Kia reveals full Stinger details

Kia Australia has revealed full price and specification details for its all-new Stinger sports sedan.

Available in Australian showrooms from this month, the Stinger will be available in six different trims – three powered by a 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine and three powered by a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6.

It is the latter drivetrain that is already piquing interest among dedicated sports sedan enthusiasts, and for good reason. The bent-six line-up starts at $48,990 for the 330S, $55,990 for the 330Si and $59,990 GT.

The Stinger line-up is anchored by the four-cylinder turbo-petrol range comprising the 200S ($45,990), 200Si ($52,990) and GT Line ($55,990).

Standard goodies across both S model Stinger variants include: 18-inch wheels, a seven-inch touchscreen with six-speaker sound system, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth phone and audio streaming, cruise control, eight-way adjustable driver’s seat and climate control.

On the safety front, all Stingers score seven airbags, stability control, traction control, ABS and three child restraint points (two ISOFIX) and daytime running lights.

The mid-tier Si variants add a significant suite of active safety technology not available on entry level grades. This includes Autonomous Emergency Braking with Forward Collision Warning, Lane Keeping Assist, Driver Attention Alert, front parking sensors and rain-sensing wipers.

Si variants also add larger 19-inch wheels and tyres, adaptive suspension, a larger eight-inch touch-screen and adaptive cruise control.

At the top of the tree, the respective GT and GT Line models score a 360-degree camera, blind-spot monitoring, dynamic bending headlights, high-beam assist, Nappa leather seats and colour head-up display.

Mechanically, both the four-cylinder and six-cylinder engines are unchanged no matter which variant you pick, the major difference being fixed-rate dampers on both S entry models.

The 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 unit offers 272kW and 510Nm, sending drive to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission. Equally, the performance spread is generous no matter which V6 variant you go for: Brembo brakes, mechanical limited-slip differential, variable gear steering ratio and a launch control feature.

The 2.0-litre turbo-four petrol boasts 182kW and 353Nm, also sending drive to the rear via an eight-speed auto.

Kia will begin stocking dealerships from late this month, but admits it may be several months before its full allocation is delivered due to global demand.

Australian stakeholders have also confirmed a bi-modal exhaust is in development for the V6 powertrain, and have tipped an add-on price of about $2000. It is not known yet whether Kia will develop a similar system for the four-cylinder engine.

2018 Kia Stinger pricing
2.0-litre four-cylinder:
200S — $45,990 (plus on-road costs)
200Si — $52,990 (plus on-road costs)
GT-Line — $55,990 (plus on-road costs)

Twin-turbo V6:
330S — $48,990 (plus on-road costs)
330Si — $55,990 (plus on-road costs)
GT — $59,990 (plus on-road costs)