Kia Stinger, you’ve probably heard of it, is the real deal, an honest challenger for a car like the BMW M340i. And cheaper too. On Tuesday, Kia confirmed that the base model will receive 300 horsepower, or 45 more horsepower than the previous one, as we first heard in August. The Kia Stinger is approaching the ideal.
Not that 255 four-cylinder horsepower is anything to sniff about in the 2021 base model, and you could always go for the biturbo V6 and get 365 horsepower. But, and maybe that’s just an aesthetic thing, 255 horsepower has always seemed agonizingly close to the correct amount of horsepower, but only short and therefore inappropriate. Three hundred and sixty-five horsepower, on the other hand, seemed a little overblown.
Which brings us to today, when Kia confirmed corrected his grave error. The basic Stinger will get 300 horsepower from a 2.5 liter four-cylinder turbo; this energy will be sent by means of an 8-speed automatic firearm with paddle shifters. Kia is also very excited about some new LEDs.
- Standard LED headlights with a new DRL signature or DRLs and optional “Stinger-signature” LED headlights
- Standard LED tail lights bridged by an attractive new tail light design that covers the entire width of the luggage compartment lid; GT trimmings receive a complete LED treatment with LED turn signals
- New 18 and 19 inch wheel designs defined by lean geometric shapes and techniques
- More aggressive exhaust tip design for enhanced visual appeal
I’m more excited about the Scorpion finish, which will come in addition to the GT-Line, GT1 and GT2 finishes.
The Scorpion Special Edition, due to arrive in late spring, further accelerates Stinger’s appeal with:
- Select exterior colors: Snow White, Aurora Black and Ceramic Silver
- Rear spoiler
- Darkened fender trim, side mirror covers and darkened exhaust tips
- Exclusive black wheels
- Inner trim with carbon fiber pattern
Kia says he also managed to extract three more horses from the V6 in the higher versions, as it now makes 368 HP, but the fact that the base is up to 300 horses destroys part of the engine’s appeal. Both come in rear-wheel or all-wheel-drive configurations, with gas mileage suffering a little in the four-cylinder version in the latter. The four-cylinder version gets 25 mpg combined in RWD and 24 mpg combined in AWD, while the V6 gets 20 mpg combined in both. Still, the four-cylinder numbers are as good as the previous 255-horsepower engine.
The 2022 Kia Stinger also has most, if not all, driver assistance systems equipped in modern cars, such as adaptive cruise control and various collision warnings and a lane departure assistance system, all optional.
Here is the starting value for each trim on the 2022 Kia Stinger:
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We are rapidly approaching a time when car manufacturers will make their Latest Internal Combustion Engine Cars, given the vast shift across the industry to electric. Or maybe not, and automakers will keep a business niche on the side, making ICE cars for enthusiasts. Either way, the 2022 Kia Stinger looks timeless and also somewhat like a relic, a 300-horsepower rear-wheel drive sports sedan. Enjoy it while it lasts.
