With the Stinger, Kia wants the world to know that they’re not just capable of making reliable everyday cars but also know how to build a proper performance sedan, complete with rear-wheel drive and a good amount of power to keep you smiling.
To make the Stinger a reality, Kia had to build it on the same, rear-driven platform with the upcoming Genesis G70 and dress it with an impressive-looking five-door liftback body that makes you look twice at the badge.
The range-topping version is powered by a twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 with 365 hp and 376 lb-ft (494 Nm) of peak torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission. 0-62mph comes in 4.9 seconds while flat-out the Stinger will do 167mph (269km/h).
Kia plans to offer an optional all-wheel drive version as well but the Koreans haven’t announced yet if the extra grip will translate into better acceleration from the get-go.
All the right ingredients are there to make the new Kia Stinger a proper rival to established performance-oriented sedans but is it? Motor Trend investigates in their latest Ignition episode.