After a lengthy teaser campaign, Kia has finally whipped the covers off the 2018 Kia Stinger, which in range-topping GT guise makes a healthy 272 kW.
The new five-seater fastback sedan was revealed at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The Korean automaker says the new Stinger – which draws inspiration from the GT concept of 2011 – promises to be “the highest-performance production vehicle in the company’s history”.
Kia points out that the Stinger’s 2 905 mm wheelbase is longer than that of the Audi A4, Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS, BMW 4 Gran Coupe and even the Lexus GS and Mercedes CLS, which it claims affords the new sports sedan both more interior room and increased luggage space.
Ride-damping and vehicle handling traits can be modified via an electronically adjustable suspension Kia is calling the “Dynamic Stability Damping Control”. The system is accessed through five drive modes: personal, eco, sport, comfort and smart.
So what’s under the bonnet? Well, there will be a choice of two longitudinally mounted turbocharged petrol engines, although Kia says both “are still under development”.
The 2,0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder Theta II engine in the entry-level Stinger will make around 190 kW and 352 N.m, while the 3,3-litre twin-turbo V6 Lambda II mill in the Stinger GT will churn out about 272 kW and 510 N.m. As revealed in earlier teasers, Kia is targeting a 0-100 km/h time of 5,1 seconds for the V6. Power will be sent to either the rear wheels or optionally all wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.
So, will this new sports sedan make it to our shores? Well, Kia Motors SA says “no information is available at the time of going to press on whether the Kia Stinger will be introduced in South Africa”. With bated breath we wait…
