If a Stinger GT3 were offered, would you buy it?

[Sabs]

Let's say Kia offered a new trim for the 2021 model year and beyond.

It would be a step above the GT2 in the US, GT Limited in Canada, GT-Line in Australia, etc.

Some possible extras on this model:

• Different tune with more HP/TQ
  
• Full digital gauge cluster with turn signal cameras
• Dual mode exhaust, customizable by drive mode
  
• Carbon fiber trim
• Sport+ mode for all markets with firmer setting for adaptive suspension, trans in full manual mode, separate seat side bolster setting
• Remote controlled parking
  
• Puddle lamps standard
• Suede headliner
• (feel free to recommend more features)

Hypothetically, it'd be priced about 10% higher, so around $56k MSRP in the US.

For those of you who might buy another Stinger in the future, or those who haven't bought yet: Would you pay the extra money for this model some time in the future?

Or, do you prefer the existing pricing and level of features?

 

[MerlintheMad]

I plan on keeping my current ride into the foreseeable future. Perfectly satisfied with everything the GT1 does and don't wish for any more "features".

 

[nhcowboy28]

Gt3 implies something way different. Full track car that *may* be street legal.

I’d prefer a different naming convention.

You want a GTS-R

 

[Ruturaj]

D-AWD for AWD models.

 

[damtachoa]

Stinger GT3? We don't need GT3. We need Kia step up to their issues that people complained on this forum.

 

[turboAWD]

Gt3 implies something way different. Full track car that *may* be street legal.

I’d prefer a different naming convention.

You want a GTS-R

GTS-R also kinda implies "race" ready, IMHO. The proposed model would be more GTS-L (for luxury).

Things I'd pay more money for:
-D-AWD (I know I can get in in the GTS, but I can't STAND that color, and don't know if I can downgrade all the other features)
-LSD front and rear and manually adjustable center diff (like an STI)
-stronger internals / transmission
-more suspension adjustability, better factory tuning
-better steering tuning - my wife's base GTI turns better than the Stinger, it just feels more connected. The car's too small as a family car, I want more power, etc, but the basic handling feels better than any Stinger mode.
-stuff like "Sport Pages" in the SRT - more stats about the engine / current status.

Basically, anything that makes it DRIVE more sporty / lets us put down more power / gives us more info.

I'm generally fine with the "luxury" of my Stinger - it's WAY beyond anything I've ever owned in the past (last car was 2005 Legacy GT). I wouldn't mind the 360 cameras or similar, but I don't need suede headliner, carbon fiber trim, anything like that - it only gets dirty (if on the outside) or scuffed up by the kids (if on the inside). Don't need a louder exhaust - I get headaches from too loud exhausts. Heard a Borla, I think, and it sounded like a truck with an exhaust leak - no thanks..

 

[nhcowboy28]

GTS-R also kinda implies "race" ready, IMHO. The proposed model would be more GTS-L (for luxury).

Things I'd pay more money for:
-D-AWD (I know I can get in in the GTS, but I can't STAND that color, and don't know if I can downgrade all the other features)
-LSD (Limited Slip Differential) front and rear and manually adjustable center diff (like an STI)
-stronger internals / transmission
-more suspension adjustability, better factory tuning
-better steering tuning - my wife's base GTI turns better than the Stinger, it just feels more connected. The car's too small as a family car, I want more power, etc, but the basic handling feels better than any Stinger mode.
-stuff like "Sport Pages" in the SRT - more stats about the engine / current status.

Basically, anything that makes it DRIVE more sporty / lets us put down more power / gives us more info.

I'm generally fine with the "luxury" of my Stinger - it's WAY beyond anything I've ever owned in the past (last car was 2005 Legacy GT). I wouldn't mind the 360 cameras or similar, but I don't need suede headliner, carbon fiber trim, anything like that - it only gets dirty (if on the outside) or scuffed up by the kids (if on the inside). Don't need a louder exhaust - I get headaches from too loud exhausts. Heard a Borla, I think, and it sounded like a truck with an exhaust leak - no thanks..

True... the added hp and carbon fiber goodies to me implied a performance aspect was desired. I would agree that a more upscale interior would be important.

Either way, I agree with another post that the basic blocking and tackling of rattles / interior issues as well as dealer experience needs to improve before we pay MORE money to Kia.

 

[fastestneon]

If it came with twin turbo high rpm v8 then yes..

 

[Kamauxx]

If it came with twin turbo high rpm v8 then yes..

Yea, for $56k that would be impossible for me to pass on.

But since I know no car manufacturers will be producing a car with a TTV8 for so cheap it was easy for me to choose option 3 on the poll.

 

[GenesisG70]

New stuff is good but I am so in love with the GT2 that even if Kia doesn't change it and lose the car will buy another exact one.

 

[Revvdmedia]

Stinger GT3? We don't need GT3. We need Kia step up to their issues that people complained on this forum.

Exactly why I voted I wont get another Stinger, not until the quality issues are fixed. After that, we can talk dollars and features.

 

[Manaz]

Let's say Kia offered a new trim for the 2021 model year and beyond.

It would be a step above the GT2 in the US, GT Limited in Canada, GT-Line in Australia, etc.

Just GT in Australia. GT-Line is the top 2.0L turbo model.

Some possible extras on this model:

• Different tune with more HP/TQ
  
• Full digital gauge cluster with turn signal cameras
• Dual mode exhaust, customizable by drive mode
  
• Carbon fiber trim
• Sport+ mode for all markets with firmer setting for adaptive suspension, trans in full manual mode, separate seat side bolster setting
• Remote controlled parking
  
• Puddle lamps standard
• Suede headliner
• (feel free to recommend more features)

I can get more power and torque with a tune already.

Full digital cluster could be interesting. It'd need to be comprehensive and customisable. Turn signal cameras?

We already got a bi-modal exhaust option in Australia. It alone was a ~5% price increase over a stock car. I didn't take it.

Carbon fibre trim? Inside, no. I'm seriously wondering how long before I start replacing or wrapping the external brightwork though.

A fully customisable mode that you define and then assign to a single button (BMW have "M" mode, Hyundai have "N" mode, etc) would be great.

I don't care for remote parking. The GT has the 360° camera, and I still like to actually drive my car.

Puddle lamps. Until last night, I'd have said "meh", but I was out with friends with a new VW Tiguan, and the puddle lamps impressed me.

Suede headliner? Meh.

Hypothetically, it'd be priced about 10% higher, so around $56k MSRP in the US.

For those of you who might buy another Stinger in the future, or those who haven't bought yet: Would you pay the extra money for this model some time in the future?

Or, do you prefer the existing pricing and level of features?

Here's the catches as I see it. I can only comment for the Australian market, so keep that in mind.

Here, we have something called the Luxury Car Tax. Once a car's drive-away price exceeds a pre-set amount ($66,331 for FY19), there's an additional 33% tax paid on every dollar over that figure. Right now, the RRP/MSRP/etc for a Stinger GT is basically right on that number, so any price increase is going to mean the car is suddenly subject to LCT.

(Total side note - that means that a car like a Mercedes Benz C63S, with, let's say a drive-away price of $166,331, consists of a $33k LCT contribution to our govt...)

Kia are not a luxury brand. They are already struggling to sell cars at the price point of the Stinger - the GT does OK, but there is only a few thousand dollars difference (about $4k) between the 3.3L twin turbo GT and the 2.0L turbo GT-Line (I've seen people pay more for the GT-line than I have for my GT). Kia Australia recently dropped the middle-spec car (we ran a three-spec lineup) in both the 2.0L turbo and 3.3L turbo lines, but I really think they need to separate the cars more price-wise - the 2.0L turbo "S" should be down somewhere closer to $45k, topping out at $55k, with the 3.3L starting at $55k and topping out at the GT at $65k (list prices). They should also, IMHO, start the 3.3L with what used to be the mid-range spec (at that $55k list price).

So you'd have:

2.0L turbo Stinger S: $45k
2.0L turbo Stinger GT-Line: $55k
3.3L twin turbo Stinger Si: $55k
3.3L twin turbo Stinger GT: $65k

That drops the price of the S (currently 200S) by about $5k, likewise the GT-line. It actually asks about $2k more for the 3.3L twin turbo Si than they currently charge for the 330S, but I think that's about right.

And then holy hell, they need to advertise them better.

At $45k, the Stinger S would be a great competitor to the Commodore RS or Calais (a Commodore variant), at $55k the GT-Line or Si be good option against the Commodore RS-V and/or Calais-V. The GT is still a bit pricier than the VXR - but then it's a better car. Sure, Holden will discount the shit out of the Commodore - but at present, the Stinger is barely compared to the Commodore, and it really should be.

 

[YEH]

^ Think the Stinger does more than alright in the Australian market compared to the Euro and Japanese competition.

In lieu of dropping the price on the turbo-4, think upgrading it to the new 2.5T and adding things like the digital gauge cluster and a larger nav/LCD screen would help increase sales.

 

[Manaz]

^ Think the Stinger does more than alright in the Australian market compared to the Euro and Japanese competition.

In lieu of dropping the price on the turbo-4, think upgrading it to the new 2.5T and adding things like the digital gauge cluster and a larger nav/LCD screen would help increase sales.

Not really. The Australian market is heavily driven by price.

I just posted numbers for the Stinger in another thread:

May 2019: 157
June 2019: 200
July 2019: 124
Aug 2019: 172

The vast majority of those are the GT model (our top model). A lot of the dealerships state that they simply don't sell enough of the other models to make them worth mentioning.

I mentioned it in the other thread as well, but Kia sold more Stingers in those four months than Infiniti sold of all their models in 12 months. No wonder Infiniti are pulling out of the local market.

Once you can spend > $60k on a car, the Stinger looks good. Great, even - there's bugger all else out there in the same market segment - you either end up with a base model BMW/Audi/Merc (and they're generally a mid-sized sedan, not a large one), a Japanese mid-size (Mazda 6, Subaru Liberty, Honda Accord, etc) or you end up paying over the odds for a fancy Camry/Aurion or Commodore (and the latter, if anyone pays over $50k for any ZB Commodore, they've got rocks in their heads).

It's the lower grade models that simply aren't selling. It's those models that should, by rights, be making up the bulk of Stinger sales in Australia. Changing the engine won't fix that - adjusting the price may though.

 

[ElChanclo]

Really wish they'd reduce the weight by using some aluminum here and there.
Then up the gas tank in line with a true GT car.

Other than that I like the analog cluster (with full LCD back) and you can keep the pointless carbon trim. Use that pricing for some genuine weight reduction.

 

[Legendsk]

I got my 2018 GT2 believing it had the potential to become a cult / classic car that would actually begin to appreciate after 3 or 4 years. I fully expect it to last longer than I do, so I'm unlikely to buy a GT3, but I would have paid the difference to get a GT3 had it been available.

I'm not terribly concerned that Kia dealers are as ill prepared to deal with Stinger cars and owners as Chevrolet dealers are with Corvettes and their owners. Corvettes seem to have found a niche without dealer support? If mine turns out to be unreliable and breaks a lot, I may have to give up on it, but so far, so good - I love it. Sadly, the software bugs that are a little annoying will likely never be updated. Why do updates to cars you already sold? Either the owners will live with them as is, or it will encourage them to trade in for a new model that has some of the bugs fixed.

 

[crg]

It's the lower grade models that simply aren't selling. It's those models that should, by rights, be making up the bulk of Stinger sales in Australia. Changing the engine won't fix that - adjusting the price may though.

Yeah as I've said previously, to be a real Commodore replacement in this market, by which I mean to get even a fraction of the sorts of volumes the former large Aussie cars were selling at, the price needs to be about 10k lower across the range. To wit, the current model Commodore which is considered a market failure sold over 500 units in August and is around 3.5 times the number of sales year to date.

 

[turboAWD]

If they put the 2.5T into the base, that can probably push 325-350 hp when tuned.. makes it less likely someone pays more $$ for the 3.3TT.

Edit: right now, 2.0T -> 3.3TT = 65% increase in displacement. 2.5T to 3.3TT is only 32% increase, 2.5T to 3.5TT is only 40%. That's my point - as long as there's a BIG jump to the GT, it's worth the extra $$. If you can get 80% of the power for $10K less, there will be a LOT of 2.5T sales, but not many 3.xTT.

 

[Capecod]

If the GT3 was a small suv, with a little more hp? I’d keep the GT2 and trade my wife’s Sportage in for it

 

[bpang1]

Using current Stinger lineup naming conventions and not combining context from other brands, the GT3 would be something with more luxury stuff since GT to GT1 to GT2 are all steps up in luxury mostly with the exception of the adjustable suspension.

I would like an option for something to go after the M3, RS 4, RS 5, etc...even though the Stinger is still more of a Tweener. So call it a GT R with a closed-deck Twin-Turbo V6, Magnetorheological Suspension and much wider stock tires with fender flares to suit. We know the current open-deck can handle a lot of power and a closed or semi-closed deck would be much beefier. Maybe get her to 450 to 500 advertised hp and win a bunch of Car of the Year honors for the next Stinger generation or a mid-cycle refresh. It would certainly be a lot of shock and awe again which is what Stinger hit the industry with when it first came out.

I personally love the fact that Kia didn't design the Stinger to conform to a big market segment. Now if they could just make it faster right out of the box, that would be another big middle finger to the conformist set.