Kia Stinger Sports Sedan revealed at NAIAS 2017

MANILA: First introduced as GT4 Stinger concept, Kia has finally revealed the Stinger Sports Sedan at the NAIAS 2017. Yes, at the North American International Auto Show (NAIAS) Kia has revealed its 2018 Stinger. According to Kia, the 2018 Stinger is the most powerful sports sedan till date and aims to make a significant share in the sports sedan segment.

According to Orth Hedrick, Vice President in Product Planning, Kia Motors America, the 2018 Kia Stinger is a dream car for the company. He said, “After years of commitment and hard work from a passionate group of designers, executives, engineers around the world, our dream is now a reality.”

After revealing 2017 Kia Picanto, the 2018 Kia Stinger is the next big news from the house of South Korean automaker.

Design

The 2018 Kia Stinger borrows its styling cues from the GT and GT4 Stinger. The sports sedan is designed by Peter Schreyer in Frankfurt, who is the Chief Design Officer of Kia. The long hood, short deck design all together gives 2018 Stinger an aggressive appeal. The sleek LED headlights, large tiger-nose grille, cooling ducts and ventilated hood gives a distinct appeal.

The sporty profile of the car is further highlighted by five-spoke alloy wheels and broad shoulder lines. At the rear, the oval-shaped exhaust pipes, rear diffuser, integrated trunk lid and unique taillights accentuate the overall design.

The long wheelbase contributes to the spacious interior of the car in an effective manner. The wheelbase measures 2,905 mm, which is larger than Audi A4, Lexus IS, BMW 4 Gran Coupe, and Lexus GS.

One will find a driver-oriented cockpit which features a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and dual-pod instrument cluster with a multi-information display. The instrument cluster displays the information like lap times, engine oil temperature, trip computer, navigation, G-forces and diagnostics. The leather wrapped elements in the cabin are further garnished with chrome accents, which gives premium feel without losing the sporty zeal.

Engine

Under the hood, the 2018 Kia Stinger is powered by a 2.0-litre turbocharged Theta II engine which is capable of delivering 258 PS maximum power and 352 Nm peak torque. The top of the line, GT model features a 3.3-litre twin turbo Lambda II V6 that delivers 370 PS maximum power and 510 Nm peak torque. Both these engines are coupled to an 8-speed automatic gearbox which is derived from the Kia K900 luxury sedan.

The entry level model comes with standard disc brakes while the GT model braking duties are handled by Vented Brembo disc. The safety features of this sports sedan include forward collision assistance, advanced smart cruise control, lane keep assist (LKA), blind spot detection and rear cross traffic alert.