1st KIA STINGER GT S

Koreans’ first UK sports saloon scores with its long list of kit and driver appeal, and takes victory here

A HIGH-END sports saloon with 365bhp from Kia will be a surprise to many, but it’s time to get used to the idea because the car is here, and it’s well worth a look.

The eye-catching design means the new Stinger looks the part. However, what’s really impressive about the brand’s first attempt at a sports saloon for the European market is that it delivers competitive performance and a genuinely enjoyable drive.

While the Stinger was slightly slower than the Audi from 0-60mph in our tests, taking 4.9 seconds to the S5’s 4.7 seconds, the Kia was actually faster once it was rolling. The Audi’s four-wheeldrive system means it launches ferociously, but the Kia was a tenth quicker from 30-70mph through the gears, posting a time of 3.9 seconds.

The newcomer was also significantly quicker in-gear, as the Kia covered 30-50mph in just 2.2 seconds. This is where it gains another tenth of a second over the Audi, which took 2.3 seconds.

Once you’re up to speed the difference is even greater, because from 50-70mph the Stinger was faster in every gear. In fifth it took just 3.7 seconds to the S5’s 4.0 seconds, and in sixth it set a time of 4.6 seconds. The Audi did it in 5.1 seconds.

While the numbers show that the Stinger has the measure of the Audi, in the real world both cars feel very quick and the performance is so close that you wouldn’t really notice a difference on the road.

In fact, both are so fast that you won’t be able to explore the limit of performance very often; and that’s where the Stinger steals victory in terms of driver enjoyment. It’s more fun more of the time.

The steering could do with more feel, but it’s no worse than the S5’s lifeless set-up. The Audi’s extra driven wheels mean it’s more planted as you come out of a corner, but the Kia’s rear-wheel-drive layout and limited-slip differential mean there’s more of a sense of movement in the Stinger as you balance the throttle, brakes and steering.

It’s heavy, at 1,855kg, but still has an agile-feeling chassis, and it also manages to blend ride comfort and sportiness even here on UK roads. Adaptive dampers mean you can set the suspension to comfort mode and enjoy a reasonably smooth ride, but there are also Sport and Sport+ modes that stiffen things up and reduce body roll. The S5’s adaptive dampers aren’t standard, and it’s £900 to upgrade from the normal ‘S’ Sport suspension.

So the Kia is a winner for drivers, and it’s also very well equipped as standard (see Through the Range, opposite). However, the Stinger’s cabin isn’t quite as nicely designed or built as the S5’s.