Motor Trend Ignition Ep. 181 -Kia Stinger - Full Episode

[Bamm1]

 

[Kia Stinger]

He gave a great review. He really liked it. I think he was trying to be a little silly too much by saying things like "Rocks for a Kia" and correcting himself when he said "Driver's car" with "Driver's Kia". Some people will take that the wrong way - if they don't see he's just being humorous. And when he said he'd like it to be a couple hundred pounds lighter "like a 3-Series" but then said he liked how it had enough back seat room for a tall guy like him - try that in a 3-Series...

Over all a good review and while it's not a track car, it's not intended to be either...

 

[TyTimp]

Cringed when he drifted through the dirt and rocks. Loved the diverter valve sound!

 

[Chris]

Cringed when he drifted through the dirt and rocks. Loved the diverter valve sound!

Ha, I thought that guy has to be some sort of jacka$$ to take what is surely a media car and treat it like that.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Yeah, I would never do that to my own Stinger! Rock chips! Forget about it...

 

[admonite]

So...it's 1.66 seconds slower around the streets of Willow than the V8 Chevrolet SS sedan. I can't wait to see them test the 2018 Regal GS to see if it's weight savings makes up for the naturally aspirated v6....though the Stinger looks better than either of those two.

 

[eljay]

My take away--everyone on the videos seems to be driving the Stinger hell-bent for election. I never will--I'm a fast driver, but not an adventurous one--but seeing how well it handles under exteme driving habits lets me know it will be easy to control if I ever have to deal with a highway emergency.

 

[AJL13]

So...it's 1.66 seconds slower around the streets of Willow than the V8 Chevrolet SS sedan. I can't wait to see them test the 2018 Regal GS to see if it's weight savings makes up for the naturally aspirated v6....though the Stinger looks better than either of those two.

The fact that the former VP of BMW's M-division had a hand in designing the suspension combined with the apparent fact that it is track-inept doesn't make a ton of sense and is disappointing IMO...maybe the guy was VP of finance. The Chevy SS is roughly the same curb weight (translation: heavy) and has roughly 50 more HP...that alone shouldn't make up for that much discrepancy in lap times....maybe for a track that's 3-4 miles long, but not a track as short as that one. I'm not sure if I represent the minority or majority when I say I was hoping it would be a little more sporty and a little less tour-y, but I guess the market will speak when it's released.

 

[Kia Stinger]

The fact that the former VP of BMW's M-division had a hand in designing the suspension combined with the apparent fact that it is track-inept doesn't make a ton of sense and is disappointing IMO...maybe the guy was VP of finance. The Chevy SS is roughly the same curb weight (translation: heavy) and has roughly 50 more HP...that alone shouldn't make up for that much discrepancy in lap times....maybe for a track that's 3-4 miles long, but not a track as short as that one. I'm not sure if I represent the minority or majority when I say I was hoping it would be a little more sporty and a little less tour-y, but I guess the market will speak when it's released.

I think Kia is really looking to sell a lot of these. If they weren't, they'd have made the suspension stiffer. It's made to be a competitive car that'll leave some people in the dust - but also to be comfortable. Even BMW has softened up suspensions these days and the driving enthusiasts aren't a fan of it. However, BMW is selling more cars - and earning more revenue - which in turn will allow them to make better cars in the future...

 

[AJL13]

I think Kia is really looking to sell a lot of these. If they weren't, they'd have made the suspension stiffer. It's made to be a competitive car that'll leave some people in the dust - but also to be comfortable. Even BMW has softened up suspensions these days and the driving enthusiasts aren't a fan of it. However, BMW is selling more cars - and earning more revenue - which in turn will allow them to make better cars in the future...

I wonder if the car proves to be commercially successful if they would offer a "sport" model or something of the sort with firmer, beefier suspension for a few more bucks for people like me who would gradually sacrifice a bit of comfort for better cornering ability.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I wonder if the car proves to be commercially successful if they would offer a "sport" model or something of the sort with firmer, beefier suspension for a few more bucks for people like me who would gradually sacrifice a bit of comfort for better cornering ability.

I really have no doubt this will happen if the car sells enough. I have a strong feeling that version will come with a more powerful tune as well.

 

[AJL13]

I really have no doubt this will happen if the car sells enough. I have a strong feeling that version will come with a more powerful tune as well.

That would be awesome, unfortunately I'm guessing if they release a "track" version Stinger GT, It would be priced out of my range. Only time will tell!

 

[Kia Stinger]

That would be awesome, unfortunately I'm guessing if they release a "track" version Stinger GT, It would be priced out of my range. Only time will tell!

I bet it would only cost about $2k more or so. Not a crazy amount more for a stiffer suspension and 20 or 30 more horsepower... But that's just a guess. Still, I'm very confident that Kia wants to go all out with a higher performance variant - but first things first...

 

[Jumpy]

He gave a great review. He really liked it. I think he was trying to be a little silly too much by saying things like "Rocks for a Kia" and correcting himself when he said "Driver's car" with "Driver's Kia". Some people will take that the wrong way - if they don't see he's just being humorous. And when he said he'd like it to be a couple hundred pounds lighter "like a 3-Series" but then said he liked how it had enough back seat room for a tall guy like him - try that in a 3-Series...

Over all a good review and while it's not a track car, it's not intended to be either...

This guy took EVERY opportunity to remind us that the car is a Kia...as if expectations should be lowered because of that. He should stop trying (failing) to be funny and just evaluate the car on its merits.

 

[Kia Stinger]

This guy took EVERY opportunity to remind us that the car is a Kia...as if expectations should be lowered because of that. He should stop trying (failing) to be funny and just evaluate the car on its merits.

Yes, I agree. I know he likes the car so I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic about that. But who knows? Most people will assume he was being unkind. But he liked it. Strange. I'm not sure how to read him...

 

[Chris]

Yes, I agree. I know he likes the car so I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic about that. But who knows? Most people will assume he was being unkind. But he liked it. Strange. I'm not sure how to read him...

That he is a car snob and even though the car performed really well, he would still never buy it because the badge on the back isn't the right one?!?

 

[Kia Stinger]

That he is a car snob and even though the car performed really well, he would still never buy it because the badge on the back isn't the right one?!?

Could be! I wouldn't be surprised...

 

[eljay]

Ever notice how many of the people in these reviews are grinning ear-to-ear while driving this car? That says it all. And I don't get a sarcastic read on the frequent corrections from "car" to "Kia" (OK, I did the first time I watched the video), but rather a feeling that he's trying to emphasize that this is a major departure for Kia.

 

[Kia Stinger]

Ever notice how many of the people in these reviews are grinning ear-to-ear while driving this car? That says it all. And I don't get a sarcastic read on the frequent corrections from "car" to "Kia" (OK, I did the first time I watched the video), but rather a feeling that he's trying to emphasize that this is a major departure for Kia.

Now there's the silver lining I was looking for!

 

[admonite]

The fact that the former VP of BMW's M-division had a hand in designing the suspension combined with the apparent fact that it is track-inept doesn't make a ton of sense and is disappointing IMO...maybe the guy was VP of finance. The Chevy SS is roughly the same curb weight (translation: heavy) and has roughly 50 more HP...that alone shouldn't make up for that much discrepancy in lap times....maybe for a track that's 3-4 miles long, but not a track as short as that one. I'm not sure if I represent the minority or majority when I say I was hoping it would be a little more sporty and a little less tour-y, but I guess the market will speak when it's released.

I'm not at all disappointed by that performance (that may change based on final MSRP of Stinger GT) since Motor Trend went as far as to name the Chevrolet SS sedan "The new Benchmark Sport Sedan" and compare it favorably to the E39 BMW M5. Other than a couple short instances of outrageous discounts the SS Sedan is $47K or higher and all indications are that it is dead and gone. Also, just offering Nappa leather means the interior should be much nicer than that SS.