motor vehicle evaluation: 2018 Kia Stinger takes the Kia brand to a whole new level - us of a nowadays

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2018 Kia Stinger GT2 RWD(photo: Greg Jarem, Kia)

every little thing you think you learn about Kia is wrong.

Don’t be troubled, you’re not alone. i was incorrect, too, until I logged a couple hundred miles in a 2018 Kia Stinger GT that turned into fresh from hitting 167 miles per hour on Germany’s famed Nürburging  race course.

I had the vibrant red, 365-horsepower twin-turbocharged Stinger for 48 hours, and i desire extra. The verify changed into too short for a full evaluate however more than lengthy enough to grasp that the Stinger fulfills its company mission: exchange how americans believe of Kia with a car that handles like a properly sport sedan and looks like nothing else on the highway.

The Stinger rolls into Kia dealerships later this year with expenses beginning at $31,900 for a base 253-horsepower rear-wheel-force model with a 253-horsepower 2-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine. I verified a virtually completely loaded Stinger GT with a three.3-liter, 6-cylinder twin-turbo that pumps out 365 horsepower, 376 pound-feet of torque and hurries up to 60 mph in four.7 seconds. It stickered at $forty nine,500. A sport-tuned 8-velocity automatic transmission is normal. All-wheel power is a $2,200 choice on all models.  

Free Press auto critic Mark Phelan takes a primary pressure with the 2018 Kia Stinger, a watch-catching sport sedan with efficiency and price that aims Audi and BMW.

That’s some huge cash for a Kia, the manufacturer ultimate ordinary for classified ads that includes spunky hamsters and the lovable and boxy $sixteen,100 Soul.

It’s tempting to anticipate the Stinger, with its Euro-vogue looks and chassis, is Kia’s prelude to a premium brand. That’s the method Kia’s corporate sibling employed with Genesis, which debuted as a single sport sedan and morphed right into a luxury manufacturer.

Kia executives swear that’s not the case. they are saying the Stinger exists to enrich the entire brand’s image, ushering in different premium models and making everything from the Soul to recreation-utility automobiles such because the Sportage and Sorento seem just a little bit more special.

The subsequent step in Kia’s evolution is likely to be a luxurious and sporty SUV, might be in accordance with the stylish Telluride concept the brand unveiled on the North American international Auto reveal a couple of years in the past.

First, the Stinger need to make its mark. Key to which are more energy, extra space, an extended wheelbase and typical size than dependent luxury fashions such because the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW four-series Gran Coupe and Infiniti Q50 three.0L. these automobiles and others, together with the Lexus GS, are the Stinger’s authentic goals, nevertheless it’ll be a protracted, complex highway before many Audi, BMW Lexus or Infiniti owners are willing to agree with Kia, despite the Stinger’s decrease fees. It wouldn’t be astounding to see the Kia in the beginning goal purchasers moving up from cars such because the Honda Accord, Nissan Altima and Toyota Camry.

accessible features encompass adaptive cruise handle, lane keeping help, heated and cooled front seats, 720-watt Harman Kardon audio and more.

The Stinger’s efficiency and value make a robust case for consumers looking to step up.

The steering is sharp and responsive. Acceleration is in fact in the massive leagues. The bi-rapid 6-cylinder engine’s 4.7-second 0-to-60 time is quicker than the supercharged Audi A7 Sportback, BMW four- and 6-sequence Gran Coupes, Q50 three-liter and Lexus GS 350. EPA gasoline economic climate rankings aren’t available yet.

Kia hasn’t published the Stinger’s weight or weight distribution, but the car’s acceleration and coping with suggest each are competitive with Audi, BMW, Lexus and Infiniti.

The Stinger’s interior is accommodating and engaging, with leather trim and controls that encompass Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, voice focus, contact-display, buttons and dials. The interior of my look at various automobile become almost all black, a solemnity that should be frequent to house owners of German luxury brands.

The Stinger’s swish form cleverly disguises a hatchback’s cargo area with sedan-style looks, á la the Porsche Panamera.

The hood, nostril and front fenders pose the question, “what number of air vents with shiny black and glossy chrome trim are too many?”

answer: This many.

despite that, the Stinger’s efficiency, coping with and cost take Kia to a whole new degree. purchasers may still be satisfied to follow it there.

WHAT STANDS OUT

sophisticated handling and velocity: no longer what americans predict from Kia

Blended design: Boasts hatchback-like cargo space with sedan appears

rate: Pry open the wallet

2018 KIA STINGER

What? Sporty sedan.

When? On sale later this 12 months.

What makes it go? 2-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder engine (base model) with 255 horsepower; three.three-liter twin-turbocharged, 6-cylinder engine (as demonstrated) with 365 horsepower.

How thirsty? gasoline economic climate not obtainable.

How large? 190.2 inches long with 114.4-inch wheelbase; 73.6 inches vast; 55.1 inches tall.

How tons? Base expense of $31,900 ($forty nine,500 as verified).

usual? Sporty, spirited experience.

None of them are self-riding automobiles, however that hasn't stopped Kia from bringing 4 personalized idea vehicles to the SEMA aftermarket elements exchange demonstrate in Las Vegas below the theme, "the self reliant lifestyles." Video by Dan MacMedan, us of a nowadays

comply with Detroit Free Press auto critic Mark Phelan on Twitter @mark_phelan.

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