I love it when car makers get a car right and hit the spot with performance and styling.
It’s also nice to acknowledge when the price point hits the mark, even though in this gig writing about cars, I don’t actually have to consider the whack to the back pocket for the average punter, to get behind the wheel of what I get to drive.
But there’s one last box to tick to really impress me….. Ensuring the name matches the car.
Enter stage left, the STINGER.
Boom! Could there be a more appropriate name for Kia’s high performance model?
I think not. The Stinger even has fittingly landed in police fleets here in Australia as Highway Patrol cars…. Literally putting the STING on speeding drivers.
My week in a slightly more standard and subdued Stinger and, unfortunately not the 3.3 Twin Turbo GT, returned a tick in every one of those boxes required to impress me, and not just the one for: “has a cool and appropriate name”.
The Kia Stinger is available in six variants, and is sold with engines that range in size from 2.0L to 3.3L and from turbocharged four-cylinders to twin-turbocharged six-cylinders.
It’s the performance flagship of the Kia range, a “large” sedan that is doing a pretty good job of filling the void left by the end of the Aussie-built Commodore and Falcon.
There’s a definite Aussie built vibe about the Stinger, a reflection, I think of Kia’s proven ability to tune its cars to near perfection for our roads.
It looks the goods, if you’re seeking that large sports coupe look and, fortunately Kia hasn’t gone too heavy on the interior bling as it could be accused of doing in some of its other models. It’s conventional, very well-built and constructed with lovely materials.
The Stinger GT-Line is loaded with gear, including a terrific 15-speaker stereo, smartphone mirroring, a big touchscreen, leather trim, dual-zone climate control and a head-up display.
The price range for the Kia Stinger is based on the trim level you choose and you can land one starting at $50,050 and going to $63,960.
And at those really reasonable prices, in my mind,… there’s no chance you’re paying for its really cool and appropriate, box-ticking name.
More News
