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The Stinger is a sporty large hatchback in the mold of the Audi A7 or the Tesla Model S (though the non-electric Stinger runs with gas in its veins). Kia calls it a grand tourer, though this big hatchback has four doors and a comfortable back seat. Traditional grand touring cars have been big, comfortable coupes.
Bigger than Kia's midsized Optima, yet smaller than the full-sized K900, the Stinger aims to beat European carmakers at their own game, with lots of power and great handling - at significantly less than the $70,000-plus that Audi charges for the A7 or BMW for the 5 Series GT. Its sleek and aggressive styling is based on the GT concept shown in Europe in 2011, which received rousing reviews.
Styling
The Stinger looks like a more grown up, aggressive version of the original Optima - a chrome-accented roof-line that sweeps well past the rear wheels before hitting the rear deck. The rear side windows kick up abruptly and get cut off by the chrome arch. Its menacing long, low hood gives it a crocodile insouciance.
Kia says that the scoops behind the front wheels and the deep air dam are functional aerodynamic aids.
The quad exhaust pipes let everybody you pass know you've got lots of power under the hood.
How Big?
The Stinger looks big sitting on the road. It's a smidge shorter than the Audi A7, but almost identical in wheelbase. It's a little bigger than Kia's midsized Optima sedan, and a little smaller than the company's K900 luxury sedan.
If this is a grand touring car, then it's one with plenty of room to go grand touring with three friends. (It will seat five, but we wouldn't recommend making long trips that way.)
What Makes It Go?
The Stinger is based on an all-new platform, slightly smaller than Kia's big K900 luxury sedan and its twin the Hyundai Genesis. It uses similar rear-wheel drive architecture, but offers all-wheel drive for buyers in the snow belt who need it.
The base engine will be a 255-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. High-performance buyers will be able to opt for a twin-turbocharged V6. Either way, all Stingers will come with an eight-speed automatic transmission with selectable shift modes and paddle shifters for drivers who just can't resist shifting for themselves.
And Go Faster
In recent years, Kia's approach to engine technologies has been to offer a fuel-efficient turbocharged four-cylinder along with a more relaxed and powerful V6. The Stinger takes that approach one step further. Instead of an ordinary V6 though, the Stinger uses the first twin-turbocharged version of Hyundai/Kia's 3.3-liter corporate V6, belting out 365 horsepower and a pounding 376 pound-feet of torque. Kia is targeting zero-to-60 mph acceleration in about 5 seconds with this engine.
When you choose the twin-turbo V6, you also get four-piston Brembo brakes with ventilated discs to bring all that power to heel.
Suspension
Whether the Stinger can compete with European luxury sedans will come down to the refinement of its suspension. Its wheelbase, slightly shorter than most midsized European models', should help it cut more quickly into corners. Its wide stance - an inch or two wider than most competitors - should help it hug the road. The Stinger has adjustable shocks in its MacPherson strut front and multi-link, independent rear suspension.
The driver can leave the system in automatic mode to allow smooth sailing over rough pavement and a firmer control on smooth highway surfaces. Or the driver can select one of several pre-set modes. Sometimes all the settings in the world can still miss the perfect balance. Other times, engineers get it right with one. We'll have to wait for reviewers to get some drive time to tell whether the Stinger gets it right.
Interior
Inside, the low-slung Stinger has been designed to have more room for both rear-seat passengers and for cargo than midsized luxury cars. Even under the rakish roofline, rear-seat passengers have decent headroom, and don't have to duck as much to get in, which is the case in many other ?four-door coupes.?
Drivers sit low to the floor and look out over a sporty-looking dashboard, with big round A/C vents resembling an early Datsun Z-Car.
Luxury Features
Kia built its reputation on offering more features than others for the money, and the Stinger is no exception. It combines the brand's excellent haptic UVO infotainment and navigation system with all the creature comforts of a luxury car: dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and cooled leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, and memory seat for the driver. A wireless charging pad in the console is standard.
High-end models will cascade you with 720 watts worth of Harman/Kardon stereo with 15 speakers for crystalline clarity. Subwoofers thump from under both front seats, so you can't miss the beat. QuantumLogic technology extracts surround sound signals even from ordinary dual-track recordings to reflect a concert-hall experience, and Harman's Clari-Fi technology boosts the fidelity of high-compression audio sources such as satellite radio.
Safety Systems
All the latest active safety systems are available, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control that can bring the car to a full stop in rush-hour traffic, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross- traffic alert. In a first for the Korean automaker, the Stinger also monitors the driver's inputs and warns when it's time to pull over for a break if it detects drowsiness or worse.
When and How Much?
Look for the Stinger to hit dealerships next fall. Pricing and feature availability have not yet been announced, but we'd expect an MSRP in the mid to high-$40,000 range, with twin-turbo models topping out just over $50,000.
Article from US News.
Bigger than Kia's midsized Optima, yet smaller than the full-sized K900, the Stinger aims to beat European carmakers at their own game, with lots of power and great handling - at significantly less than the $70,000-plus that Audi charges for the A7 or BMW for the 5 Series GT. Its sleek and aggressive styling is based on the GT concept shown in Europe in 2011, which received rousing reviews.
Styling
The Stinger looks like a more grown up, aggressive version of the original Optima - a chrome-accented roof-line that sweeps well past the rear wheels before hitting the rear deck. The rear side windows kick up abruptly and get cut off by the chrome arch. Its menacing long, low hood gives it a crocodile insouciance.
Kia says that the scoops behind the front wheels and the deep air dam are functional aerodynamic aids.
The quad exhaust pipes let everybody you pass know you've got lots of power under the hood.
How Big?
The Stinger looks big sitting on the road. It's a smidge shorter than the Audi A7, but almost identical in wheelbase. It's a little bigger than Kia's midsized Optima sedan, and a little smaller than the company's K900 luxury sedan.
If this is a grand touring car, then it's one with plenty of room to go grand touring with three friends. (It will seat five, but we wouldn't recommend making long trips that way.)
What Makes It Go?
The Stinger is based on an all-new platform, slightly smaller than Kia's big K900 luxury sedan and its twin the Hyundai Genesis. It uses similar rear-wheel drive architecture, but offers all-wheel drive for buyers in the snow belt who need it.
The base engine will be a 255-horsepower turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder. High-performance buyers will be able to opt for a twin-turbocharged V6. Either way, all Stingers will come with an eight-speed automatic transmission with selectable shift modes and paddle shifters for drivers who just can't resist shifting for themselves.
And Go Faster
In recent years, Kia's approach to engine technologies has been to offer a fuel-efficient turbocharged four-cylinder along with a more relaxed and powerful V6. The Stinger takes that approach one step further. Instead of an ordinary V6 though, the Stinger uses the first twin-turbocharged version of Hyundai/Kia's 3.3-liter corporate V6, belting out 365 horsepower and a pounding 376 pound-feet of torque. Kia is targeting zero-to-60 mph acceleration in about 5 seconds with this engine.
When you choose the twin-turbo V6, you also get four-piston Brembo brakes with ventilated discs to bring all that power to heel.
Suspension
Whether the Stinger can compete with European luxury sedans will come down to the refinement of its suspension. Its wheelbase, slightly shorter than most midsized European models', should help it cut more quickly into corners. Its wide stance - an inch or two wider than most competitors - should help it hug the road. The Stinger has adjustable shocks in its MacPherson strut front and multi-link, independent rear suspension.
The driver can leave the system in automatic mode to allow smooth sailing over rough pavement and a firmer control on smooth highway surfaces. Or the driver can select one of several pre-set modes. Sometimes all the settings in the world can still miss the perfect balance. Other times, engineers get it right with one. We'll have to wait for reviewers to get some drive time to tell whether the Stinger gets it right.
Interior
Inside, the low-slung Stinger has been designed to have more room for both rear-seat passengers and for cargo than midsized luxury cars. Even under the rakish roofline, rear-seat passengers have decent headroom, and don't have to duck as much to get in, which is the case in many other ?four-door coupes.?
Drivers sit low to the floor and look out over a sporty-looking dashboard, with big round A/C vents resembling an early Datsun Z-Car.
Luxury Features
Kia built its reputation on offering more features than others for the money, and the Stinger is no exception. It combines the brand's excellent haptic UVO infotainment and navigation system with all the creature comforts of a luxury car: dual-zone automatic climate control, heated and cooled leather seats, a heated steering wheel, a head-up display, and memory seat for the driver. A wireless charging pad in the console is standard.
High-end models will cascade you with 720 watts worth of Harman/Kardon stereo with 15 speakers for crystalline clarity. Subwoofers thump from under both front seats, so you can't miss the beat. QuantumLogic technology extracts surround sound signals even from ordinary dual-track recordings to reflect a concert-hall experience, and Harman's Clari-Fi technology boosts the fidelity of high-compression audio sources such as satellite radio.
Safety Systems
All the latest active safety systems are available, including automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control that can bring the car to a full stop in rush-hour traffic, lane keeping assistance, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross- traffic alert. In a first for the Korean automaker, the Stinger also monitors the driver's inputs and warns when it's time to pull over for a break if it detects drowsiness or worse.
When and How Much?
Look for the Stinger to hit dealerships next fall. Pricing and feature availability have not yet been announced, but we'd expect an MSRP in the mid to high-$40,000 range, with twin-turbo models topping out just over $50,000.
Article from US News.
