Poll: KIA Awd G2 & Marketing

[StingerChick]

The poll is a yes or no answer!

1. Was KIA's marketing less than honest during the release of the AWD G2'S with all season tires? This G2 package limited the speed to 138 mph.
For example my dealer has not and will not sell any AWD with 19" summer tiers. (Per salesman)
However, they have a nice sign in showroom reading KIA, Discover the all-new 2018, Stinger, 365 Horsepower, 167 MPH Top Speed, 4.7 Seconds 0-60, kia.com/stinger.

2. Some all season tiers can achieve the top 167 mph. Should have KIA included a tier from one of these companies?

3. Last, should KIA make this option retroactively avalible? Either by giving customer's the KIA 19" wheels & summer tiers or buying aftermarked wheels and tiers. The costumers would have have to own tiers with the proper ranting.

 

[StingerChick]

1. Yes
2. Yes
3. Yes

 

[StingerChick]

Bump

 

[Plainolmoo]

I don't think it was a case of dishonesty. To me it was piss poor training of the Kia salesforce. Since we learned of this via that other thread, I've seen numerous references to the speed limitation in various marketing brochures and advertising. The main takeaway is that this is pretty standard industry-wide. Car companies are not shouting from the mountaintops that a simple set of tires is going to forever handicap their cars. Like I said in the other thread, A LOT of Kia dealerships are clueless at the moment in terms of the Stinger. I've had my GT2 for a month now and they still haven't installed my remote start and puddle lights. My salesman admitted to me yesterday that they still don't have anyone that can do it and are going to give their guy that does their remote start installs one more week to get up to speed.
So at this point incompetent and under-trained? Definitely. Blatantly misleading customers on this top speed thing, I highly doubt it.

 

[PA_RN]

1) Agree with Plainolmoo, don't think it was intentionally dishonest but rather a poorly done roll out of a new product. From limited inventory, configurations, and the US downgrades Kia USA had a less then stellar start.

2) Absolutely. Getting a set BF Goodrich Comp 2 A/S installed shortly and they have the sufficient speed rating but there's no current way to restore the full potential of my vehicle. The stock all season tires are middling at in terms of rating and reviews but the summer tires are top notch along with the more desired large, staggered rims.
*EDIT* Actually looking up the stock tires are also "W" rated which is 168mph. That being said even with the stock tires there's no reason for the speed limit being electronically limited down further.

3) It would be amazing and a great PR move on Kia's part. This is their brand redefining halo car and one of their most expensive. It's also a car that's getting A LOT of attention from the press and hopefully reshaping their image. I would think they would like the make the same impression across the board instead of having owners stating they're upset and feel under informed at purchase at best and misled at the worst. Nobody wants to spend money on any vehicle and feel they're walking away with a lesser product. The fact they rolled out in a artificially limited state with no apparent fix in place for people who swap wheels and/or tires is pretty poor. All of this being said I highly doubt it would ever happen especially since no auto news groups seemed to have picked up on this.

 

[Bear]

When pricing mine out on Kia's website...I noticed the all season option, but didn't pay attention to the size difference. While shopping at the dealerships, the salesmen didn't have any clue about the difference either. They never mentioned the size difference of the wheel, but before I pulled the trigger...I did a lot more online research. I found the difference in wheel size and definitely went back out looking at the type of tire on the Stinger.

So I wouldn't say its Kia being dishonest more than its the salesmen not being up to speed on the options.

 

[ballistic]

The main takeaway is that this is pretty standard industry-wide.

this.

 

[westcoastGT]

The poll is a yes or no answer!

1. Was KIA's marketing less than honest during the release of the AWD G2'S with all season tires? This G2 package limited the speed to 138 mph.
For example my dealer has not and will not sell any AWD with 19" summer tiers. (Per salesman)
However, they have a nice sign in showroom reading KIA, Discover the all-new 2018, Stinger, 365 Horsepower, 167 MPH Top Speed, 4.7 Seconds 0-60, kia.com/stinger.

2. Some all season tiers can achieve the top 167 mph. Should have KIA included a tier from one of these companies?

3. Last, should KIA make this option retroactively avalible? Either by giving customer's the KIA 19" wheels & summer tiers or buying aftermarked wheels and tiers. The costumers would have have to own tiers with the proper ranting.

Every Stinger GT sold in Canada is AWD on 19" wheels , several of us have swapped out the Summers for UHPAS tires , no issues on performance , seems crazy

 

[StingerChick]

1) Agree with Plainolmoo, don't think it was intentionally dishonest but rather a poorly done roll out of a new product. From limited inventory, configurations, and the US downgrades Kia USA had a less then stellar start.

2) Absolutely. Getting a set BF Goodrich Comp 2 A/S installed shortly and they have the sufficient speed rating but there's no current way to restore the full potential of my vehicle. The stock all season tires are middling at in terms of rating and reviews but the summer tires are top notch along with the more desired large, staggered rims.
*EDIT* Actually looking up the stock tires are also "W" rated which is 168mph. That being said even with the stock tires there's no reason for the speed limit being electronically limited down further.

3) It would be amazing and a great PR move on Kia's part. This is their brand redefining halo car and one of their most expensive. It's also a car that's getting A LOT of attention from the press and hopefully reshaping their image. I would think they would like the make the same impression across the board instead of having owners stating they're upset and feel under informed at purchase at best and misled at the worst. Nobody wants to spend money on any vehicle and feel they're walking away with a lesser product. The fact they rolled out in a artificially limited state with no apparent fix in place for people who swap wheels and/or tires is pretty poor. All of this being said I highly doubt it would ever happen especially since no auto news groups seemed to have picked up on this.

Well said

 

[mldavis2]

Someone said that there is a law in the U.S. that forbids any manufacturer from selling a vehicle with a higher top speed than the rating of the OEM tires. If you went with the smaller 18" wheels and all-weather tires, you got the 140 mph limit which is (apparently) hardwired into the computer and not available for customization.
And to comment on another post, I would avoid like the plague, any dealer that "refuses" to order what a customer wants. I have 19" tires coming on my AWD GT1 because I ordered it that way. I had "summer performance" tires on my Pontiac G8 GT and had no trouble with them, but I never drove the car over 140 mph anyway.