The sleek, powerful rear-wheel drive GT fastback sports sedan is expected to make it into Australian showrooms by the end of the third quarter this year.
“This is a car you cannot help but be excited by,” Kia Motors Australia Chief Operating Officer Damien Meredith said. “It has all the attributes to appeal to the Australian enthusiast _ exciting design, a high-tech performance engine and gearbox combination and rear-wheel drive.
“The Stinger is the right car to take Kia, and the brand’s perception, to the next level in Australia. It is the type of car to add desire and excitement to Kia’s core values of style, reliability and value.”
The Stinger will arrive in Australia with the 3.3-litre V6 twin turbo driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed transmission.
While final specifications are still to be settled the Stinger is expected to produce 272kW of power at 6000rpm and an impressive 510Nm of torque from 1300rpm through to 4500rpm. There is an expected 0-100km/h sprint of 5.1 seconds.
“Those are the sort of performance figures which will give the Stinger credibility in any company and add an emotional element to the already compelling practical reasons _ 7-year warranty, 7-year capped price service and 7-year roadside assist _ for considering a Kia,” Mr Meredith said.
Designed in Kia’s European studio in Frankfurt under the hand of Kia’s head of design Peter Schreyer and developed over extensive testing on the grueling Nurburgring under the watchful eye of KMC’s performance and engineering guru Albert Biermann, the Stinger is an uncompromising rendition of the true gran turismo ethos _ nimble and fast, luxurious and quiet with the perfect balance of ride and handling.
“I think for the Kia brand, the Stinger is like a special event,” Biermann said. “Because nobody expects such a car, not just the way it looks, but also the way it drives. It’s a whole different animal.”
To further define the car for Australia, the KMAu ride and handling team will refine the suspension and tuning to ensure Australian buyers are presented with a local tuning package which best suits Australia’s testing roads.
