Special Edition Stinger Coming in 2019

[Stung]

There’s no doubt Kia has gained serious street cred with its new Stinger GT. We’ve recently learned some dealerships are even marking them up by as much as $15,000, something even the folks at Kia despise. It’s also come to our attention that the US market Stinger GT lacks two tech features you’d think would be standard, a surround-view camera and wireless charging. To add fuel to the fire, both are offered in the Canadian and Mexican market versions. So what gives?

We spoke with Kia’s US director of corporate communications James Bell 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. Read more: Here's Why The US-Spec Kia Stinger GT Lacks Two Important Features

..."Hedrick also told us a special edition Stinger GT will arrive next summer and will have both a surround-view camera and wireless charging.".....

 

[LohungoDave]

Ridiculous. People buying GT2s will either buy or not buy it on features. Yes, $1-2k matters (to me at least), but to keep expected features off purely for marketing or perceived competitor is awful. If no one had it globally, fine. To have every country/region but the US have them is ass chafing. Just bump down features to GT1 or GT or adjust their prices.

 

[oxide365]

lame

 

[Bigserver1]

That’s a bad call. It was a bad call to leave those features off of the launch GT2s, and it’s even worse to launch a limited edition (in 2019???) that fills in the gaps at a higher price point. Isn’t the Canadian fully loaded Stinger like 46k CAD? The price argument makes no sense.

My next car will have a 360 camera, without doubt. If this report is true, the stinger is off the list

 

[Wedge]

Mazda did this with the new CX9. We bought a 2016 with every option. Heated steering wheel and rear seats were not an option in the US, but were on the Canadian model.
In 2018, they are now on the US version.
It’s just a way to get new buyers without a total redesign of the product. JMO

 

[Stung]

Car mfgs do some weird things.
The Honda Ridgeline comes with cooled seats in Canada, where they probably rarely get used, but not in the US.

Every car is a compromise. I would like a 360 camera and wireless phone charger, but it's not a deal breaker.
You can get a wireless charger in an Accord or a 360 camera in a Camry, but they don't drive like the Stinger does.

 

[oxide365]

you can get a wireless charger for 10 bucks on amazon. the 360 camera however.....

 

[Stung]

Still waiting to see the G70 package, I would guess it has both the charger and 360 camera, but I really do like the hatchback design..... decisions

 

[Jon Boy]

I guess the limited in Canada is the “special addition” as it comes standard with wireless charging and 360 camera. I don’t understand why they removed those basic features for the US market

 

[Jon Boy]

That’s a bad call. It was a bad call to leave those features off of the launch GT2s, and it’s even worse to launch a limited edition (in 2019???) that fills in the gaps at a higher price point. Isn’t the Canadian fully loaded Stinger like 46k CAD? The price argument makes no sense.

My next car will have a 360 camera, without doubt. If this report is true, the stinger is off the list

I paid $49,900 fully loaded in CAD dollars

 

[Wedge]

So, a performance model?

5.0 V8?

 

[Bigserver1]

I paid $49,900 fully loaded in CAD dollars

Ok cool thanks for the clarification!

 

[Jumpy]

Not a fan of the added exterior elements. Now it's crossing into "trying too hard" territory.

 

[Kia Stinger]

They said "next Summer". Next Summer meaning 2019? Or "this Summer" in 2018? We'll probably never know. If they meant this Summer - that might be the 2019 model anyway. If they meant next Summer, that could potentially be the 2020 model. We really don't even know what they're talking about here. In any event, it all sounds very strange to me...

So, a performance model?

5.0 V8?

@Wedge, I suggest you don't hold your breath for a V8...

 

[Jayce]

They said "next Summer". Next Summer meaning 2019? Or "this Summer" in 2018? We'll probably never know. If they meant this Summer - that might be the 2019 model anyway. If they meant next Summer, that could potentially be the 2020 model. We really don't even know what they're talking about here. In any event, it all sounds very strange to me...



@Wedge, I suggest you don't hold your breath for a V8...

Yeah, it sounds like BS. They just wanted a way to rake the US over the coals. Their explanation makes no sense. Why do you need to make more money off of the US than the other countries in North America? Why couldn't you offer it as options and let people pay more if they wanted? Oh well, still though, they've basically said officially now that it's coming. I might as well wait.

 

[Gdank]

If you can't park for s**t and need the 360 Camera's and/or you can't be bothered buying a wireless charging pad from Amazon, then Wait for it!

If you can park and have an iPhone 7, then get a Stinger now!

Honestly if in the UK they release an AWD version and let you have Blue as a colour, then next year I'll just trade up for it! While I wait a year, I'll be driving my new Stinger from March 1st this year!

 

[Jayce]

If you can't park for s**t and need the 360 Camera's and/or you can't be bothered buying a wireless charging pad from Amazon, then Wait for it!

If you can park and have an iPhone 7, then get a Stinger now!

Honestly if in the UK they release an AWD version and let you have Blue as a colour, then next year I'll just trade up for it! While I wait a year, I'll be driving my new Stinger from March 1st this year!

Lol I can park without it, and I have multiple wireless charging pads. It's the principle for me.

 

[Gdank]

Lol I can park without it, and I have multiple wireless charging pads. It's the principal for me.

So you want a feature(s) you don't need because of principles ... you yanks are strange

How about us poor pomms who don't get AWD! Don't see us crying on the forums (much)

 

[Chris]

So you want a feature(s) you don't need because of principles ... you yanks are strange

How about us poor pomms who don't get AWD! Don't see us crying on the forums (much)

You must have more money then sense if you wouldn't be upset that the guys buying the same vehicle in a few hundred miles away get a bunch of features you don't. (It's more than the camera and charging pad) and are ALSO paying $10,000 less than you are. Not to mention the fact that this is the internet and 99% of the reason it exists is for people to complain about sh!t that are "first world problems", and the fact we were told Kia execs are reading the site and listening to our complaints.

 

[Jayce]

So you want a feature(s) you don't need because of principles ... you yanks are strange

How about us poor pomms who don't get AWD! Don't see us crying on the forums (much)

I don't need them, but I would use them. It's not like they're things I wouldn't use. You don't NEED a car that will do 168mph. No one does. Still getting one though, right? I really don't even need a new car at all. They're straight up telling us that if we wait we'll get the features that these other markets are getting. The ones that it launched without yet they're still charging us a higher amount for the vehicle. I'd just prefer not to waste my money now when I know that I'm going to want the updated version. Now if I were to get a great deal, sure I would go for it. Just not paying 53k for a car that doesn't have all the options.