Kia Stinger
Budget luxury sports car at its best
The Kia Stinger made its debut in late 2017 has hit the markets now and is rapidly becoming more and more popular throughout the world. Kia, a Korean motorcar company has been making cars since 1944, coming to the United States in the mid 1990's. They originally were only selling a four door sedan and a compact SUV, but have now expanded to almost everything in between, including a hybrid crossover, the Kia Niro. In the following, design, performance, and practicality will be evaluated to determine where Kia's newest car, the Stinger, stands in the automotive industry.
The design of the Kia Stinger is revolutionary. The Kia Stinger combines sleek racing lines, along with safety and practicality. The Kia Stinger's front Grille contains a honeycomb pattern, which complements the overall design. The mean looking headlights make the car look more aggressive, with an advanced air intake system built into the front fenders. The roof contains an optional sunroof that provides the inside cabin some natural light. Moving to the rear of the car, one will find a hatchback style trunk that fits the design of the car while allowing for an ample amount of cargo space. This mixes practicality into the looks of the car, an important feature that many seek in modern day cars. The Kia Stinger interior isn't much as far as design goes, but it contains heated front seats as a standard, with a very well insulated cabin.
The performance of the Kia Stinger is extremely good for its price. The Kia Stinger GT2, rear wheel drive, was able to pull a 4.4 second 0-60 second acceleration time. Under the hood of this car is a V-6 Twin turbo engine running on an 8-speed transmission with a total of 350 horsepower. This rear wheel drive model of the Kia Stinger, using strong Brembo brakes, was able to come to a stop from 70 MPH in 156 feet. These statistics are comparable to high end European sports sedans, such as members of the BMW 3 series, certain specifications of the Jaguar XE, and certain specifications of the Audi A4.
In the end, the Kia Stinger comes in as a cheap option that provides comparable power, design and options that rival some of the prestigious European sports sedans. Starting at 32,000, this car is cheaper than many of its competitors in its market. With staggering speeds in a straight line, and a thoughtful design, the Kia Stinger is a great buy for someone looking for a budget sports sedan.
Photo courtesy of the Car and Driver magazine
