As the Kia Stinger enters the final stages of its development, one of the executives behind the development of the new five-seater fastback has emphasised that it is not all about “outright power”.
“The new Kia GT is a true gran turismo; a car for spirited long-distance driving,” said Gregory Guillaume, Kia Motors Europe’s chief designer.
“It’s not about outright power, hard-edged dynamics and brutal styling all at the expense of luxury, comfort and grace,” he added.
“The new GT has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination – this car is all about the journey. It’s about passion.”
That’s not to say the new Stinger is slow. No, the rear-wheel-drive flagship GT model – which employs a 3,3-litre twin-turbo V6 worth 272 kW and 510 N.m – sprints to three figures in a claimed 4,9 seconds, making it the fastest-accelerating and most powerful car Kia has ever produced.
A 2,0-litre turbo petrol engine (190 kW/353 N.m) and a 2,2-litre turbodiesel (147 kW/440 N.m) unit will also be available in some markets.
The Korean automaker has also revealed that its engineers have developed two different types of suspension for the Stinger. While all models are suspended by MacPherson struts at the front and a multi-link setup at the rear, a new adaptive system that alters the stroke length of the shock absorbers on the move has also been developed. The V6 model will feature this adjustable damping as standard, as well as a new braking system developed in collaboration with Brembo.
The Kia Stinger will go into production in the second half of 2017, with sales in initial markets starting during the fourth quarter of the year. Back in March, Kia Motors SA told CARmag.co.za that the Stinger was “under consideration for a South African introduction, most likely early in 2018”.
However, the local arm of the Korean brand added that it did not yet have any confirmation on which derivatives would be made available to “general markets” such as South Africa.
“Once that information is available, we will commence with a full feasibility study to determine if such an introduction is indeed possible. We are optimistic,” Kia SA told us.
