As a Korean automotive company you might have thought Kia would reveal its new model at a show closer to home, but this car was built for the US market and the consumers that we are. Not only do we love our American Muscle, but we also love our imported speed and quickness that has been a huge part of what has made the imagination run wild with the likes of the Toyota Supra, Acura NSX and Mazda Miata. While these are three vastly different cars, they all spell out fun on the road and the new offering from Kia hopes to do much of the same.
This new car is the gorgeous and sporty sedan of the Kia Stinger GT which will be part of the 2018 model year. This car showed up in Detroit and stole the show. This seems to be a typical action at this particular show where the Ford GT stole the stage only two years ago. Now that we have seen the Kia Stinger GT we can only hope it comes to the market in much the same way as it showed up in Detroit, with a bold and brash attitude.
To look as some of what will make this a car we want to drive, the Stinger will be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that will come in with 255 horsepower and 260 lb.-ft. There is also a second engine which is the 3.3-liter twin turbocharged V6 Lambda II engine which really kicks in the power to bring in 365 horsepower and 376 lb.-ft. of torque. This bigger engine will be in the GT model of the Stinger and will make it possible for the car to reach sixty mph in less than 5.1 seconds while offering a top speed of 167 mph.
As a sedan that is made to be able to take a road trip when desired, the transmission that will handle the shifting is an eight speed rear drive model. This gearbox was offered in the K900 previously and it features the ability to handle shifting needed for racing in a decisive manner, but can also be tamed down for the long drives that some owners of the new Stinger will take. This is a great choice for a performance car that’s built for the long haul as well.
When you see the Stinger GT up close you’ll notice its built on a shorter wheelbase than you might expect, but also has a wide track. This will allow the car to hug the corners and handle the ride on a track or quickly down the road with ease. There’s no doubt this new Stinger, which will make its way to our market for the next model year, will be one that offers us the benefit of a great drive and a lot of fun. As we await this car hitting the market we can only sit back and see if the model we were shown in Detroit is the final production model Kia expects to give our speed loving market of consumers.