Stinger discontinued in 2022

[westcoastGT]

don't think of it as being discontinued , think of it as evolution ..................

 

[JSolo]

ICE > EV != Evolution

 

[Transmetal]

This car reminds me of the chevy SS. Also a sort of niche car. Looks like a rental fleet impala, but is anything but. Available for 5 years, 2013 until 2017.

Cool vid. Way too many mod, $$$...

I've seen that car, pretty sure I was passed on the freeway by that very same car a few years ago. It was when I still had my Grand Prix, car was loud as f*ck!

I don't think the Stinger will ever be on that level though. One reason is that it's not a V8. Plus, it's a Kia, not a Chevy. Honestly, the way I look at it, everything cool has been discontinued basically. I own a Ford Lightning, hasn't been made in how many years? (Not talking about that new EV one) Typhoon/Syclone, Formula/Trans Am, G8/Chevy SS, Evo, Supra (until now) Dodge Stealth/3000 gt, possibly the Camaro for the 2nd time. Most performance oriented cars are canned in favor of the bean counter cars that are made for the masses. Also, many aren't intended to be made forever, they're either special models or cars made to fill some kinda quota. The Chevy SS wasn't produced to be a sales leader. Like the G8, it's an imported Holden that was basically the end of the line. That's just how it's always been.

 

[Paladin611]

This car reminds me of the chevy SS. Also a sort of niche car. Looks like a rental fleet impala, but is anything but. Available for 5 years, 2013 until 2017.

Cool vid. Way too many mod, $$$...

Not my cup of tea, but the SS is beast!

 

[AusStinger]

This car reminds me of the chevy SS. Also a sort of niche car. Looks like a rental fleet impala, but is anything but. Available for 5 years, 2013 until 2017.

Cool vid. Way too many mod, $$$...

These are a fantastic machine but one of the reasons they failed is they all came with soft, saggy fat people seats.
Because of the airbags, you couldn't swap them out with some Recaro's etc which they so desperately needed.

Mine was an older model and it was one of the FEW things I hated about the car.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

Another article out of OZ

Kia Stinger 2022: Next year could be Australia's last chance to buy an affordable performance sedan following the demise of Holden Commodore, Ford Falcon and Chrysler 300

The Kia Stinger was always facing an uphill battle, trying to replace the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon in the hearts and driveways of Australian sports sedan fans.

www.carsguide.com.au

 

[RM7]

These are a fantastic machine but one of the reasons they failed is they all came with soft, saggy fat people seats.
Because of the airbags, you couldn't swap them out with some Recaro's etc which they so desperately needed.

Mine was an older model and it was one of the FEW things I hated about the car.

No, the reason they failed is they look like a Chevy Malibu and there was no real advertising for it.

Seriously, people with them get mistaken for Malibus all the time.

The Pontiac G8 GXP at least looked the part. For the SS the styling was pulled way back to the point where it did the sleeper-role "too well". Great car if you knew what you were getting, but no one knew about it. GM also never brought any of the more "insane" Holden versions with much higher specs. They ensured it was killed. Great car if you could get ahold of it, but GM never went out of their way to make it successful.

 

[Transmetal]

Honestly, naming them Malibu SS would've been more fitting for the car and they might've sold a couple more to. Since Malibu is a household name for Chevy.

 

[143GovernaleBobo]

No, the reason they failed is they look like a Chevy Malibu and there was no real advertising for it.

Seriously, people with them get mistaken for Malibus all the time.

The Pontiac G8 GXP at least looked the part. For the SS the styling was pulled way back to the point where it did the sleeper-role "too well". Great car if you knew what you were getting, but no one knew about it. GM also never brought any of the more "insane" Holden versions with much higher specs. They ensured it was killed. Great car if you could get ahold of it, but GM never went out of their way to make it successful.

I won't lie, anytime I've ever seen an SS I've first mistaken it for a Malibu and then realized what it was by the aggressive manner the driver is operating it. They tend to drive like BMW/Mustang drivers. At least the ones I've bumped into...

Thread relevant: has there been any official word from Kia regarding the Stinger's lifespan since this report?

 

[JSolo]

Maybe it was chevy's intention to weakly market the car. Sort of what caddy is doing with the blackwing now. Albeit I think the blackwing is getting much more publicity than the SS did.

 

[Kamauxx]

Maybe it was chevy's intention to weakly market the car. Sort of what caddy is doing with the blackwing now. Albeit I think the blackwing is getting much more publicity than the SS did.

They didn't market it because they didn't care. The car was only on sale for a couple of months when GM announced that it would be discontinuing Holdens in 2017. They had a plan to discontinue the "SS" before it even made it to the U.S.

 

[Stinger GT SS]

They didn't market it because they didn't care. The car was only on sale for a couple of months when GM announced that it would be discontinuing Holdens in 2017. They had a plan to discontinue the "SS" before it even made it to the U.S.

Everything about the Chevy SS was low key even the launch, makes me wonder why GM actually did it as they had already put a red line through the Holden brand.
Below is a news release from Feb. 2013

Holden's US Commodore: Chevy SS revealed - carsales.com.au

GM reveals its new Australian-made sports sedan and NASCAR racer, the Holden Commodore-based Chevrolet SS

www.carsales.com.au

GM was once the king of Australian roads & now they don’t even have a presence here, I also found it funny that some old Holden dealerships hqve been converted to Kia dealerships as they need larger showroom.

 

[Kimberly Lazarski]

ICE > EV != Evolution

I have mixed opinions on that; an EV doesn't work for me for my personal driving because I take routes where chargers are not readily available, but if they were, I would buy one in a heartbeat because the acceleration performance is astonishing, and they're environmentally responsible. They also offer the potential of vastly superior AWD and a lower center of gravity, both of which can foster tremendous improvements in handling.

I just left my job, and starting on my new adventure, post-pandemic I may be driving to a lot of enterprise-level companies and that will be mostly along routes with public chargers, so if I take this position I'll pay the Stinger down, and hopefully by the time the pandemic is over and the travel starts back up, the EV6 GT will be available. I would plan on keeping a small Hazard Freight generator in the trunk or frunk in case I get into a pinch and need to charge up at the side of the road to make it to the closest 240v outlet or charger. If it works out, then the Stinger will be simply a weekend/pleasure car instead of my daily driver.

However if they continue the Stinger line with a performance-oriented hybrid, or bring it back as one after a brief hiatus, I'd go that route. I truly enjoy the car - probably even more so than the Corvettes I've had.

Edit: I'd have considered the SS if it offered AWD.

 

[AusStinger]

No, the reason they failed is they look like a Chevy Malibu and there was no real advertising for it.

Seriously, people with them get mistaken for Malibus all the time.

The Pontiac G8 GXP at least looked the part. For the SS the styling was pulled way back to the point where it did the sleeper-role "too well". Great car if you knew what you were getting, but no one knew about it. GM also never brought any of the more "insane" Holden versions with much higher specs. They ensured it was killed. Great car if you could get ahold of it, but GM never went out of their way to make it successful.

If you re-read my post you'll see I said ONE of the reasons it was a failure was......

Yes, It was poorly advertised in the USA and from what I was told, there was never a high expectancy for success in the states because people associate a "muscle car" with a 2 door, not a 4 door.

Overall, the VE Commodore was a huge success in Australia but, for the reasons I just stated, it was poorly promoted in the states in whatever badging it was offered.

Overall though, there were many ways the car could have been offered up in ANY market place as a success story but that boat has sailed.

 

[5tinger]

LOL why are they all trying so hard to kill the Stinger?
Is there some sort of faciscation with killing it?

 

[Robilar]

I'm hoping they bring out a hybrid version. the Turbo 6 engine with mild hybrid for some extra HP and better gas mileage. Would be a real winner.

The only other thing it needs after the 2022 refresh is a virtual dashboard (which other Kia's already have).

Imagine this car with another 50HP and 20% better mileage?

 

[YEH]

If you re-read my post you'll see I said ONE of the reasons it was a failure was......

Yes, It was poorly advertised in the USA and from what I was told, there was never a high expectancy for success in the states because people associate a "muscle car" with a 2 door, not a 4 door.

The Dodge Charger has done alright.

Part of the problem for the SS was its pricing - manufacturing in Australia and shipping it over wasn't cheap.

 

[Robilar]

If you re-read my post you'll see I said ONE of the reasons it was a failure was......

Yes, It was poorly advertised in the USA and from what I was told, there was never a high expectancy for success in the states because people associate a "muscle car" with a 2 door, not a 4 door.

Overall, the VE Commodore was a huge success in Australia but, for the reasons I just stated, it was poorly promoted in the states in whatever badging it was offered.

Overall though, there were many ways the car could have been offered up in ANY market place as a success story but that boat has sailed.

I don't recall it being aimed at all at muscle cars on release. Kia's target market was sports sedans, the Audi A5/S5 sport back, BMW 3 and 4 series and the Mercedes CLK250 and up. Plus the Infiniti, Lexus and Cadillacs.

The Audi/BMW/Mercedes 4 door cars sell like hotcakes globally. Hell in Toronto every 3rd car is one of them.

 

[AusStinger]

The Dodge Charger has done alright.

Part of the problem for the SS was its pricing - manufacturing in Australia and shipping it over wasn't cheap.

You're right on both fronts. They also made the 4 door Charger LOOK very 2 door ( if you know what I mean ) which probably helped.

 

[AusStinger]

I don't recall it being aimed at all at muscle cars on release. Kia's target market was sports sedans, the Audi A5/S5 sport back, BMW 3 and 4 series and the Mercedes CLK250 and up. Plus the Infiniti, Lexus and Cadillacs.

The Audi/BMW/Mercedes 4 door cars sell like hotcakes globally. Hell in Toronto every 3rd car is one of them.

It was advertised in many ways in many countries so I not going to comment too much on that subject but the worldwide target audience for the V8 version was the "family locked throttle jockey" ( I was told ). More professionally referred to as a "family friendly muscle car".

But any way you sell it, when you put it in the ring with the top guns you've mentioned above, it was never going to succeed. Less bells and whistles. No "prestige" etc etc.

Over here in Aus the car had a great following ( as a "family practical muscle car" ) but also carried the tag as a "Bogan Mobile". Looked down upon by those who drive 6 figure Euro beasts to take their kids to school and soccer practice but were incapable of driving a nail into a bowl of jello let alone using a quarter of what they had.