Kia Stinger packs some punch
A KIA the likes of which there’s never been is hitting our roads, showing that the Korean car maker can play the German big hitters at their own game.
The new Kia Stinger is more than a match for the likes of the BMW 4 Series or the Audi S5 and it’s coming at a fraction of the price.
The name is a mere appetiser for what’s in store and in the metal the Stinger looks every bit a high-performance grand tourer that packs an astonishing punch.
Under the skin of the flagship Stinger GT S is a 3.3-litre V6 engine boosted to 365bhp which delivers super-sport statistics of 0 to 60 in 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 168mph.
That’s hooked up to a rear-wheeldrive configuration, an eight-speed auto box and a suspension set up to allow the car to flow with composure.
Factor in some clever electronics to change the drive modes and it’s a car that, for £40,495, delivers in stupendous fashion.
For Kia, the Stinger is a game -changer and proof of a pudding that has been bubbling away since Kia’s design chief Peter Schreyer was joined by engineering expert Albert Biermann two years ago.
With Schreyer’s roots stretching back to Audi and Biermann poached from BMW, where he headed up the M Performance division, the prospect has always been tantalising. The result is a true grand tourer which will satisfy the whims of drivers who relish cars that perform on every front.
The Stinger does that in no uncertain fashion, as we discovered driving the GT S hundreds of miles across the South of England from Cornwall to Sussex.
Setting out from Newquay, where the Stinger showed its awesome power during a ‘V-Max’ run along the runway at the former RAF St Mawgan airbase, the car proved a delight to drive along some of the most scenic coastal roads in the country.
Its fastback lines are highlighted by power-conveying highlights such as louvred vents on the bonnet and behind the wheel arches and with four exhausts protruding from the rear, the Stinger has real muscle-machine presence.
Brembo brake callipers within the wheels and a subtle boot spoiler complete the picture yet inside it’s a proper family fiveseater with a good amount of room front and back. Boot space ranges from 406 to 1,114 litres, which complements the Stinger’s touring image, and while the GT S sits on 19in alloys with 225/40 R19 tyres at the front and even wider 255/35 R19 tyres at the rear, there is nothing harsh about the ride. Like every other aspect of the car, the cockpit sets new standards for Kia and the range-topper can be had with grey, black or red interior finishes. Leather upholstery and aluminium-effect trim add to the upmarket status and there’s an intimate feel from behind the wheel. A good amount of ‘proper’ controls – not a minimalist touchscreen approach where most functions are buried away in the software – enable the driver to feel in command and that adds to the enjoyment.