We spoke with Kia's US director of corporate communications James Bell [MENTION=251]JBell[/MENTION] and Orth Hedrick, vice president of product planning about this very issue, and it boils down to one thing: pricing. "It's a matter of making sure the Stinger GT remains within a certain price point," Bell said. " We want to ensure it remains accessible for buyers at the pricing we promised." Adding those two features, even as options, is apparently enough to make the US market Stinger too expensive. For whatever reason(s), this isn't the case for the countries on America's southern and northern borders. Weird. It's just how it is.
However, Hedrick also told us a special edition Stinger GT will arrive next summer and will have both a surround-view camera and wireless charging. It wasn't made clear whether both will be standard or optional, but the point is they'll be there for those who want them. Of course the special edition will cost more than the Stinger GT currently on sale, but it's still too early to know how much exactly. The Stinger GT pictured here is also the same vehicle shown at SEMA last November and its body kit accessories are on sale right now, such as the front winglets. "We're working to bring even more accessories to owners in the near future," Hedrick added.
Hedrick also hinted there's more in store for the Stinger GT, even beyond the upcoming special edition. An even more extreme version with more power and suspension upgrades, perhaps? "We can't comment at this time, but things are happening with Stinger GT, yes," Hedrick added.
https://carbuzz.com/news/here-s-why-the-us-spec-kia-stinger-gt-lacks-two-important-features
