What is not mentioned though is the word performance, which made the local introduction of the highly acclaimed Stinger sports sedan an occasion I simply could not resist when an eye-catching Hi Chroma Red example arrived at the office recently.
Stinging looks
Summing the Stinger up aesthetically can only be described in one word; sublime. It looks like nothing else in its segment, with wide, bold and muscular design traits as well as elegant thanks to its coupe-like design. The rear end is not as dramatic as the front but is eye catching nevertheless.
It also features a host of grilles, vents and bulges which adds even more appeal to the car. The model I drove also added carbon fibre trim on the flanks of the bumpers on down the side, though while this looked fantastic in combination with the 19-inch alloy wheels, I did find the non-functioning twin bonnet vents somewhat of a waste.
Interior an overall success
Moving onto the interior, I was once again pleasantly surprised. It might not be as futuristic as the exterior, but it is a nice place to be. The initial interaction with the facia is that of good quality, but moving on lower down the dashboard, like on the glove box for example, the plastics become rather hard and cheap. The same can be said for the lower parts of the doors and centre console.
Taking centre stage, the freestanding eight-inch touchscreen infotainment system looks good and is to use, with the additions, Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and a 15-speaker Harman Kardon sound system enhancing the overall experience more. Also standard is a colour Heads-Up Display, wireless smartphone charging pad, a TFT instrument cluster display and a large sunroof.
More GT than bahn-stormer
On the road, the Stinger caused me to pinch myself more often than because I had to remind myself that this is a Kia. Under that flat bonnet sits a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine which develops 272kW/510Nm, delivered to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Equipped with a limited slip differential, Kia claims that the Stinger will hit 100km/h from zero in 4.9 seconds and reach a top speed of 270km/h, all very impressive figures for a Kia.
In spite of its aggressive looks, the Stinger, as indicated by its GT designation, is more of a performance-infused luxury tourer than a full-on track day despite having been developed at the Nürburgring. I found the car to prefer the long, open road over being hustled from corner to corner, which it does rather well.
On the back roads littered with twist and bends, the Stinger, with its five driving modes; Eco, Comfort, Sport, Smart and Personal, most certainly comes into its own, yet I wished it sounded angrier as the noise emitted from the quad exhausts is far too muted when you look at the design.
Verdict
In truth, the Kia Stinger GT is a brilliant car despite its few flaws. As a first attempt at cracking the performance sedan segment, Kia deserves a great amount of credit for stepping outside its comfort zone. It therefore makes it even sadder that all of South Africa’s allocated Stinger have been accounted for even at the very un-Kia like R859 995. Here is however hoping that a few more comes our way next year.
