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Kia is not what you think it is. Selling everything from an entry-level economy car in the Rio to a plush, full-size luxury sedan in the K900, Kia is unconventional in that it doesn't allow established norms to define itself, or its products.
Styling is unappealing? Well then, Kia says, let's just hire the guy responsible for the original Audi TT to pen attractive designs. Quality is a concern? Well then, Kia says, let's strive diligently to improve, and unseat Porsche from atop J.D. Power Quality Mountain. Nothing is fun to drive? Well then, Kia says, let's entice a BMW engineering wizard to join the team and to tune our products.
For more than a decade, Kia has been steadfastly improving its lineup of cars, SUVs, and a minivan. Today, most of them are among the best choices in their respective segments. And that brings us to the new 2018 Kia Stinger, a car without a segment.
Rakishly drawn, the Stinger is a midsize 5-door hatchback with compelling design, upscale materials, and thrilling driving dynamics, a member of a growing class of ?sportback? vehicles.
Recently, luxury brands have defined the class with the Audi A5 and A7 Sportbacks, the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe, and the Porsche Panamera setting the standards for such vehicles. However, Kia brings the price of entry down with the new Stinger, soon to be joined by mainstream entries including the redesigned (and German-engineered) 2018 Buick Regal Sportback and the upcoming 2019 Volkswagen Arteon.
Kia hedges its bet with the wide-ranging Stinger lineup, firmly planting a foot into each price-class camp while simultaneously attempting a permanent pivot away from its historical reputation as a bargain-basement brand. Whether this strategy will prove a success remains to be seen, but the company certainly deserves it, because the Stinger is a helluva car.
You can buy a turbocharged, rear-drive 2018 Kia Stinger for $32,800, including the $900 destination charge. Given its passenger capacity, cargo volume, and interior size, this makes the standard Stinger just $55 more than a loaded Kia Optima EX with a non-turbocharged 4-cylinder engine.
At the other end of the spectrum, a twin-turbocharged, all-wheel-drive Stinger GT with the GT2 trim package is priced at $52,300. That's $1,125 more than an Audi A5 Sportback in Prestige trim, but the Audi is smaller inside, featuring less passenger and cargo space, and is equipped with a significantly less powerful engine. Plus, once the Audi is optioned the way the Stinger GT2 is equipped, it costs $4,470 more than the Kia and isn't nearly as quick.
In between, Kia offers the Stinger Premium for $38,000, the much more powerful Stinger GT for $39,250, and the Stinger GT1 for $44,150. For each, all-wheel-drive adds $2,200 to the price. From the bottom of the lineup to the top, the Stinger's price overlaps with the typical midsize, three-row, crossover SUV.
Why am I bringing those up? Juxtaposition and context. You might look at the luscious Stinger and think to yourself: ?That car is too expensive for me.? But if your current Plan A is to buy a lumbering $45,000 family hauler, perhaps you ought to go to Plan B and consider this sleek, svelte, and sophisticated $45,000 family- and ass-hauler instead.
Read more on NYDailyNews.com.
