Brian Keenan
Founding Member
The Kia brand has come a long way in a short time, both in design and quality. But, as good as their vehicles are today, their long range goal seems directed at being a true Asian alternative to European luxury-sport brands. That’s a tall order, and for it, they have ordered up an all-new rear-wheel drive sedan, the Stinger.
Now, Kia has been working towards building more exciting and dynamic cars for quite a while. But, the 2018 Kia Stinger is their biggest step yet. While called a sedan, it’s really a well-camouflaged 5-door hatchback. Sizewise, the Stinger is almost mid-size, being bigger than a BMW 3-Series but smaller than a 5-Series.
Under that fastback skin lies the more important story, a finely-balanced, rear-drive chassis shared with the forthcoming Genesis G70. Raise the long hood and one finds a longitudinal, class requisite, base turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 with 255-horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque. Optionally, the Stinger GT packs a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 365-horsepower and 376 lb-ft. of torque. Both hook up to an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and both can add all-wheel drive.
While the 2.0 is no slouch, the GT’s V6 powertrain really impressed us with its overall smoothness. Even the paddle shifters work with a quick precision we didn’t expect.
2018 Kia Stinger | MotorWeek
Now, Kia has been working towards building more exciting and dynamic cars for quite a while. But, the 2018 Kia Stinger is their biggest step yet. While called a sedan, it’s really a well-camouflaged 5-door hatchback. Sizewise, the Stinger is almost mid-size, being bigger than a BMW 3-Series but smaller than a 5-Series.
Under that fastback skin lies the more important story, a finely-balanced, rear-drive chassis shared with the forthcoming Genesis G70. Raise the long hood and one finds a longitudinal, class requisite, base turbocharged 2.0-liter I4 with 255-horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque. Optionally, the Stinger GT packs a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 good for 365-horsepower and 376 lb-ft. of torque. Both hook up to an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters, and both can add all-wheel drive.
While the 2.0 is no slouch, the GT’s V6 powertrain really impressed us with its overall smoothness. Even the paddle shifters work with a quick precision we didn’t expect.
2018 Kia Stinger | MotorWeek
