Overview
Kia are known for creating safe, reliable cars. For good reason. All of their cars are safe and reliable. For their new flagship car they haven’t skimped on these traits, but they have diverged from their usual formula. The Stinger is a divergence from Kia’s normal look, it is sportier, sleeker, more aggressive, but underneath the stylish exterior is Kia’s trademark safety and quality.
Pros
- Great looking diversion from Kia's usual, somewhat
- 7 year warranty
- Excellent list of safety features
- Surprisingly large amount of space in the rear
Cons
- The boot is a little smaller than some competitors
Exterior
Kia are well known for producing some of the most reliable cars on the market, their famous 7 year warranty is a tribute to their confidence in the build quality of their models. They aren’t very well known for producing stylish cars though. Until now that is.
The new Stinger is a great looking 5 door, fastback sports coupé. Its sleek body and tapered headlights bring to mind almost anything but the sensible Korean manufacturer that created it. It’s long, low and wide. With the Stinger, Kia are re-inventing their image, they’re asking us to think of them in a whole new light.
The list of standard features is extensive. Some of the highlights are a body coloured bumper, 18 inch alloy wheels, electro-chrome mirrors, and a black and chrome radiator grille.
The new Stinger is a great looking 5 door, fastback sports coupé. Its sleek body and tapered headlights bring to mind almost anything but the sensible Korean manufacturer that created it. It’s long, low and wide. With the Stinger, Kia are re-inventing their image, they’re asking us to think of them in a whole new light.
The list of standard features is extensive. Some of the highlights are a body coloured bumper, 18 inch alloy wheels, electro-chrome mirrors, and a black and chrome radiator grille.
Interior
Sitting into the Stinger, you can feel the quality of its construction. Everything is sturdy and well placed. The dash and panels are a combination of soft-touch plastic and real metal. The perforated leather steering wheel is comfortable to grip. The suede coating on the roof brings a feeling of soft luxury.
Both driver and passengers are treated to heated seats, with the front seats also having lumbar support. They may not be real leather, but you wouldn’t notice the difference.
You’ll find a good amount of storage around the cabin, though it has to be said that the door pockets aren’t the biggest. The centre console has a handy bin for your phone with a wireless charging pad as standard.
The infotainment system is pretty similar to the one you’d find inside the Ceed, which is perfectly good. But in what is ostensibly Kia’s flagship car I might have expected something a little more special. That being said, it is straightforward to use, has all the functions you could want of it and the 8 inch touch-screen is clear and responsive. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard features. The Harman Kardon sound system is particularly impressive, with good clear sound throughout the car.
You’ll find a good amount of storage around the cabin, though it has to be said that the door pockets aren’t the biggest. The centre console has a handy bin for your phone with a wireless charging pad as standard.
The infotainment system is pretty similar to the one you’d find inside the Ceed, which is perfectly good. But in what is ostensibly Kia’s flagship car I might have expected something a little more special. That being said, it is straightforward to use, has all the functions you could want of it and the 8 inch touch-screen is clear and responsive. Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are both standard features. The Harman Kardon sound system is particularly impressive, with good clear sound throughout the car.
Normally you’d expect to sacrifice practicality when opting for a sportier model of car. They tend to be designed for the driver and the drive after all. The Stinger throws up a surprise in this regard though. There’s actually loads of space in the rear, even taller adult passengers will have a generous amount of legroom, the two outer seats both have isofix points. The centre armrest has two cupholders and there’s both a 12v and USB outlet for rear passengers.
Performance
The 16 valve, four-cylinder 2.2 Litre diesel engine can output 197 bhp. You’ll arrive at 60 mph from a standstill in 7.3 seconds. Top speed is 230 km/h (143 mph).
Reliability
The Stinger might not look like anything else from Kia, but their reputation and their confidence in the build quality of their cars carries through to this flagship model. Kia are offering their normal 7 year warranty.
Running Costs
The Stinger has a fuel tank capacity of 60 litres, so at today’s average prices it’ll cost you just over €80 to fill the tank. The combined fuel consumption runs to 40.9 mpg and the CO2 emissions are calculated at 154 g/km placing the Stinger into the €390 per annum category of road tax.
Safety
The stinger scored well in all the tests carried out by Euro NCAP. They awarded it with the full 5 star safety rating. It scored especially well for the multiple safety assists which are fitted as standard. Features such as lane keeping, speed limiting, collision avoidance all add to the overall good safety performance.
Summary
- Exterior
- 100%
- Interior
- 80%
- Performance
- 80%
- Reliability
- 100%
- Running Costs
- 80%
- Handling
- 100%
- Safety
- 100%
The Stinger looks good, handles well and is a comfortable drive. It is a welcome new direction for Kia and should appeal to those drivers that want something a bit sportier but don't want to sacrifice on safety and reliability.