The Kia Stinger marks a new chapter in Kia's history. A bet by the South Korean brand that intends to intrude among German references.
At the end of January, Razão Automóvel was at the European premiere of the new Kia Stinger. This meeting in Geneva confirmed the validity of Kia's intentions with the Stinger, which will have as potential rivals the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé and the Audi A5 Sportback.
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To face established rivals with the weight of the BMW and Audi symbols, Kia spared no efforts. The Stinger adopts slender, coupé-like features – the misnamed four-door coupé. The good proportions are a reflection of its architecture: a classic longitudinal front engine with rear wheel drive. Promise!The lines are dynamic and unapologetically sporty. The design was in charge of Peter Schreyer, a former designer at Audi, and – an absolute first for an automobile designer – one of the current presidents of Kia. Currently, he is also the head of design for all brands in the Hyundai Group.
Although it is a model with an openly sporty character, Kia guarantees that the dimensions of habitability have not been harmed. The Stinger's generous dimensions put it at the top of the segment: 4,831mm long, 1,869mm wide and a wheelbase of 2905mm.
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While there is no doubt in the exterior design that Kia has defined its DNA very well, the same is not true for the interior.
As we mentioned before, the perception that we were left with is that the Kia Stinger was inspired by Stuttgart, namely Mercedes-Benz. Highlight for the 7-inch touchscreen, which claims for itself most of the controls, seats and steering wheel covered in leather and attention to finishes.
The fastest model ever from Kia
Lets go to what matters. The Kia Stinger “pulls” behind, which in itself is cause for celebration. And we have good reason to believe that in dynamic terms the Stinger will give the competition a shot. In the dynamic chapter, Kia went to “steal” from the competition one of the best cadres in the automobile industry. We are talking about Albert Biermann, former head of the M Performance department at BMW.The fastest Kia title ever comes courtesy of the 3.3-liter turbo V6, with 370 hp and 510 Nm. The transmission, in this version, will be carried out on four wheels through an automatic eight-speed gearbox. It allows acceleration from 0 to 100 km/h in just 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 269 km/h.
The European market will have more accessible engines. The best seller should be the Stinger Diesel 2.2 CRDI, which produces 205 hp and 440 Nm of torque. Complementing the range is a petrol engine: a 2.0 turbo with 258 hp and 352 Nm .
Kia Stinger's arrival in Portugal is scheduled for the last half of the year.