Kia Reveals Stinger Luxury Sedan

Kia is pushing into the sport-luxury segment with the reveal of its new Stinger rear-wheel-drive sedan tonight ahead of the 2017 North American International Auto Show in Detroit.

The Stinger sprang forth from the GT concept coupe shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, and Kia says the production car will offer multiple engines and athletic handling when it goes on sale in the U.S. late this year.

“From its sleek front clip through its svelte flanks, and up to its powerful haunches, the Stinger exudes a muscular confidence,” Kia says of the Stinger, which was designed at the GT concept’s birthplace, Kia’s Frankfurt studio.

The car wears Kia’s tiger nose grille, as well as a long hood, steeply raked windshield, recessed door contours and quad, ovular exhaust pipes.

Wheel-arch gills and front air curtains aid aerodynamics.

The Stinger’s interior has “ultra-soft” Nappa leather-covered seats, a “strong horizontal” dashboard suitable for the driver to work, Kia says, and a 2-level center console containing a touchscreen and climate controls.

Another display in the gauge cluster provides trip computer information, as well as cornering G-forces and lap times.

Metal-ringed large gauges with red needles and “aeronautically inspired spoked circular vents” are other design elements found inside the Stinger.

While the sedan’s styling was helmed by Hyundai/Kia global design chief Peter Schreyer, another high-profile semi-recent hire, Albert Biermann, formerly of BMW, oversaw chassis development.

The Stinger shares a platform with the forthcoming Genesis G70 midsize sedan. Kia says the Stinger has a longer wheelbase than the Audi A4, Lexus IS and GS, BMW 4-Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes CLS.

The Stringer’s chassis is made up of 55% advanced-high-strength steel, making for a rigid ride, but also lessened noise, vibration and harshness. The new sedan has MacPherson front and multilink rear suspensions, “tuned to provide optimal feedback to the driver.”

Kia’s first electronically adjustable suspension is available on the Stinger, allowing drivers to soften front shocks and firm those in the rear for greater cornering agility, or do the reverse for better high-speed stability.

New Theta Engine Debuts

Two turbocharged engines, placed longitudinally, will be available in the Stinger: a 255-hp 2.0L version of Hyundai/Kia’s Theta 4-cyl. or the automaker’s 365-hp 3.3L twin-turbo Lambda V-6, the latter already available in the Genesis G80 and G90. Kia projects a 0-62 mph (0-100 km/h) time of 5.1 seconds in the V-6 Stinger, and a top speed of 167 mph (269 km/h).

The engines are mated to an 8-speed automatic, updated from the 8AT in Kia’s K900 large luxury sedan. The transmission has Kia’s first centrifugal pendulum absorber torque converter. Common in aviation and racing engines, this type of torque converter limits drivetrain torsional vibrations. Kia notes the transmission, suspension and steering systems in the car have five different patterns or modes to suit driver preferences.

The car will become Kia’s first available with RWD (with a mechanical limited-slip differential) or all-wheel drive. The latter system uses torque vectoring for better handling in adverse weather.

V-6 Stingers come standard with Brembo disc brakes with quad-piston front and dual-piston rear calipers.

Various advanced safety systems are available, including Kia’s first use of driver-attention alert technology, which monitors driver attention levels and advises him or her to take a break.

Other in-car technology includes a wireless phone charging pad and a height-adjustable head-up display with speed, turn-by-turn navigation and blindspot system information.

Kia thus far has had a very minor impact in the U.S. luxury sector. Sales of the K900, which debuted in the U.S. in 2014, fell 67.0% last year to 834 units from 2,524, WardsAuto data shows.

In comparison, the rival Mercedes-Benz E-Class was the top seller among mid-large luxury sedans, albeit down 6.1% to 46,721.

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