I would have replaced the S4 with the S5 Sportback.
I am OK with the "wildcard" being a hot hatch. It could be a viable alternative that gives up space for cost. It is a "go to" for performance minded folks that still need a practical daily driver.
The article lists the "manufacture's estimates" for performance. Which are way off for the German cars. So I complied independent testing results below.
Note: I used the performance testing and fuel economy ratings for the AWD versions as the C43 and RS are "AWD only".
* Used times for the 2018 S5. The 2018 S4 has not been tested to date.
** Used BMW 340i xDrive times as no testing information is available for the 440i GC.
*** Adding Monotune software does not maintain your warranty on US models so the standard RS data is listed.
Sadly, the Stinger will get worse fuel economy than every single car listed, including the RS, if the Korean numbers hold true (17/24).
I think at this point the 340/440, C43, S4/5, etc. comparisons are a lost cause. They are a good bit faster and more fuel efficient. The Stinger is not a German car with discount pricing. You are going to have to give (performance/mpg) to get (cost savings).
When the Kia Stinger was first announced I initially expected to see Jaguar XE S AWD-type performance and fuel economy. Nothing to date has lead me to believe it can't tie or beat the XE in performance. The new 2018 XE S has 380 hp instead of 340. But performance testing for the F-Pace 340 and 380 hp models has shown (surprisingly) that the 40 hp increase barely effects the final performance numbers.. So I still think the Stinger can keep up with 2018 as well. Also, the 2018 Jaguar XE S R-Type AWD is ~$67,000 fully loaded. Sixteen grand buys you a lot of gas .
.
