Autoblog Review

[davebo]

https://www.autoblog.com/2017/10/27...sleeper-of-the-year/?hcid=ab-around-ab-tile-1

They actually got it up to 164mph on an oval track. Sweet!

Like others they mention the paddle shifters aren't fast enough to really be worth using, but one new comment was that the lane assist and collision warning they felt was "too aggressive for normal use" Seems like this isn't a final spec car as per usual. Dammit Kia, let reviewers review the actual car you're going to sell!

 

[Kia Stinger]

I love the fact that they call this car "sleeper of the year". A Kia. Sleeper of the year. Color me impressed...

 

[Mike_10]

"the chassis tuning also involved location-specific processes like shutting down portions of bumpy L.A. freeways in order to analyze surface textures and replicate them at the 2-million-square-foot vehicle dynamics track in Mojave, a costly but necessary step towards ensuring adaptability to real-world conditions." ...Ok then

 

[Bamm1]

When asked about the unsorted feeling of weight transfer at higher speeds, Kia Senior Manager of Vehicle Evaluation Chahe Apelian said that our testers were built four to six months prior to the final production spec cars, and that "There will be noticeable improvements" in final form.

Then why let a major auto news site review your "6 month old pre-production car" if it is not representative at all! Is Kia actively trying to give people a bad impression? It appears there may have been ZERO complaints if they had a final production spec model to review.

 

[Chris]

Then why let a major auto news site review your "6 month old pre-production car" if it is not representative at all! Is Kia actively trying to give people a bad impression? It appears there may have been ZERO complaints if they had a final production spec model to review.

But then they wouldn't have a built-in excuse for every issue that any reviewer has.

 

[davebo]

Can you think of any other cars in recent memory that have done this? Given every reviewer a pre-production model from another country?

 

[westcoastGT]

I think its a brilliant idea ...................the Auto Journalists are asked for feedback and input so that Kia can "fine tune" the end product . These journalist have a real sense of contribution and I think its the key reason they have been so "involved " and positive about the car . The have a true sense of ownership and contribution. The Germans are too arrogant to do something like this , their attitude is "we know better" .
I think its a brilliant strategy ,

 

[davebo]

Yeah but are they then going to give these review sites a chance to drive the finished product before it's available to buy? Like I get why Hollywood does test audiences for films and gives them time to tweak things about it, but ultimately they show the final product to film reviewers before everyone who bothers reading reviewers makes a decision to see it or not.

 

[hereward]

I think its a brilliant idea ...................the Auto Journalists are asked for feedback and input so that Kia can "fine tune" the end product . These journalist have a real sense of contribution and I think its the key reason they have been so "involved " and positive about the car . The have a true sense of ownership and contribution. The Germans are too arrogant to do something like this , their attitude is "we know better" .
I think its a brilliant strategy ,

A faint whiff of irony or sarcasm, eh? Yours is a good point actually. This is Keystone Cops stuff: six months of sub-market cars tested by journos, obligatory praise all around, as expected, but reading between the lines, reservations aplenty about the car; KDM cars with unobtainium colors; many showroom cars with rundown batteries; and total ignorance of the dealers.

I've been an early supporter of the Stinger, but my faith is being shaken apart by the incompetent marketing of Kia. May be it is time to move onto the trusted if expensive BMW.

 

[westcoastGT]

With cars being delivered in Aus and NZ now and some parts of Europe I have to believe the car is "done" , these journalists were invited by Kia for the preliminary tests , most 3rd party reviewers will do independent research on the cars when they are released into the markets , I'm betting . the Canadian cars are supposed to be hear early December so they must be in production now ............

 

[westcoastGT]

A faint whiff of irony or sarcasm, eh? Yours is a good point actually. This is Keystone Cops stuff: six months of sub-market cars tested by journos, obligatory praise all around, as expected, but reading between the lines, reservations aplenty about the car; KDM cars with unobtainium colors; many showroom cars with rundown batteries; and total ignorance of the dealers.

I've been an early supporter of the Stinger, but my faith is being shaken apart by the incompetent marketing of Kia. May be it is time to move onto the trusted if expensive BMW.

Dont do it ! 12 years and 9 BMW's later I'm sold on Kia , try to separate product quality / reliability from dealer experience / marketing . The cars are far ahead of the infrastucture

 

[davebo]

Torque.Jenna (@Jenna Choe) if you follow her recently posted a photo of them taking a batch of presumably u.s. spec blue rwd gt's from some port. There've got to be some amount of "final" Stingers on our shores.

 

[hereward]

Dont do it ! 12 years and 9 BMW's later I'm sold on Kia , try to separate product quality / reliability from dealer experience / marketing . The cars are far ahead of the infrastucture

Appreciate your opinion, thanks. That's been my point too about BMW - post 50K miles, and post-warranty, they are expensive to maintain. But familiarity with the brand cars for 40 years and the knowledgeable BMW-ecosystem of friends, mechanics, and blogs, have kept me in the faith.

Good point, yours, so I'll wait for another month and see what comes out in terms of Stinger news. I've been renting a car afyer my last BMW, a 328d, thinking the Stinger will be out in November, but if, as it is being said, the availability goes into next Spring, well, it'll be a tough decision time.

 

[Bamm1]

But then they wouldn't have a built-in excuse for every issue that any reviewer has.

HAHA, I don't think any other automaker has used that approach before. But what a way to "Teflon" away all criticisms.

I really do hope that all of this is part of some "secret" plan. They hated that these options seemed to be missing, they hate the price, they really liked these colors when we had them on display, they hate these aspects of the driving dynamics, etc. Lets tweak what we can and show we listen, now please buy our car.....