As it debuted at the Detroit Auto Show earlier this year the Kia Stinger showed up to give the WOW factor that Kia was looking for. This is a car that has a lot going for it and is targeted as a sports luxury model that may be how Kia is able to branch out in the future the same way Hyundai did with Genesis this past year. Whether that’s the future hope or not is still to be seen, but we certainly learned a lot about the Kia Stinger at this show, here are some of the items we’ve learned.
BMW Based – The engineer that helped to build the Kia Stinger used to be at the M division of BMW and used the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe as the basis for the Kia Stinger. This shows up in the dimensions of this car to give it a similar wheelbase and the stability with agility on the road. This car is built with a low seating position to give you the ride you want and the sports car feel that you’ve been after with space inside to give you the room you need for passengers in the back.
Classic GT Design – The GT models of the 1970s inspired the look and style of the Stinger. This is a car that comes in with the classic look and feel of the grand touring cars of the past that would be built by European automakers for years. This makes the Stinger a car that’s fast and built to be fast, but not overly aggressive, making it a car that appears to be a joy to drive and one that you can easily enjoy on every road in your area when this car comes to market next year.
Weight-Conscious – The way the Kia Stinger was built makes it feel as if it was built on a diet right from the start. This car is only 3,615 pounds making it one that fits right in with the rest of the sports sedan class of vehicles and it’s meant to stay light and performance based. The six-cylinder models are only 3,968 pounds which are lighter than the Infiniti Q50 Red Sport. The weight savings was done at every corner of the car but it still comes out as a gorgeous luxury sports sedan that we can have a great time with on the road.
German Design – One reason the Kia Stinger looks so much different from all other Kia models on the road is because it was designed in Germany and then built in Korea. This is a fantastic blend of what we love with the dynamic build that comes from the BMW roots and the impressive equipment aboard that Kia has added to the car. This car made its way to Nurburgring to have a run at the course and stayed for over 10,000 miles worth of testing to make sure this car could handle the challenges of one of the most difficult test track in the world.
Full of Surprises – If you were expecting a typical Kia feeling in this car you’d immediately be surprised by what the Stinger can do. This is a car that continually pushes the boundaries of the brand name of Kia while pushing through them with ease. This is a car that shows off the performance edge you want and not the boring ride of a large cumbersome luxury vehicle that’s only built for comfort. It seems the right brand to help with the basis for the Kia Stinger is BMW and their impressive driving dynamics which will show up on the 2018 model year in the Stinger from Kia.
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