New pricing for more powerful Kia Stinger

Friday, 18 December 2020

Kia Stinger - Review

The rear-drive sedan that every Internet commenter desperately wants has been given an update and a new sticker price.

Visual changes on the outside aren’t massive, encompassing new multifaceted reflector LED headlamps and LED daytime running lights for the SX model, a new design for the rear light with a full-width LED bar and new 18- and 19-inch alloys.

Inside is a new-look dash, offering a 'more luxurious ambience”. The lower section of the D-shaped steering wheel features a metallic finish, matching the chrome bezel that surrounds the new 7.0-inch fully-digital instrument cluster.

There isn’t much new to see from this angle but there are real updates under the skin.

The rear-view mirror is now frameless as well. Also new is the 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system, which is more tactile and easier to use, and ambient lighting in the V6-powered Stinger GT.

**READ MORE:

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* Kia Stinger to go electric for survival?

* Second generation Stinger on indefinite hiatus?

Customer feedback has resulted in the V6 getting a bi-modal exhaust system for more noise and a power bump of 2kW to 274kW. Torque remains the same at 510Nm. The lesser Stinger GT Line continues with the 182kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Both use an eight-speed torque-converter automatic, sending power straight to the rear rubber. Fans of the base SX line are out of luck for 2021, as the model has been axed.

Hitting 100kmh takes 4.9 seconds for the GT Sport, while the GT Line will hit motorway speeds in 6.2 seconds.

Safety additions include the “Safe Exit Warning”, which helps prevent the doors being opened into oncoming cyclists or traffic, an improved active cruise control/lane-keep assist combination, a rear seat occupant reminder and a blind-spot view monitor similar to that on the new Sorento SUV which projects a video feed from both wing mirrors onto the digital dash.

Price for the GT Line starts at $64,990 while the range-topping GT Sport kicks off at $74,990. Both come with a four-year/40,000km servicing, five-year/100,00km warranty programme with five years of roadside assistance.