is most likely going to be a one-or-two-person vehicle for most of its time.
Don’t get me wrong, it has an excellent boot space – quite remarkable in fact – and as sports vehicles go, the back seat accommodations are considerably better than say, a Ford Mustang, Audi A5 or other similar fastback type cars.
But for the nine-to-five, Stingers are more likely going to be single occupancy, and that’s where you’ll have the most engaging drive experience.
The GT Sport has the biggest and most exhilarating engine: a 3.3 litre twin turbo V6 which pushes its 274kW/510Nm through to the back wheels and their limited slip differential, via an eight-speed auto transmission with (thankfully) a conventional selector.
As well as the flappy paddle shifters behind the wheel, you have a drive selector for Smart, Eco (like you’ll bother!), Comfort and Sport modes.
What really got me though, was the ‘everything is here’ concept. I’m not quite sure how Kia pulled that trick off and kept the five-star safety rated Stinger as affordable as it is.
There are heated and cooled Nappa leather seats for instance, which are so adjustable, I doubt there’s a regularly sized body who won’t find them flawless.
There’s an expansive 10.25-inch touchscreen, which despite the Stinger’s sporty stance, is remarkably useful without having your fingers tap dance across three buttons when all you want to do is a Spotify skip.
You get bird’s eye surround view monitoring as well as the crystal clear, heads up display which can give you a wealth of information rather than merely speed, the audio system – a 15-speaker Harman Kardon audio suite – handles Apple Carplay/Android auto and will blow your mind if you have one left after you unleash the power under that sleek and sexy bonnet.
Did I like the Stinger? Well, yeah… maybe just a bit. If you thought you knew Kia product, the Stinger is well, let’s just say that it will open new doors to what you think you know.
Kia’s Stinger is so feature-packed, it should have another digit in the price in my opinion. But I’m glad it doesn’t, because this car is a treat for the big boys, and one day Roger Fitch (Tip Top Trumpet reference for those who missed it), I might just be able to own one.
And THAT is the biggest compliment a motoring writer can give.
Specifications:
BODY TYPE
4 door sport sedan
DRIVE
Rear wheel/ 8 speed auto
ENGINE TYPE
6-cylinder, V-type twin turbo petrol
ENGINE CAPACITY
3342cc
MAX POWER
274kW
MAX TORQUE
510Nm
L/100KM (COMBINED)
9.15
CO2 EMISSIONS
239 g/km
LOAD CAPACITY
406/1114 litres
ANCAP RATING
5 Star
PRICE
$79,990
