The Kia Stinger, you’ve probably heard, is the right thing to do, an honest challenger for a car like the BMW M340i. And cheaper too. On Tuesday, Kia confirmed that the base model will get 300 horsepower, or 45 horsepower more than the outgoing, as we first heard in August. The Kia Stinger is on its way to the ideal.
Not that 255 horsepower from the four-cylinder is something to sniff out in the base model of 2021, and you can always pull up to the twin-turbo V6 and get 365 horsepower. But, and maybe it’s just an aesthetic thing, 255 horsepower always feels anxiously close the correct amount of horsepower, but only short and therefore insufficient. Three hundred and sixty-five horsepower, on the other hand, felt like compensating a little too much.
What leads us to today Kia confirm it corrected his serious mistake. The basic Stinger will get 300 horsepower from a turbo 2.5-liter four-cylinder; the power will be sent by an 8-speed automatic motor with paddle shifters. Kia is also very excited about some new LEDs.
- Standard LED headlights with a new DRL signature or optional “Stinger-signature” LED DRLs and lights
- Standard LED rear lights at the rear, bridged by a striking new taillight design that spans the full width of the elevator; GT finish gets a full LED treatment with LED flashing lights
- New 18- and 19-inch wheel designs are defined by lean and technical geometric shapes
- More aggressive exhaust outlet design for better visual appeal
I’m more excited about the Scorpion finish, which will be in addition to the GT-Line, GT1 and GT2 finish.
The Scorpion Special Edition, which arrives in late spring, further accelerates Stinger’s appeal with:
- Choose exterior colors: Snow White, Aurora Black and Ceramic Silver
- Rear spoiler
- Darkened fender decoration, side mirror caps and darker exhaust points
- Unique black wheels
- Inside carbon fiber pattern decoration
According to Kia, it also managed to accelerate three more horsepower from the V6 in the higher finishes, as it now makes 368 hp, but the fact that the base is up to 300 horsepower destroys the gravity of the engine. Both are in the rear-wheel drive or four-wheel drive configurations, while the mileage in the four-cylinder version suffers slightly. The four-cylinder version gets a total of 25 mpg in RWD, and a total of 24 mpg in AWD, while the V6 gets a total of 20 mpg in both. Yet the four-cylinder numbers are just as good as the outgoing 255-horsepower engine.
The 2022 Kia Stinger also has most if not all of the driver assistance systems fitted to modern cars, such as customizable cruise control and various collision alerts and a lane departure warning system.
Here’s how much each finish of the Kia Stinger will start in 2022:
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We are fast approaching a time when car manufacturers are going to make their last cars for internal combustion engines, given the big shift in the industry to electric. Or maybe we are not, and car manufacturers will keep a niche business on hand to make ICE cars for enthusiasts. Either way, the 2022 K22 Stinger feels timeless and also a bit like a remnant, a 300 sedan rear-wheel drive sports sedan. Enjoy it while it lasts.
