Kia Stinger

Kia may have bestowed the title of flagship on the electric EV6 but the Stinger GT proves there is still life left in the large powerful sports sedan format.

It might not have that stonking twin-charged V6 under the bonnet, but Kia's big sedan still impresses with its anti-SUV sentiment.

The midlife facelift for the Stinger GT has arrived, but does it do enough to justify its $60K-plus price tag?

Not in the spotlight like its more powerful sibling, the GT-Line is still an excellent offering in the Stinger model range.

Prices across six Kia models have risen for the new year – with the Stinger sedan hit with the largest increase of all.

Here’s a list of vehicles axed in Australia over the past 12 months – or are on their way out the showroom door.

The death of the Kia Stinger was announced last week, and a new report says production end in March.

After months of speculation – and contrary to recent denials from executives – Kia head office has confirmed production of the Stinger sedan is due to come to an end.

We take a trip through the Southern Highlands of NSW, and visit a bushfire affected community.

The Kia Stinger constantly gets the comments section blazing on CarAdvice, with many questioning whether it stacks up as a proper replacement for the Aussie-built family sedans of yesteryear.

It’s not all about aftermarket at SEMA – manufacturers have a big presence at the show, giving visitors a look into potential future models and parts that could roll out to existing vehicles.

BMW M3 v Kia Stinger, kind of

The Stinger GTS performs surprisingly well. What is needed is the option from Kia to have a performance enhancing engine computer tune that gives the wanted upgrade without the worry from the dealership.Owner: Kelvin

I sold my MY18 Gt-line 9 months ago and replaced it with a BMW M240i. I genuinely miss that car and feel regret when I see one on the roads now. Never written a car review before but my old Stinger deserves one. The day I signed the contract to buy the Stinger, I went to a Ford dealership with my heart set on a Mustang. Sat inside it and the cheapness of the cabin disgusted me. I’ve had a 10 year old golf that was better made. So anyways, I remembered reading about the hype of the Stinger and wondered if they had any in the showrooms and as luck would have it, the stinger had been out for a week or two at that point. Sat inside and it was a night and day difference compared with the Mustang. Decided there and then that I was going to buy it. The car looked crazy good. First impression was that it looked like a Maserati from the back and a stormtrooper from the front. And almost 4 years later, still looks gorgeous. Stands out on the road. As for the interior, like I said, soon as I sat inside, I knew it was the one. A genuine German feeling, well built interior. Seats are nice, steering wheel is cool with it’s perforations and flat-bottom shape, the brushed aluminium trim around the cabin and use of soft leatherette/plastic and alcantara roof liner… Just an overall nice place to be. Heated and cooled seats were amazing and the speaker system in the GT-Line was crisp and clear. Friends commented that it was like a spaceship inside especially at night (even though there’s no ambient lighting). Well built; inside and out. Biggest regret was going for the 2.0t instead of the 3.3t. Really felt that straight-line performance was lacking. Also, the sound fools you into thinking you’re driving a beast but in reality it sounds like any normal 4 cylinder car and you’ll get burned at the lights by more cars than you’d like. Nevertheless, it is ‘adequate’ in most circumstances but if you’re looking for that RWD thrill, a Toyota 86 will probably give you more pleasure than the GT-Line. This is more of a cruiser but you’ll get away with pushing the limits on a nice windy road. The ride is good. On the highway it feels planted (unlike my M240i which tends to sway in high winds at 130+kph). The adjustable dampers are a nice novelty but not that impressive once you get used to it. You can still tell the difference though. Around town, its a dream to drive. A bit big but smooth. Got a few comments that I was driving fast but it felt smooth and slow (which is a good thing from a comfort/insulation perspective). Wouldn’t bother putting an exhaust and big flashy rims on it - use it for cruising and you’ll be more than happy. One strong selling point for this car is the value you get for what you pay. 7 year warranty and a car that feels German? Yes please! Having said that, the fuel economy is terrible! My M240i does 0-100 in 4.5, has a 50% bigger engine, and still has noticeably better range. I was doing around 10-12l/km in the Stinger which is quite poor. The car is heavy so that’s probably why it drinks so much… As for technology, you can’t complain. Apple CarPlay and Andrioid Auto (albeit wired) is a must these days. Wireless charging, head up display and all that good stuff. Really miss having that 360 parking camera and rear cross traffic alert. Gears are smooth and flappy paddles aren’t bad although it is annoying how they go back to ‘D’ automatically and sooner than you’d like. The car was reliable throughout ownership and interior held up surprisingly well over the 55,000 Ks I owned it for. The boot is surprisingly large probably thanks to that hatchback. Rear seats are cramped though; they look nice and if the driver and front passenger don’t have their seats all the way back, you’ll be alright but if you’re a 6 foot man like me then expect complaints from the back. Also, the middle seat is silly; I felt sorry for whoever sat back there. In terms of what I think would make it better - a 3 litre Diesel engine will give the best of both worlds (Torque and fuel economy), a fully digital dash would be nice, wireless CarPlay would take the connectivity to the next level. In conclusion, the Stinger is a good car. Don’t expect it to be as fast and thrilling as it looks but if what you want is a nice-to-be-in car that is smooth on the roads with a lot of toys and you don’t mind the fact that you’re driving a Kia, then this is the car for you. I genuinely miss it for everything except the performance. My BMW has everything the Stinger didn’t; adrenaline excreting performance, perfect weight balance, and a prestige badge but honestly, I will be seriously thinking about getting a 3.3 Stinger for my next car. Props to Kia for making a car I formed an attachment to!

Many "Likes" about our 2020 Kia Stinger. After owning now for 6 months, we purchased the car because we liked the look of the car, eye catching! We chose the superb Ceramic Grey colour. A different colour compared to most of the vehicles on the road today. The drivers seat that wraps you in, to support the Sports Mode drive is impressive & wow factor. The leather seats in the Stinger are like sitting in a comfy lounge chair, never felt in any other car I've previously owned. Cool selective interior slimline colours under the glovebox & doors make night driving colourful inside the cabin. The heads up speed display on the windscreen I love, so much easier to concentrate on the road, your speed, safety & your surroundings. Boot opening is awesome! Great with one touch on your car keys, plus sensors when closing. If your head is in the way when closing, or something is bulky, the hatch will Stop! Lets chat about highway/holiday driving!!... Another wow factor for me, was when applying the cruise control, the car estimates the safe distance between yours & the car infront. If the car infront slows down, the Stinger will slow also, still in the cruise & maintain the safe distance, then if the car infront gains speed, the Stinger will then bring the speed back to the set speed applied. So basically, this car really drives itself! The power as you overtake a 4 trailer road train is phenomenal! As soon as you put your foot down, she takes off! It gives you confidence big time. Fuel consumption: basically I drove 750 kilometres of a 1200 kilometre drive with still a quarter of the 60 litre tank & still had a quarter of tank left. Great on fuel! I was happy. The dash display screen gives great comfort that not only has instructions on how to get to your destination, but in an emergency situation, emergency services can pinpoint your destination in time of accident. Truely, best car I've ever purchased...For Looks, For performance.!! ... Only downside, the foot room for passengers in the backseats.. dismal.

Ok so two years into my Stinger GT experience and I thought it may be time to sit and pen a review. Off course a mind numbingly boring Melbourne lockdown and 3 weeks of annual leave may also have contributed. So its mid 2018 and I'm looking at a performance sedan, a bit of an all rounder that won't break the bank. Being a Ford man im instantly attracted to the Mustang. Ok so its not an all-rounder but that engine!. Sadly 20 seconds of looking at the rear seats and realising asking my 2 teenage daughters to sit back there albeit occasionally was tantamount to child abuse. With Ford and Holden out of the picture that just left the Arteon and the Stinger. Arteon wasn't for me so Stinger it was. After much research I placed an order for a Hichroma red GT. At the time the MY19 had not been released and I chose to wait. MY19 bought some minor cosmetic charges but most importantly it bought Michelin Pilot Sport tyres, which by all accounts were far superior to the Continentals fitted to the early Stingers. Ok, so my experience. Stinger seems to be one of those cars that owners will modify. Full disclosure, I had a Unichip performance chip added early on. I didn't change the badges (which most owners seem to do), nor add the bi modal exhaust, or change the rims. Performance is best described as strong, actually very strong. I recently read a fellow Stinger owner clocked a 4.4 sec 0-100, and 11.99 quarter mile with the Unichip. Feels about right. Whilst grip is good it is noticeably twitchy under acceleration. This was noticeable prior to performance mods, so I can't blame that. You definitely need to hang on to te wheel!. Its best described as a great GT car. Id imagine its size and weight wouldnt make it all that suitable for track work but I know some owners do it. The 8 speed torque conveter auto is competent, but it can't match a dual clutch for speed and smoothness. It can be rather indecisive in peak hour traffic as well but really im nitpicking. Fuel economy for me sits in the mid to high 11s, that will drop into the 7s on the highway. I'll let you guys decide whether that's reasonable or not. Inside the Stinger is a nice place to be. Im 6"5 so getting in and out is no easy feet. If your getting on in years or have back issues thats something to consider. Sunroof also robs valuable headroom. Unfortunately for me its not a delete option on the GT. Just on the panoramic roof they can be prone to creaking and rattles particularly in hot weather. For some owners this has been a chronic issue that Kia are constantly trying to fix, for me, I have noticed it but its not really an issue. Yet. Small thing that is a bit annoying is you can't get your feet under the front seats when sitting in the rear. This comprises rear legroom a bit. Lucky I dont sit there. Overall the Stingers interior is a very nice place to be. Tech wise the Stinger comes with a full suite of safety and convenience features. I can't really think of anything that may be missing. 8 inch info screen by today's standards may be a bit small, but that has been addressed in the soon to be released update. Kias newly released 8 speed dual clutch would fit nicely behind the 3.3tt V6, but I see Kia have avoided doing that. In conclusion I think the Stinger is a good car, it might even be a very good car. For some people it will always just be a Kia, and they would never part with 60k for a Kia. Peoples perceptions are changing, and considering this is a ground up design its a very good start. Will the Stinger live to see another generation?. I hope so. If not I'll be content that mine might be a bit more exclusive.