The Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDI V6 GT at a glance
- Active touring sedan
- V6 biturbo with 366 hp and 510 Nm of torque
- Wheelbase almost at E-Class level
- A limited tribute variant forms the conclusion
- New price from 60,420 euros (no longer available as a new car)
Kia Stinger GT V6: That costs the last edition
Stinger means spike or spike. For a long time, the Stinger was also the Korean spearhead when it came to performance. Quasi the moving proof of what Kia can do. And that’s a lot. In fact, some say the Stinger was the best four-door coupe BMW ever made. But that’s history now. Just 1,000 copies were built for the final chord, for the German market only 145. The price was a proud 64,990 euros, but the last customers get exclusivity and of course special equipment. The Tribute Edition came in just two colors: Moonscape and Ascot Green. Side mirrors, 19-inch wheels and the Brembo brake calipers are black. As soon as you get in, the individually numbered door sills indicate what makes the car special, and anyone who likes leather in terracotta brown will have a lot of fun with the Tribute Edition.
Of course, nothing changes in the powertrain. why? The GT came with the wonderful V6 biturbo petrol engine, with 8-speed automatic and all-wheel drive. Earlier, yes earlier, there was still a variant with rear-wheel drive. It was thrown out at some point, so the all-wheel drive was designed to be rear-heavy, as befits a sports sedan. Does that sound familiar? Sports sedan, coupé, rear-heavy drive? That’s right, you usually know that from BMW M models. One of the makers of the Kia Stinger also comes from there. His name is Albert Biermann, for many years he held various positions at BMW, ultimately becoming Vice President of M GmbH. In 2015 he moved to the Hyundai Group, where he was initially responsible for the performance models (Stinger, Hyundai-N) before becoming head of development for the entire group. Biermann has since retired from active service, but continues to serve Hyundai as a consultant.
Tiger nose, short overhangs – the Stinger also impresses with its design
The rise of the former BMW man came at a time when German was the first foreign language in the boardrooms of Koreans. A German was also responsible for the design of the Kia, Hyundai and Genesis. Peter Schreyer, a native of Bavaria, previously worked for the Volkswagen Group and designed icons of modern automobile construction with the Audi A2, Golf IV and Audi TT. Tiger nose, short overhangs, coupé line – with this triad, Schreyer draws attention to the Stinger where a 911 Porsche is no longer conspicuous. In any case, passers-by are still amazed during our test drives in and around Munich. stingers? Many have not yet seen such a car because the quantities sold were too small. Die-hard football fans may still remember the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Kia was one of the sponsors at the time – on the gang it was written in bold letters in almost every game: Stinger. The German team didn’t get that big. Preliminary round after 0:2 against South Korea.
But we want to deal with winners and not with losers. And since we can stay in South Korea. With the Stinger GT, which we were allowed to drive for the umpteenth time. May is the right word, because it was a lot of fun every time and we can already feel the phantom pain in our right foot on the accelerator, since this car has finally disappeared from the scene as a new car. We will miss the beefy acceleration, the early torque of 510 Nm and of course the 366 hp of the six-cylinder. With the 1.9 ton weight of the Stinger, this hardly has a problem and of course there is also something for the ears. Not spluttering like a teenager, but grumbling sonorous. A bit comparable to the good old BMW straight-six from the E34 M5. The carpet of sound, however, fits the fine understatement appearance. Kind of like a bodybuilder in a tailored suit.
The Kia Stinger is at home on long-haul routes
The chassis of the Stinger is designed more for the long haul. It reacts extremely smoothly, swallowing (almost) everything that comes under the tires of the Stinger. The spring-damper setup cannot deny the spiritual father Biermann. From time to time you can still feel the road, if you go to Sport or Sport plus and thus also focus the chassis, you feel like you are in a sporty two-seater. The Stinger marches taut and taut and lets the rear end waggle because more power is then sent to the rear axle. Normally, the power ratio between front and rear is 40:60 percent. On Sport, 80 percent are already behind – and on Sport Plus even 93 percent. For a sedan with a relatively long wheelbase of 2.91 meters (five centimeters less than the current Mercedes E-Class), the car whizzes around corners with remarkable agility. Of course, torque vectoring, i.e. the intelligent distribution of torque between the individual wheels, is always on board here.
But, as already mentioned, at its core the Kia Stinger is a classic touring sedan with sporty aspirations. Your back doesn’t hurt on long journeys, and your legs don’t tingle – and if you want to have fun, you just step on the gas pedal and amaze yourself and the other road users with the trigger of the V6 turbo. The space at the front is also sufficient for giants, but it gets a little tighter at the back. If you are over 1.80 tall, you sometimes get in close contact with the headliner. With almost 400 liters, the trunk is suitable for travel – but only for two. The driver is supported by the most modern electronic assistants that Hyundai, Kia & Co have on offer. Lane change assistant, distance cruise control, artificial relaxation sound – all this is on board. Even the turning camera, which shows the blind spot in a separate window on the speedometer. The normal GT recently cost a little over 60,000 euros, you can now get good used cars at AutoScout24 for almost half that. By the way, such a Stinger GT is not cheap in terms of consumption, we have to mention that towards the end. The factory noted 10.4 liters per 100 kilometers were never enough, we were more like twelve to 13 liters.
Conclusion
With a tear in our buttonhole we say goodbye to the Stinger. Bye bye burners. Hello Stromer. Because the Koreans have already proven one thing with the EV6. There are also real fun sedans in the brave new electric world. Visually in line with the new zeitgeist, a bit quieter and perhaps not quite as emotional as the Stinger due to the lack of sound. (Text: Rudolf Bögel | Pictures: Manufacturer)
Specifications Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDI V6 GT*
Model | Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDI V6 GT |
---|---|
engine | 3.3 liter bi-turbo petrol V6 |
Performance | 269 kW (366 hp) at 6,000 rpm |
torque | 510 Nm between 1,300 – 4,500 rpm |
drive | 8-speed automatic, all-wheel drive |
consumption combined | 10.6L/100km² |
CO2 emissions combined | 251 g/km² |
Acceleration (0-100km/h) | 5.4s |
top speed | 270km/h |
Dimensions (L/W/H) | 4.83m/1.87m/1.40m |
wheelbase | 2.91 m |
curb weight/max. payload | 1933kg / 392kg |
weight distribution | 43/57% |
trunk volume | 406–1,114L |
Former new price | 60,620 euros |
*Manufacturer information