For those who are in Charleston, SC... I just stopped by Kia Country this weekend to experience the car in person after going through all the visual media in the past months, since the dealer called me to let me know that they finally received a Korean-spec model. My friend and I went to go see it, and we both were initially impressed. Granted, I was a little disappointed since the model they had was not the
3.3T GT2, but it was upper trim 2.0T with all the GT bits. I have so much to say about the car, but in person it is striking, and honestly it looked smaller than what I anticipated for the exterior when I climbed in. I'm about 5'9 and headroom was definitely much lower than what I am used to in a Mazda3, and for me, it's almost like you have to duck and climb into the cabin. There was only one demo unit, and this gave me the time to assess everything about the car... the standard leather is good and I hope it stands up to time. The Nappa leather I will have to see if it is that much better to spring for the GT2. Since there has been so much discussion already about the missing features that the US might have (360 deg camera, wireless charging, rear heated seats, center rear script logos), it was a little disheartening when viewing the car, since it seems like these features may be only reserved for the
3.3T GT2 trim, and may not even make to US-spec cars.
However, in terms of creature comforts, I was very impressed by the initial quality of everything. The interior cabin was very solid, and the keys were still in the car, so I was able to test the remote hatch. I loved the design of the key and it is a nice touch. When I first turned on the car, it greeted me in "Hello" in Korean in a female voice, which I thought was cool. My friend and I are huge tech freaks, so we played around with all the toys that were immediately accessible, such as the ventilated seats (engine was still off, but car was on) and they seemed to its job within minutes... I really wanted to experience the 360 camera, but couldn't get them to work since the car was in park and didn't want to risk it by shifting it to reverse to activate them... I also really wanted to see the dual LED headlights, but they curiously didn't turn on no matter which setting I turned on the stalk.... however the LED DRLs looked really good. I also got to experience the head unit and it was sufficiently responsive and the interface was easy to use and of course supported
Android Auto /
Apple CarPlay... I sat in the back and it was very comfortable with lots of leg room.... and of course my favorite part was the powered hatch with lots of room to spare for cargo.
As for the dealership experience at Kia Country, it was actually very pleasant and I did not get harassed by any nonsense, since I was only interested in the Stinger. I also really liked that this dealer offered the following with their "Owner's Edge" program that comes with every purchase: One-year Complimentary Oil & Filter Change, Dealer Installed Spare Tire, Brakes for Life (will be curious if they use BREMBOs!), Complimentary Concierge Shuttle, Emergency Roadside Assistance, Exclusive Owner’s Edge Only Event Invitations, Discounts and Sales, Lifetime Car Washes, Lifetime Loaner Cars, Loyalty Discount 10% off all service after 60K miles, New Owner Clinic, On Site Discount Ding/Scratch Repair, On Site Discounted Upholstery & Carpet Cleaning.
Overall the car is very nice and I recommend those in Charleston, SC to check it out! And I really wish they removed that poster of the baby hamster... it kinda ruins the upper segment that they are aiming for LOL.
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Pretty cool... It sounds like you're impressed with the Stinger and I'm glad to hear it. I'm anxious to get into one with a test drive to see how everything is first hand. In the meantime, reviews like this are perfect. Thanks again!
, the guy who was showing me the car, flipped the heated seats button in the other direction and imagine my shock when I had cold air blowing up my backside! He said that for the most part, the US version should have the same amenities as the European car with a few differences, such as badging, we won't get the E badge, and he couldn't say for certain if we will get rear heated seats but he did say we should be getting the 360 camera view!
