G70 to be prioritized over Stinger

[Thumper]

Kia is doing a poor job marketing the Stinger ( understatement intended )and it will be a shame to see it go. Reminds me of Honda when they killed the S 2000.

 

[Mike_TX]

I cross shopped the G70 with the Stinger but one of the big deal breakers that made me choose the Stinger over the G70 was the fastback design even though it was cheaper.

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

 

[Waynerm002]

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

You my friend, like myself would be a candidate for the SportSpace. Yeah, it's a wagon but in my mind a really good hatch.

 

[MerlintheMad]

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

Interesting take. Especially "huge, heavy hatch". Hmm!?

After more than two years in, I find the hatch to be one of the biggest pluses of this car. The rather shallow space to the rear of the hatch is where you put smaller things that fit. This is like complaining that your ice chest won't allow the lid to close. Well, push the chests, yes, three of them, toward the front, against the backs of the rear seats; and unhinge (or remove entirely) the hatch cover. No problem. And ice chests are far more bulky than suitcases.

 

[westcoastGT]

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

ditch the tonneau cover and it has a ton of space

 

[Sushi]

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

I still do. For me, it's just about the extra cargo volume but also the ease of putting things in the back with the liftgate up and out of my way as opposed to a conventional trunk. I have a lancer as well and anytime, I need to put anything in the trunk, it annoys me but it's not the best comparison since it is a smaller car. There are of course a lot of things the G70 does better than the Stinger but I had my own personal dealbreakers when I was car shopping and a hatchback was one of my boxes.

 

[YEH]

The Stinger is not a car that needs replacing with anything. It was a fresh retro project, special to those working to bring it to life. Another car, even a GT approach, will not take the Stinger and morph with it. The Stinger is as pure a car enthusiast's dream come true as we're ever likely to see from H/K. The idea behind a genuine Gran Turismo is unique in itself: in a world that is leaving sedans, to bring out a brand new one had to be a gamble, so, making it better than any GT for the price point was the goal. The size and configuration are pluses that no other model offers anywhere near the money.

Not saying that a sports-coupe CUV thing would be a direct replacement for the Stinger, but a replacement for the Stinger in Kia's lineup.

In this day and age w/ the effects of the pandemic and the Europe's more onerous CO2 regs, auto-makers have to make choices in which models to invest and a CUV (even a crossover coupe thing) w/ some sort of electrification is a better bet for ROI.

BMW already got rid of the 3 Series GT, and wouldn't be surprised if the upcoming 4 Series GC is the last one due to the i4 joining BMW's lineup.

If Genesis is worried about Stinger sales cannibalizing G70 sales, they should throw in the new 3.5L with CVVD into the G70 and now you have a performance bump that justifies the price difference.

The Stinger no more cannibalizes G70 sales than does the 4 Series GC (and departed 3 Series GT) in cannibalizing 3 Series sedan sales.

Both offered the added practicality of a liftback, as well as having more space in general due to being larger/longer than the 3 Series sedan.

If anything, both probably prevented more former 3 Series sedan owners/prospective buyers from defecting to the X3, albeit being niche sellers.

Kia thought the Stinger would sell better, but they were deluded if they thought it would sell like a 4-door sedan (liftbacks are a niche segment).

Where they likely were disappointed was in sales of the T4 Stinger, which fell well short of projections (they thought the 2.0T would make up the vast majority of sales, but that didn't end up being the case).

 

[MerlintheMad]

Where they likely were disappointed was in sales of the T4 Stinger, which fell well short of projections (they thought the 2.0T would make up the vast majority of sales, but that didn't end up being the case).

How do you know that Kia expected to sell more 4 cyl than 6 cyl Stingers?

 

[Nasscar]

I stopped reading when I got to

Kia Australia declined comment on the report: "Kia Motors Australia has no intention of commenting on an international blog site."

Because who would believe what a random stranger on the internet posts on a blog, particularly after a potentially solid source declines to comment?

People have been generating a lot of clicks over the last couple of weeks just by making up stories about the Stinger. Once these rumor mill blog posts stop getting shared and passed off as news their click revenue will die out and the bloggers will move on to their next source of revenue. Hopefully that's sooner rather than later.

Usually if someone declines to comment it means they have something to hide.

 

[Nasscar]

How do you know that Kia expected to sell more 4 cyl than 6 cyl Stingers?

They certainly got that wrong in Australia with only about 1 in 10 being 4 cylinder. But we do like our high performance cars in Oz.

 

[Slip_Angle]

I agree with many here. I own a G70 but man DON'T kill the Stinger. If they must do something, then bring it to Genesis like someone suggested. I love the looks of the Stinger and the name is awesome!

 

[Sabs]

How do you know that Kia expected to sell more 4 cyl than 6 cyl Stingers?

I've also heard mention of that, but not seen any sources. I believe it, though, at least for the US market. I've been tracking Stinger pricing and availability since the start. When the Stinger first became available in the US, and for most of the 2018 model year, 60-65% of Stinger models on dealer lots were 4 cyl models. Currently, that number is down to 33%.

 

[cncBilly]

The guy in the showroom last week when I was in for maintenance number2 told me you can't get a 4 anymore. But he looked like a deer in the headlights with any question directed his way so I would say knows Jack .

 

[Revvdmedia]

I still say the biggest thing holding the Stinger back is heritage and proper brand recognition. No matter what Kia I've brought, up anytime I have talked to a non-HKG owner and tell them that the Korean offerings are decent, the general consensus is "oh?" Even if they make decent cars, there are still a good many that don't recognize it. HKG is still a bit tainted by their lackluster history prior to 2010. Honestly look back to the vehicles before the 2010 Optima, they were all basically knockoffs of something and quality really wasn't that great. It was the Optima, Genesis sedan/coupe, 2013 Santa Fe, 2012 Kia Sportage that really turned around the brand. 10 years isn't a huge amount of time to change everyone's perception in my opinion. Compound this lack of positive brand recognition and then try to introduce a game changing sports sedan (ok, hatch), of course the sales volume won't be tremendous. I remember when this car was first coming out and there were all the press events, I swear every big Youtuber and car review site was all over that, and it pretty much universally received praise, but sales were still pretty low.

It might just be my perception, but I liken the Stinger to something like the Ford GT. Sure, the Ford GT has merit, and yes it is fast. It might even be faster than a comparable Ferrari, but I will never be that Ferrari, it's always going to be the budget option. The same goes for the Stinger, it's not an S5. It's an awful lot like an S5. In some ways it might even be better than an S5, but it will always be the budget S5.

 

[YEH]

^ While there is some truth to that (Kia's history certainly hasn't crimped demand for the Telluride, esp the top SX-P trim), the Stinger has been selling about as well as the 4 Series GC.

Yes, the GC will be replaced by a new model soon, but it was overly optimistic to think that the Stinger would be able to outsell the German fastback competition, esp. w/ the 2.0T not selling better or to think that it would sell about as well as a traditional sedan w/ a trunk.

Stinger sales for April are not as bad as what one may have thought.

2020 - 871
2019 - 939

On a side note = don't think the Ford GT is a good analogy as Ford sold every GT they built and it would have been the case if Ford had charged more; used GTs are selling at a higher price than MSRP.

The GT is more desirable than certain Ferrari models and that also applies to the original GT.

The Genesis/G80 outsold the Audi A6 during most of its run and should once again do so when the new model launches.

Stinger sales haven't quite reached the heights of that of the Genesis sedan, but seems about right when taking into account that it's a liftback and not a traditional sedan and back when the Genesis sedan was sold, the move to CUVs/SUVs wasn't as pronounced as it is today.

How do you know that Kia expected to sell more 4 cyl than 6 cyl Stingers?

A statement that Kia had expected the majority of Stinger sales to consist of the 2.0T and were surprised by the demand for the 3.3TT relative to the base engine (I'm paraphrasing) by a Kia exec appeared in an article during the 1st year of sale.

Likewise, Kia AUS projected a higher Stinger sales rate after the 1st couple months of sale (consisting pretty much just the 3.3TT), thinking that 2.0T sales would rise (which it never did).

H/K have had a history of under-estimating the demand for the top engine.

For instance, when the original Hyundai Genesis sedan launched, the take-rate for the Tau V8 was an enormous 40%.

Typically the take=rate for a V8 in the midsize lux segment at that time was 5-10% (depending on the brand).

In Canada, Genesis doesn't have stock of the 3.3TT G90 on hand (only the V8); one has to special order the V6.

Anyhow, more and more it seems like the upcoming punitive CO2 penalties in Europe will have just as much of an effect on sealing the Stinger's fate as the pandemic.

Even upgrading to the 2.5T and 3.5T engines (and keeping the 2.2L diesel) will end up costing Kia heavily.

Would need some combination of hybrid, PHEV and BEV powertrains - which wouldn't be available until a next gen model and in that case, Kia mind as well do a more in demand CUV (even if it is essentially a Stinger on stilts).

 

[Ac91]

Hopefully they don’t kill the stinger off as a new owner I bought my 2020 in March and honestly cross shopped it with many offerings charger, m340i, and a few others the stinger has the best of everything price, performance, trunk space. But it looks like Kia isn’t doing any advertising of the car I see about 10+ commercials for the genesis but 0 for the stinger.

 

[Wan El Guapo]

Kia is doing a poor job marketing the Stinger ( understatement intended )and it will be a shame to see it go. Reminds me of Honda when they killed the S 2000.

On the bright side, S2000s are ridiculous right now. Clean high milers go for $30k+ where i live. And we only get 8 months of use.

 

[cwatt79]

I'm just curious, since I see this comment every once in a a while ... Do you still feel that way?

Despite the notion that a hatchback design is roomier and more convenient, I've found putting things in my Stinger's rear can be a nuisance, and that it doesn't hold as much as a conventional trunk of similar size. The reason is the slope. Put anything taller than about 10" in the rear of the hatch area and the hatch will hit it when you close it. So a suitcase, or a 12-pack of toilet paper, or lots of other things have to be pushed forward before closing, whereas most trunks are deeper all the way back.

Yes, if you're talking lots of smaller items, the hatch area will hold more. And yes, it has a wider and taller OPENING before the hatch is closed, and that facilitates loading, but then there's that pesky issue of clearance when you go to close the hatch.

For me, the hatchback design is for looks only, and the huge heavy hatch isn't really a functional piece. Overall, I lean more toward a conventional trunk.

I agree. The trunk on my previous car, the 2018 Accord, while rated 7 cubic feet smaller, was much more useful in practice. I could fit more things without trying as hard (or stacking items). That said, the G70's trunk at 10.5 cubic feet? Surely the Stinger's is more useful than that, regardless of shape!

 

[nhnw]

If the Stinger goes off the market, I will feel lucky to have bought the 2020.
It's ironic that one of the Stinger's best features may also kill the car - the Kia badge and low price.

 

[stung cb]

The Stinger is definitely not being marketed to it's potential and I don't think dealers actually know how to sell it properly. Heck, I knew more about the car than all the sales people that showed me the car. I've never even once seen an or heard an ad for it on TV or radio. Kia's marketing department are the real Stinger killer.

I just bought a 2020 K900 that sits next to its little brother 2020 GT2. It was between the G90 and the K900. I liked the style of the K900 better than the G90. The K900 has the S class Mercedes look. I don't care for the gaping grills on the Genesis/Hyundai.
They look like a chrome chain link fence. It is surprising how well the 3.3L turbo move the 4600 LB K900 along.