Kia Stinger GT Review - The Quickening

  Calvin Fisher

---



Here is why Kia's new Stinger is a Marvel

Carshop Likes:
Aggressive looks
Excellent performance
In a straight line or winding one

Carshop Dislikes:
Price is high. Justified. But high.
And there’s room for improvement in the cabin

And just like in a Marvel movie, sometimes the best part is the stinger at the end of the film. Certainly, we have watched the story of South Korea’s power siblings unfold over the last two decades in South Africa, and if the sports saloon in front of me is any indication, we are very much at the best part.

Forget about the Shuma of the 90s, and let's not dwell on how the rest of the range, like a rolling tide improved with mad stride, the Picanto, Sportage, Rio - not to mention the very recently revamped Grand Sedona and Sorento. They have all become beloved people movers. But now we finally have a car that a driver can love.

And love a lot because...

Well firstly let's get that lost crucial measure of a sports car out the way; aesthetics. This is one fine automobile in the looks department, the stylistic product of Peter Schreyer's (ex Audi) design team and underpinned by the work of Albert Biermann's (ex BMW M) and his engineering geniuses. Bark meet bite.

It’s wholly European, and without aping, certainly has traces of elements of Porsche Panamera in its skin and perhaps the hewn-from-granite form of the BMW 6 Series Gran Coupe. The latter being closer to the mark, the Stinger is meant to sting rivals such as the BMW 440i Gran Coupe and the Audi S5, as it's a saloon-cum-hatch. So sportier and more practical to boot.

The Stinger has all the modcons and connectivity options you require

Settle into the lush enough cabin and you're met with all the modcons and connectivity options you require (including Apple's Airplay and Android Auto). But you'll also notice the obligatory driving mode dial which spans the usual options including but not limited to Eco, Comfort and Sport. I crank that sucker into the red at once for full access to its 270kW and 510Nm, so that I may enjoy that 4.9 second sprint to 100kph. It does this via its twin-turbo 3.3 litre V6, which does well to emit a rorty bark from those rear pipes.

Acceleration feels brisk but even in a straight line I can tell that here lives a suspension that favours compliance over spine-compression. A good thing, a very good thing actually, as it doesn't hamper the Stinger's ability to turn corners either. I'm barrelling along the curvaceous Vissershok Road, pointing and squirting with precision from apex to apex with a smile plastered across my face as the chassis soaks up the suspension travel, a fine balance between firm and compliant. "A trick some more established brands haven't quite mastered" says my back.

If it looks like a German sports saloon…

And goes like a German Sports Saloon, well - let me put it another way. The best pasta I've eaten was prepared for me by an Italian chef. In Cape Town. Conversely, the bolognaise I had in Rome was just average. These are facts. And here it is the same.

Okay, let’s wrap this up

The Kia Stinger is a phenomenal machine and I've deliberately kept hush about its price until this moment because at R849,900 it isn't 'Korean cheap', and it shouldn't be, has no need to be. The marque has steadily grown in quality and perhaps more importantly reliability. At this price it's R50,000 cheaper than the BMW 440i Gran Coupe and that is a smaller gap than you might be comfortable with. But while the BMW is a top-spec derivative (mind you, not the M pinnacle) of a familiar saloon, there is nothing else quite like the Stinger on the road.

The fact that it can back this up with an extra 37kW and 100Nm and the potential to pip it to 60kph by 0.2 seconds, if that's like, a thing for you – cannot be ignored either.

So there you have it, an accomplished, well-engineered, engaging steer from South Korea with the best input from Germany. Or to put it another way, a great looking sports car that you'll actually want to drive hard. Job done.

Kia Stinger GT Specs:

Price R849,000.00
Engine Twin-turbocharged 3.3litre V6 petrol
Transmission 8 speed automatic gearbox
Driven WheelsRear
Power 272kW
Torque 510Nm
0-100kph 4.9 seconds
Top Speed 270kph
Average Fuel Consumption10.5l/100km
CO2 Emissions 239g/km



 You Might Also Be Interested In






All content © Carshop.co.za 2024