New Stinger sports sedan to lift Kia’s profile

Korean manufacturers continue their drive upmarket and shortly from Kia we’ll see an impressive sports sedan called the Stinger. According to its designer the Kia Stinger is a showcase of the South Korean company’s technical capabilities. Modelled on the original Maserati Ghibli it was designed at Kia’s European design studio in Frankfurt – the sports chassis honed on the famous Nurburgring. Three models, all powered by a 3.3-litre bi-turbo V6 with 272kW of power coupled to an 8-speed automatic driving the rear wheels. Prices will start with the entry model S at $48,900, run to the mid-grade Si at $55,990 and top out at the GT at $59,990. Kia claim a 0 to 100kmh time of 4.9 seconds matched by 350mm dia Brembo performance disc brakes. Obviously the Stinger will go a long way to lifting Kia’s profile – it looks more German than Korean – a grand tourer that has all the safety, comfort and convenience elements of dearer European sports sedans. I’m David Berthon
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