Kia Stinger
Paul reports on a rare case of helpful technology
Some of my TopGear colleagues disdain driver-assist systems because they’re too busy testing the car’s reactions to their own inputs. Neither do they generally bother with the in-car connectivity and apps, because most of them are annoying. Either overcomplex or counterintuitive, they’re a total arseache to learn, or too slow and clunky to be useful.
Not me, though. I ceaselessly fiddle with the gadgetry. Exposing all the maddening flaws somehow gives me perverse satisfaction. But the Stinger has largely defeated me. The driver assist systems are beautifully judged, because they work just as advertised, and they’re easy to use and to understand, and intuitive to switch on and off. Other cars’ lane centring systems often follow the wrong thing (borders of repaired tarmac sections, for instance). Or their control interfaces are confusing and counterintuitive. Not here: the Kia tries hard to do what you ask, and clearly signals how it’s getting on.
It’s also got a brilliant parking camera system. Little cams in the mirrors give you a nifty view of the actual wheels, and the cameras have an easy and quick control interface. So there’s absolutely no excuse for kerbing the rims. Around my way, the streets are punctated by width-restrictors, so it’s a godsend.
Finally the navigation and comms system. Again, it’s not too complex, but it does what you’d need, and neatly integrates CarPlay too.
TL;DR [Too Long; Didn’t Read – for those who aren’t internet-savvy]. This car has all the gadgets you could want, and they all work well. And it doesn’t confuse you with menus cluttered by things you’ll never use.