The Kia Stinger has attracted a lot of attention but it appears the company won’t capitalize on the momentum by introducing multiple variants of the rear-wheel drive model.
Wards Auto reports Kia Motors America vice president of product planning, Orth Hedrick, confirmed the company won’t create a Stinger sub-brand or any variants of the well-received model. Instead, Hedrick wants the Stinger to elevate the Kia brand and noted “That was one of the points in making sure that we feature the Kia logo loud and proud [on the car].”
The Stinger has only been on sale in the United States for a few months but initial results look positive as Carsalesbase data shows the company sold 1,021 units in January. That means the model was significantly more popular than the similarly priced Cadenza but only time will tell if the model becomes a hit.
Despite the similar pricing, the Cadenza and Stinger appeal to different people and it appears both models have a place in the company’s lineup. As Hedrick explained, “There’s spots in the market that still want a big easy-driving, front-drive sedan.”
Besides talking about the Stinger, Hedrick revealed the company isn’t planning an A-segment crossover like Hyundai. The product planner said a small crossover isn’t a “priority at this point” and stated “I think we would see more opportunity in C-segment [crossovers] then we would in A- or B- [segment models].”
Hedrick also downplayed the possibility of a pickup even though Hyundai is working on a production version of the Santa Cruz concept.
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