Australian New Car Buyer – June 2019

AUSTRALIAN NEW CAR & SUV BUYER’S GUIDE | 79

K

ia’s Stinger, a big, sporty,
four-door coupe, opens
at $46,990 for the 220S, with
a 182kW 2.0-litre turbopetrol
four/eight-speed automatic and
rear-wheel drive.
Stinger 220Si is $52,990 and GT
Line is $55,990.
More serious performance lives
under the bonnet of the 330S,
priced at $49,990. Its 3.3-litre
twin turbo V6 generates 272kW
of power, put to the road via the
same drivetrain. The 330Si costs
$55,990, while the top of the range
GT, tested here, is $60,490.
Stinger is Kia’s fi rst attempt
at a genuine GT performance
car, and it shares architecture
and mechanicals with the
Genesis G70, the fi rst model
from Hyundai’s new luxury
brand, due here shortly.
Stinger’s handsome,
distinctive sheetmetal is in
marked contrast to its plain
interior, which has perhaps too
much in common with Kia’s
humble hatchbacks. GT is
loaded though, with luxurious
heated and cooled front seats,

upholstered in Nappa leather,

plus a full suite of driver assist

safety features and worksburger

infotainment, with great sound.

Voice control works only when

you pair your smartphone via

Apple Carplay or Android Auto.

So if you don’t have one of these

apps, you have to do everything,

including making calls, using

the touchscreen.

The 3.3-litre turbo is a

superb engine, with outstanding

responsiveness and refi nement.

When you lean on the accelerator

using launch control this thing

fl ies, clocking a claimed, and

believable, 4.9 seconds for the

0-100km/h sprint, accompanied

by a rich, mellow note.

It likes a drink in town, where

mid teens can be expected, but the

V6 also runs on regular unleaded

-- unusual for a high performance

turbo, where premium is an

almost universal requirement.

The eight-speed’s shifts are

crisp and smooth, and paddles

are provided as well.

GT runs a mechanical limited

slip diff, adaptive dampers

• which can be adjusted
  independently at the front and the
  rear -- plus 19-inch alloys with
  255/35 rear tyres.
  This package doesn’t work.
  The back end struggles to put the
  engine’s power – and its 510Nm
  of torque – to the road and the car
  can become quite snakey and tail-
  happy under hard acceleration,
  especially in corners.
  However you adjust it, the
  suspension fails to properly
  control wheel or body movement,
  and the entire rear axle/
  suspension assembly is not as
  rigidly mounted as it should be,
  either, so the Stinger is also loose
  and twitchy if you hit a few bumps.
  Drive the Stinger moderately
  hard and it’s a handful, even with
  stability control trying to keep
  things in order.
  The ride is fussy and unsettled
  on a typical country road, with lots
  of tyre thump as well, so while the
  badge says GT, the car itself falls a

long way short of that standard in

terms of comfort and compliance.

On the credit side, the steering

is intuitive and precise while

Brembo brakes are up to the task

of hauling a heavy (1780kg) car

safely to a stop.

Rear seat passengers

sit slightly knees up, with

reasonable headroom and

legroom but no footroom

under the front seats. Vents,

temperature adjustment, nets, 12

volt and USB ports are provided,

so it’s well set up for kids.

The coupe shape dictates a

small, shallow boot compared with

a conventional three-box sedan. GT

has a power operated tailgate.

Stinger GT is far from perfect,

and it won’t worry the Germans,

but it’s an impressive fi rst effort.

The drivetrain is a beauty – now

all it needs is a suspension/tyre

package to do it justice.

Safety

Not yet tested

Performance

Handling

Quality and reliability

Comfort and refi nement

Value for money

Overall

STARS

THINGS WE LIKE

Refi ned, muscular V6 turbo

Smooth shifting eight speed auto

Rear wheel drive

Uses regular unleaded

Loaded with gear

Comfortable driver’s seat

Long warranty

THINGS YOU MIGHT NOT LIKE

Stability and grip compromised

under power

Loose and twitchy on bumps

Noisy, fussy ride

No stand alone voice control

Shallow boot

SPEX (GT)

Made in South Korea

3.3-litre twin turbo V6 petrol/eight-

speed auto/rear-wheel drive

272kW of power at

6000rpm/510Nm of torque from

1300-4500rpm

0-100km/h in 4.9 seconds (claimed)

7.5L/100km highway; 14.9L/100km

city; regular unleaded; CO2

emissions are 239gkm

Warranty: Seven years/unlimited

km

Standard: Stability control, seven

airbags, automatic emergency

braking, radar cruise, blind spot

monitoring, 360 degree cameras,

Nappa leather upholstery, heated

and cooled front seats, head-up

display, eight inch touchscreen,

digital radio, wireless phone

charging, Harman Kardon audio,

sunroof, LED headlights

Redbook future values: 3yr: 46%;

5yr: 33%

KIA STINGER FROM $46,990

compare with ...

Holden ZB Commodore, Skoda

Superb, VW Passat 206 TSi R-Line