“Nothing in his life became him as the leaving of it.” So said (the soon to be killed himself) King Duncan of the rebel Thane of Cawdor in Shakespeare’s Macbeth.
As sales of new internal combustion engined cars await their fate however they will depart this mortal realm with a flourish. Kia’s Stinger V6, for one, showcases a petrol engine at the peak of its development.
It also brings with it a classic front engine rear wheel drive balanced chassis of real dynamic flair. (In other markets the car is All Wheel Drive.) A tech-laden cabin with a helpful head-up display manages not to “get between” the driver and the car.
As sales of new internal combustion engined cars await their fate however they will depart this mortal realm with a flourish. Kia’s Stinger V6, for one, showcases a petrol engine at the peak of its development.
It also brings with it a classic front engine rear wheel drive balanced chassis of real dynamic flair. (In other markets the car is All Wheel Drive.) A tech-laden cabin with a helpful head-up display manages not to “get between” the driver and the car.
At (global) launch in 2017 the Stinger came with a choice of 4-cylinder engines, a 2.0-litre petrol, 2.2-litre diesel and 2.5-litre petrol. In 2020 the diesel and a slightly lower powered variant of the 3.3 V6 were dropped.
UK sales have now stopped but those in stock or on-order will be supplied of course. It stays in production in Korea.
Here, the range was rationalised further to one top spec GT S model - the 3.3 V6 twin-turbo (T-GDI) eight-speed automatic with power upped to 361bhp. The Stinger received a general revamp in 2020 with a further, UK market, refresh last year.
The design brief must have been a challenge - a five-door ‘executive class premium’ coupe.
Historically, North American buyers have viewed hatchbacks as small, cheap European cars. The Stinger’s low and wide stance however does set it apart from the type of (three-box) saloon which has dominated this sector previously.
Getting in is to a relatively low driving position as for a sports car/coupe. The ‘fastback’ styling remains elegant despite incorporating a rear hatch but, inevitably the load-space is rather shallow if wide. A lift-up floor reveals space for a spare tyre (still required for some markets) but here, alas, there is merely a tyre ‘first-aid kit’.
Driver’s seat has a wide range of adjustment, all electric, which includes key seat squab length — it can extend to the back of the knees and tilt of course. Apart from the usual height and lumbar variation, both front seats have heat and ventilation settings. A heated steering wheel adjusts (reach and rake) electrically too.
It is a real pity that the front passenger has to do without the full complement of seat adjustment afforded to the driver. On a long trip when spells at the wheel might well be shared the ‘off-duty’ co-driver deserves a similar level of comfort.
Drive Mode offers the usual settings (Eco, Comfort, Individual, etc.) but also has two sport settings. These do more than merely add some heft to the dynamics and the seat side bolsters move together to grip the driver more tightly.
‘Sport’ gives the car launch-type acceleration which is great for overtaking. Such is the boosted response that leaving the car in auto mode is often more than enough without resort to the wheel mounted (manual override) paddles.
After a Covid-enforced two-year hiatus we were able to resume our annual late-summer drive down to Aragon, North Eastern Spain. The round trip of about 2,500 miles in a little under two weeks took in everything from tree-lined French Routes Nationales and Catalan Caminos Rurales to fast expressways and motorways.
Leaving the autoroute from Toulouse to Pau, we head south to the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here the abundance of power from the 3.3-litre V6 makes short work of the climb and the small town of Vielha soon comes into view.
The current Vielha tunnel dates from 2007 and, once through, the N125 becomes the N230 for a stunning, sweeping drive southwards down to Lleida. Towering mountains, deep chasms and a series of massive reservoirs are the backdrop to a road which allows the car to come into its own.
For an avowedly high-performance vehicle, the ride–roadholding compromise has been nicely judged throughout Drive Mode settings. Although the turning circle is not especially tight, once on the move, steering is communicative and again weighted to complement the dynamic setting selected. All in all a very thorough job of work.
Facts & Figures
Price: £45,160
Competition: Audi S5; BMW 4-Series M440i Gran Coupe; Mercedes-AMG C43.
Kia Stinger 3.3-litre T-GDI V6 GT S: 167mph; 0-60mph 4.7secs; 34mpg (official combined); Fuel consumption range on test (brim to brim) 27mpg to 33mpg 229g/km CO2 Road Tax £2,015 (12 months); Ins Grp 42; Warranty 7yrs or 100,000 miles.
Click here for my travelogue for an accompanying piece on the trip, route, where to stay, etc.
By Huw Thomas
UK sales have now stopped but those in stock or on-order will be supplied of course. It stays in production in Korea.
Here, the range was rationalised further to one top spec GT S model - the 3.3 V6 twin-turbo (T-GDI) eight-speed automatic with power upped to 361bhp. The Stinger received a general revamp in 2020 with a further, UK market, refresh last year.
The design brief must have been a challenge - a five-door ‘executive class premium’ coupe.
Historically, North American buyers have viewed hatchbacks as small, cheap European cars. The Stinger’s low and wide stance however does set it apart from the type of (three-box) saloon which has dominated this sector previously.
Getting in is to a relatively low driving position as for a sports car/coupe. The ‘fastback’ styling remains elegant despite incorporating a rear hatch but, inevitably the load-space is rather shallow if wide. A lift-up floor reveals space for a spare tyre (still required for some markets) but here, alas, there is merely a tyre ‘first-aid kit’.
Driver’s seat has a wide range of adjustment, all electric, which includes key seat squab length — it can extend to the back of the knees and tilt of course. Apart from the usual height and lumbar variation, both front seats have heat and ventilation settings. A heated steering wheel adjusts (reach and rake) electrically too.
It is a real pity that the front passenger has to do without the full complement of seat adjustment afforded to the driver. On a long trip when spells at the wheel might well be shared the ‘off-duty’ co-driver deserves a similar level of comfort.
Drive Mode offers the usual settings (Eco, Comfort, Individual, etc.) but also has two sport settings. These do more than merely add some heft to the dynamics and the seat side bolsters move together to grip the driver more tightly.
‘Sport’ gives the car launch-type acceleration which is great for overtaking. Such is the boosted response that leaving the car in auto mode is often more than enough without resort to the wheel mounted (manual override) paddles.
After a Covid-enforced two-year hiatus we were able to resume our annual late-summer drive down to Aragon, North Eastern Spain. The round trip of about 2,500 miles in a little under two weeks took in everything from tree-lined French Routes Nationales and Catalan Caminos Rurales to fast expressways and motorways.
Leaving the autoroute from Toulouse to Pau, we head south to the foothills of the Pyrenees. Here the abundance of power from the 3.3-litre V6 makes short work of the climb and the small town of Vielha soon comes into view.
The current Vielha tunnel dates from 2007 and, once through, the N125 becomes the N230 for a stunning, sweeping drive southwards down to Lleida. Towering mountains, deep chasms and a series of massive reservoirs are the backdrop to a road which allows the car to come into its own.
For an avowedly high-performance vehicle, the ride–roadholding compromise has been nicely judged throughout Drive Mode settings. Although the turning circle is not especially tight, once on the move, steering is communicative and again weighted to complement the dynamic setting selected. All in all a very thorough job of work.
Facts & Figures
Price: £45,160
Competition: Audi S5; BMW 4-Series M440i Gran Coupe; Mercedes-AMG C43.
Kia Stinger 3.3-litre T-GDI V6 GT S: 167mph; 0-60mph 4.7secs; 34mpg (official combined); Fuel consumption range on test (brim to brim) 27mpg to 33mpg 229g/km CO2 Road Tax £2,015 (12 months); Ins Grp 42; Warranty 7yrs or 100,000 miles.
Click here for my travelogue for an accompanying piece on the trip, route, where to stay, etc.
By Huw Thomas
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