I’m sure many of you have heard of the new Kia Stinger. What do you think of it?
It's RWD! What's not to like?
Seriously, I think it’s impressive for what it is and shows Kia is really trying hard to be taken seriously.
I also think it’s a smart move from their part. RWD saloons are becoming a rare gem. But they definitely have their fans. There are only 2 in the U.S and 2 in Australia, both countries known to appreciate RWD. The U.S. is soon to be left with only 1 RWD 4 door saloon, when Holden stops production of the commodore. Australia will be left with no RWD at all since the Ford Falcon is also EOL. I’m sure Kia is targeting both the U.S. and Australia’s market heavily. The question is, will the Stinger be taken seriously? I think it has a better chance in the U.S. than it does with Commodore and Falcon drivers. But maybe it’s just me.
It’s not a V8 but the top V6 makes 365bhp. We could only dream of that in an Omega. Although I’m sure the Stinger is heavier as any newer car is. Its 5.1 sec. 0-60mph time is a giveaway of its weight as the Steinmetz Omega is only a second slower but produces nearly 100bhp less. But it doesn’t seem that much heavier looking at these figures and 5.1 secs is quick for any car but a supercar IMO. So if it delivers elsewhere, like handling, braking etc, it doesn’t seem performance will be a problem. If it will be as fun to drive as the Giulia Quadrifoglio it’s something else. Most likely not, especially that it will be automatic only. The Quadrifoglio is available with a manual here and it’s a riot let me tell you. Very nice. But the Stinger definitely looks promising. It’s hard to say it’s not a good looking car too. I don’t like the fat back just like I don’t in the Audis. But overall the Stinger is a good looking car.
It seems it will also be released in mainland Europe. It will be interesting to see how it would do here. I’m sure it can do well in the U.S and even UK. But Europe never really warmed up to Japanese cars, let alone Koreans. Most people still see them as subpar or imitations. The cheaper ones are not a problem and Kia sells well. But Toyota has tried several times with Lexus here till they finally seem to have given up. People will just not take expensive Japanese or Korean cars seriously. No matter how good or how quick they may be. It’s a niche here. Skylines and Supras have a good following with fans. But the general public couldn’t care less. It’s hard to blame them when Alfas, Maseratis, Mercs, Audis, Porsches and BMWs are so accessible. In the U.S. Lexus, Acura and Infinity are popular because these cars are not accessible. I guess in the UK it's the easy of having the same hand drive as Japan. Models never available in LHD, normally the special ones, can be had with easy.
I think the Stinger is certainly a step in the right direction for Kia. I welcome any and all RWD 4 door saloons. And Kia seems to be thinking and really trying to do it right. They will offer it in RWD and AWD. The way it should be. None of that cheap and non-sense FWD.
Now if they sell it with a manual they are on to a great start. If they ever drop a V8 in it they may even give some bigger badges some headaches. But let's see how it actually drives first.
So what do you think of the Stinger?
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Topic: Kia Stinger? (Read 4286 times)