Turning heads

Developed on the Nürburgring, designed and engineered by Germans, the Stinger is no ordinary Kia. Motoring ed Dieter Losskarn experienced its power first hand

The Kia Stinger

• HONESTLY, WHEN IS THE LAST TIME YOU GAVE A KIA A SECOND GLANCE?

In the past, if someone used the word ‘sexy’ in the same sentence as Kia, I would’ve regarded them as clinically insane. But the Stinger changed everything – it is the brand icon Kia wanted and needed.

anks to some German aid, it has gone from producing cheap, nondescript compact cars to stunning headturners in just a couple of years.

When the Koreans made the decision to radically change the brand in 2006, they poached Peter Schreyer – the guy who turned both the Audi TT Sport Coupé and VW Beetle into design icons.

is was exactly what he planned to do with the Stinger. And it turned out to be his design masterpiece, with enchanting lines and fantastic proportions. A worthy and mature challenger to German upperclass automobiles. Schreyer is now one of the three company presidents of the Hyundai Motor Group and has been head of Kia design for the past 12 years.

e Stinger design works well as demonstrated by its startling street cred: the amount of attention the car receives usually requires a price tag of several million Rand – and wing doors. Everyone is fascinated at

rst, then slightly confused a er recognising the badge. ‘What? is is a Kia. It looks like a Maserati!’ I got this response more than once and the guesses ranged from Audi and BMW to Jaguar.

e Stinger is not a completely new development, though: the chassis and engine are based on the Hyundai Genesis, a luxury limousine that no one noticed.

e Stinger is the rst Korean performance sedan. It was engineered by another German, Albert Biermann, who spent 32 years in Bavaria at BMW.

e former BMW M vice president of engineering is now Kia’s VP for vehicle testing and high-performance development.

He also created the Hyundai Veloster a couple of years ago.

So let’s see how much BMW found its way into the Stinger: if I close my eyes, which

I am not going to do on the twisty

R44, I could be in an Audi or BMW. Build quality and interior design are on par with the Teutonic competition

– a perfect Korean-German cooperation. It’s the auto equivalent of a crispy pork knuckle stir-fry.

And the drive? Well, I must admit it is also surprisingly convincing. e long wheel base gives it stability. While the GT comes in allwheel drive as well, rear-wheel drive is more fun. e easily controllable tail happiness makes it so much fun to throw around the perfect bends of Clarence Drive along the

False Bay coastline.

Steering might not be as precise as a BMW, and the car is not as comfortable as a Merc, but it is up there with them. Believe me, I am German. When it comes to aural pleasures, though, Kia’s Stinger lacks the animalistic, audio drama of the competition. It’s more about Asian reservation, with a perceivable – but not in-your-face – growl.

Other models in the range are bene tting from the design revolution as well. I had the chance to drive the new Sorento and Grand Sedona with their impressive front grilles along the Garden Route recently. Both the SUV and MPV are high-quality vehicles, also on par with their European competition. e Grand Sedona even felt like a Mercedes V-Class, especially with those comfortable rear seats.

I am sure that from now on a Kia will receive more than a second glance in tra c – and I promise I won’t cringe again when someone calls them ‘sexy’.

‘From now on a Kia will receive more than a second glance in traffic’