(2021) KIA STINGER GT vs KIA ELAN (1996)

Kia hasn’t looked backwards as it’s gone forwards. These two are clear evidence of that

HANG ABOUT, YOU’RE TELLING ME THE SPORTIEST CAR KIA’S EVER DONE ISN’T THE LATEST STINGER?

Provided you define sportiness as an attitude rather than a statistic, yes. The latest Stinger GT has a turbocharged 3.3-litre V6 for 356bhp and a 0–62mph time of 4.9secs. Not even the new all-electric EV6 hauls that hard. But pleasingly crisp though it is, it’s a GT. The Elan is a lightweight little roadster, so although it makes do with a naturally aspirated 1.8 with a mere 135bhp and a 0–62mph time of 8.8secs, it has the right attitude.

I FEEL LIKE I’VE SEEN IT SOMEWHERE BEFORE...

That’s because the Elan wasn’t all Kia’s own work. The Korean firm simply purchased the tooling and rights to the Lotus Elan (the M100 version, built between 1989 and 1995) and went into production with it themselves, only with a different engine. Anyway, it was hardly a scintillating success. On sale for three years from 1996, only around 800 were ever sold and in just two countries: South Korea and Japan.

IS THE STINGER A BIG STEP FORWARD?

The full giant leap. No other automotive firms on the planet have made more impressive gains in the last 25 years than Hyundai and Kia. Sure, the materials are a bit shinier than those fitted in Audis, but that’s pretty much the level Kia has reached. Compare and contrast with the Elan, where design seems to be a dirty word and the interior has all the tactility of a toilet brush. It’s not lovely inside, playing host to a plethora of wobbles, rattles and shakes.

SURELY THE LOTUS TOUCH WASN’T LOST DYNAMICALLY?

Initial impressions aren’t exactly positive. The engine is plain, the gearchanges loose and the brakes hopelessly spongy. But then you start noticing other things. The ride is uncannily smooth. You glide along in a way alien to MX-5 drivers. The steering is slow and springy but it grips well and the chassis is always calm and composed. It rolls and I wouldn’t say it feels eager, but it’s competent and the front-wheel-drive chassis delivers traction without torque steer. Albeit without a great deal of pace.

COULD YOU TELL THEY CAME FROM THE SAME COMPANY?

No. Too much water has passed too fast under the bridge for there to be any similarities. Kia has got where it is by moving fast and always moving forwards. The Stinger is a very capable, rational sports saloon. Not quite as polished as the equivalent BMW, but close. It’s hard to see Kia going retro just yet, but let’s hope one day that Kia might resurrect the Elan as an electric or hydrogen-powered roadster. Ideally complete with pop-up headlights. Enough time will have passed for the firm to be able to look back with pride on its heritage.