Kia Stinger is realistic performance

When it comes to performance and affordability, we love a good sedan.

In the eyes of manufacturers, having a good array of vehicle options in the fleet is always a priority. But having a nice bang for the buck as well as consumer interest stays at top of mind. For Kia, we experience just that. While Genesis is off doing its thing as the upscale brand of Hyundai, Kia decides to dabble in the performance sedan segment with its Stinger. With all-wheel drive included in our GT2 packaged Ceramic Silver Stinger, this was sure to be a fun week.

A 3.3-liter Twin-Turbo V6 engine leads the charge on the Stinger and one Kia should be very proud of. It’s powerful, it’s smooth and it gets up and goes with no effort. Paired with an eightspeed automatic transmission, all 368 horsepower seem to be in full motion, making this one nicely equipped sedan.

On the interior, we enjoy typical Kia equipment and easy to use infotainment. Heads up display, SiriusXM radio and really comfortable seats align well with the 10.25” touchscreen infotainment system, a 7-inch LCD digital instrument cluster. With spacious ventilated and heated front seats and surround view camera monitoring, the Stinger really brings a lot to the table. The cranberry red interior package was also nice. It was ultra comfortable and had the squishiest headrests ever.

Exterior-wise, we notice similar styling to sister brand Genesis, while adding that Italian Maserati flare. The 19-inch alloy wheels, LED multifaceted reflector headlights and LED taillights show out well, while the heated outside mirrors were nice on a brisk morning. For Kia, performance is not its “forte,” get it? But when it comes to the Stinger, this is a great alternative to Genesis while keeping the brand alive in its everchanging affordability category. Its appearance looks great, the color was nice, all while enjoying that low to the ground, powerful sedan that everyone enjoyed in the past. Do we have to mention the warranty? A 10 year/100,000 mile warranty is included as Kia continues to be the No. 1 long-term brand among mass markets for dependability according to J.D. Power.

Grasso’s Garage is here for you! Are you in the market for a new car? I would be happy to provide my honest input. All you have to do is email me: marc.grasso@ bostonherald.com.

Kia Stinger MSRP: $53,490 MPG: 17 city, 24 highway, 21.0 as tested