The Kia Stinger is unlikely to be replaced for a second-generation.
The Stinger, first launched in 2017 and recently overhauled, has been hugely successful in the transformation of Kia’s image towards making sportier-looking and more dynamically oriented models, but it has not been a big sales hit.
The baton is already being handed to the EV6 for the role in the range as a sporty flagship, as part of Kia’s wider push towards electric cars. To that end, the EV6 will be getting its own GT version next year.
When asked by Autocar at the LA motor show if the Stinger GT would be replaced, Kia design boss Karim Habib said: “The spirit of Stinger remains and will remain. I like to think that the EV6 has the genes of the GT. We’re doing to do a GT of that, and it has the Stinger in it.
“Stinger has been a transformational car, and opened a whole new perspective as to what Kia can be, sporty and a precision driving tool. EV6 is now doing similar.”
The Stinger GT will remain in Kia’s range for a while to come in the meantime, however, after its recent facelift, and is expected to be on sale until at least 2023 or 2024.
As a halo performance car for Hyundai it bought way too little to the table to entice Ford and Holden owners wanting to replace V*’s or turbo 6’s.
Firstly, power was way below where it needed to be. 270kW was what the F6 had in 2004, to see it in 2017-2021 is a bit of a joke especially when combined with the huge weight of 1780kg. Second the car looked as bland as any entry level model with insipid front styling and a horrible C-pillar that ruins the lines. Third the exhaust was pitiful and sounded about as good as a vacuum cleaner. 4th the auto gearbox was rubbish with it not even being able to hold revs in manual mode.
It was an ok first effort but it needed to offer a lot more to sway buyers they were fair dinkum. The i30N is more hardcore. Hyundai thought they’d be more Euro but forgot they offered a lot more power and torque and sounded 10x better. Purchases like these are emotional and people were looking for some thrills, not cookie cutter design with no soul.
So glad I didn’t buy one, I never believed they’d do a second gen. It will be replaced, but by a fat over weight EV.
I’m obviously not going to change your mind but have you actually driven one? With its turbo six it delivers its power in a completely different way to a naturally aspirated six or eight. It does 0-100 in 4.7s so can easily match a commodore SS or equivalent falcon.
it actually compares to a euro small sports sedan like a BMW 340i or Audi S4 with which it is completely competitive on power. Do you think those are underpowered too? It’s only in Australia that people seemed to want to compare the stinger to V8s.
With regards to the styling well horses for courses. I’d argue it’s massively distinctive with very individual 4 door coupe styling that looks fantastic. Take off the Kia badges and it could be truly exotic. Show me anything else less than $100k that looks as good! But oh it’s just a Kia…
At the end of the day it’s not being replaced by another turbo 6 cylinder not because of its own failings but because of the wider market. Everything is going EV…in another generation there won’t be any junior ICE sports sedans.
The i30N has been a huge success with rave reviews everywhere.
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To your other assertions/observations about the Stinger I would respond that without the sports exhaust it does indeed sound quite insipid but with the sports exhaust it’s fantastic. Quiet when you want it to be but sounds brilliant on a mountain road. At the end of the day it will always sound different to a V8 but that doesn’t mean it’s bad. It actually sounds like a GT3 when in sports mode at full throttle which I love. I’ve owned a C63 and a Jeep GC SRT so believe me engine sound is really important to me (the main reason I’m so depressed about the upcoming EV era…).
The criticism about the gear changes is valid though…it’s not more than a minor irritation on the road but I can imagine it would really be a pain the arse if you took it on track.
Overall it’s fantastic to drive and has been one of the best cars I’ve ever owned. Probably the second best after my beloved 2007 C63 (gone but never forgotten 😢).