Kia Stinger Review

Hey, guys – Kia just rocks right now. Really, it does.

The company has gone from the underdog to the absolute prince of pooches with its muscle-bound Stinger – and other more recent models, including the exciting new EV6.

The Stinger is about as far away from safe SUV family life and supermini city cars as you can get. And that’s the point. The brand likes to expand and claw its way into the area of ‘desirability’.

You see, Kia has already nailed the ‘peace of mind’ market. It offers an excellent seven-year warranty that can be transferred to other owners when the car is sold. It’s also known for producing reliable vehicles. But Kia wanted to show it can punch way higher. So, the South Korean firm ushered in the sexily named ‘Stinger’ to the UK market a few years back.

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You can read more about the Stinger’s tech here, but you should know that the car is a rear-wheel driven executive motor. Yes, folks – you read it correctly, this model is the real rear-wheel drive deal. And uh huh, this does mean Kia is going head to head with the likes of BMW. Who’d have thought it, eh?

In many ways the Stinger is better looking than the Bimmers out there, it’s rawer, it’s less clinical – it’s a lot of things German executive cars aren’t. Wow, how refreshing.

You see, as well as gorgeous, curvy flowing looks, the Stinger has a whole bunch of standard kit shoehorned into it. This includes leather upholstery, a touchscreen infotainment system, an eight-speed automatic transmission and even a head-up display.

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Of course, as with most things in life, if you look hard enough, there are imperfections. Kia has tried a little too hard to make the dashboard appear as though it’s wrapped in hide. It’s not – it’s plastic. The same goes for the door cards. It drizzles on the Stinger’s chips a bit – but really, you’d be a nit-picker to complain.

Behind the wheel, the Stinger forces you to sit low, but it feels good. And, on the move, the car does a proper job of rapid propulsion. The ride is bang on, too, with the large alloy wheels coping well with Britain’s scarred roads. The Stinger also handles with an adeptly tuned fusion of well-balanced traction and reliable body control – as well as sharp-edged directional nimbleness.

All in all, the Stinger has the poise and pace of a proper sports saloon. There’s a lot of entertainment to be had for enthusiastic drivers, that’s for sure. It’s also bob on for five-up family transportation. But you’ll have to take pride in the ‘Kia’ name to own or lease the Stinger. There’s little point spending your time wishing you were in a BMW or Audi.

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This car is cheaper – but it won’t command the same cachet in the company car park. But, who cares? You’ll be the one who people will talk to – because yours is the motor that will stand out. Trust me. And, as for the EV6, well, the juices will really start to flow then. More on that car soon, guys.