Stunning Kia Stinger now available to order at Gravells
IT’S here at Gravells Kia at last! The stunning Kia Stinger, an elegant gran turismo based on the 2011 Kia GT Concept from the Frankfurt Motor Show, is now in production and is now available to order at Gravells Kia priced from £31,995.
Stinger is the most adventurous model in Kia’s history, the company’s first classic grand tourer and the first rear-wheel-drive model it has introduced to Europe. Stinger is a classic grand tourer, not a hard-edged sports car. In range-topping twinturbo V6 guise, it is also the fastestaccelerating Kia ever, with a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds.
Jonathan Gravell, Managing Director from Gravells Kia says, “we’re delighted to be able to showcase the Stinger at our Bridgend dealership. This is a real delight from Kia and we can’t wait to show the local people of Bridgend.”
Five versions are available at Gravells Kia, all with turbocharged direct-injection engines mated to an eight-speed automatic gearbox and featuring state-of-the-art electronic driver aids and connectivity systems. The ‘GT-Line’ and ‘GT-Line S’ offer the choice of a 2.0-litre 244bhp T-GDi petrol engine or a 2.2-litre 197bhp CRDi turbodiesel, while the rangetopping ‘GT S’ has exclusive use of a 3.3-litre 365bhp twin-turbo V6. The ‘GT S,’ as the fastest and most powerful model in the range, also has adjustable electronic suspension damping and Brembo brakes.
The Stinger has space for five people and their luggage. The seats are snug and the two in front have eight-way power adjustment – with a memory function on the driver’s side – and a two-way power cushion extender plus four-way power lumbar adjustment. The front seats and steering wheel are heated, and in ‘GT-Line S’ and ‘GT S’ they are also ventilated, while the outer rear seats are also heated.
To enhance comfort, dual automatic air conditioning is fitted to every model, while to aid the driver there is a 7.0-inch LCD Thin Film Transistor (TFT) supervision cluster and a customisable head-up display which allows key information – speed, navigation instructions and audio, cruise control and blind spot detection information – to be projected onto the windscreen. ‘GT-Line S’ and ‘GT S’ also have a 360-degree around-view monitor.
Every model has a DAB radio with MP3 compatibility and Bluetooth with voice recognition and music streaming.
In ‘GT-Line’ there is a nine-speaker sound system with front under-seat subwoofer, while ‘GT-Line S’ and ‘GT S’ have a concert hall quality 15-speaker harman/kardon premium system with subwoofer, external amp and front centre speaker.
On the one hand the 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 T-GDi is the fastestaccelerating Kia ever, with a 0-60mph time of 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 168mph, while on the other the 2.2-litre CRDi’s combined fuel consumption of 50.4mpg gives it a touring range of comfortably more than 600 miles.
All versions drive the rear wheels through an electronic eight- The stunning Kia StingerISG, Kia’s engine stop/start system to ensure no fuel is wasted and no emissions are released into the air when the car is stationary, is standard. The engine cuts out as soon as the driver brakes to a standstill and restarts when the brake pedal is released.
To ensure occupants can enjoy the refined sporting tones of the Stinger’s turbocharged engines, the car is the first Kia to be fitted with an Active Sound System. This relays the engine note to the cabin through the car’s audio system rather than the more conventional actuator.
All versions have Autonomous Emergency Braking, which automatically intervenes to stop the car if the driver fails to respond to a potential accident, and there is Lane Keep Assist to prevent a driver straying into an adjoining lane accidentally, and High Beam Assist to adjust the headlights according to other traffic and local lighting. Driver Attention Warning alerts a tired driver that it is time to take a break, and there is a Speed Limit Information system.
‘GT-Line S’ and ‘GT S’ supplement this with Blind Spot Detection with Rear Cross Traffic Alert: together, these act as an extra pair of eyes for the driver, warning of vehicles approaching out of his or her eye-line when changing lanes or exiting parallel parking spaces.
Stinger has Electronic Stability Control linked to Vehicle Stability Management (VSM) to correct potential skids without any intervention from the driver. VSM incorporates a new dynamic torque vectoring system which monitors driver inputs and road conditions and automatically applies power and braking force to the inner rear wheel to minimise understeer and enhance tractability and steering feel.
The standard touchscreen navigation has full European mapping and a Traffic Messaging Channel. Stinger also has Kia Connected Services with TomTom, giving access to traffic, speed camera and weather information plus local search details in a number of categories.
This is supplemented by Android Auto and Apple CarPlay connectivity which, via pre-downloaded apps on a suitable smartphone, links the car to maps, music, podcasts and texts through voice commands. There are front and rear USB ports, while ‘GT-Line S’ and ‘GT S’ have a wireless phone charger.
The extensive testing regime undertaken with Stinger means that it enjoys the same seven-year/100,000mile warranty as any of the company’s other models.
This declaration of faith in the car’s reliability and quality covers all labour and parts except those subject to normal wear and tear, and is transferable if the car is sold before the time/mileage limit expires.
Stinger’s standard paint finish is Sunset Yellow, while Pearl White, Midnight Black, Ceramic Grey, HiChroma Red and Panthera Metal are chargeable options. Stinger comes with three interior colour options, Black leather, grey leather or red leather.