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Kia Middle East has just confirmed to us that the Korean manufacturer's all-new Stinger GT and first-ever sports sedan is coming to our region around the Dubai motor show, going on sale this November.
Prices for the GCC haven't been announced yet but in the UAE you should be able to get behind the wheel of a Stinger GT in performance guise for about AED150,000.
With development of the new Kia headed by former BMW M boss Albert Biermann - who spent over three decades at the Munich marque - expectations are high for Kia's first sports sedan, driving the rear wheels (or optional all four?) and generating 365 horsepower from a 3.3-litre turbocharged V6.
With much of the dynamic tuning done at Germany's grueling N?rburgring Nordschleife race circuit from the Korean company's ?Ring-side testing facility, Kia will hope to have a proper BMW-baiter on its hands.
The new five-seater Stinger line-up will also include a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged model worth 255 horsepower for 0-100km/h in six seconds, but all eyes are on the GT. Kia's not messing about with the headline act, adding Brembo brakes, Michelin Pilot Sport tyres on 19-inch wheels, a mechanical limited-slip differential, adaptive suspension with different driving modes, and the Koreans' own eight-speed automatic transmission.
Kia benchmarked some serious competition when developing the Stinger GT, tackling rivals such s the Audi A4, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS, BMW 4 Series, and even cars positioned a size-class above like the Lexus GS and Mercedes CLS. The Korean car is longer and wider overall than its core competitors, affording the passengers a longer wheelbase for extra interior room. And thanks to that twin-turbocharged power Kia says the Stinger GT will top out at some 270km/h.
