Holden Commodore VXR v Kia Stinger GT 2018 Comparison

Six pots of heady brew

Can any V6 performance sedan ever hope to match the unrivalled blend of potency and value the Australian-made VF Series II Commodore SS delivered? We were handed the names of two candidates to find out.

One of those candidates was the Kia Stinger GT, the other the Holden Commodore VXR.

The Kia has been around for a few months now, and its reputation precedes it. In flagship specification it's powered by a handy twin-turbo V6 that outguns any Holden V8 up until the 6.0-litre Gen 4 introduced with the VE Commodore in 2006.

Its competitor in this contest is the sports flagship of Holden's imported ZB Commodore range. Unlike earlier Commodores built in Australia, the Commodore VXR lays down its power through an all-wheel drive system. What it lacks in performance, it can make up with traction...

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Why are we comparing them?

This requires little explanation. Holden used to build a high-performance rear-wheel drive large car with seats for five and a V8 engine up front. This car, the Commodore SS, was much loved (except by owners of the Ford Falcon XR6 Turbo).

Holden stopped building the Commodore SS last year, leaving a vacuum in the performance sedan market. But Kia's Stinger looks a promising surrogate. One problem though... it's not a V8.

To fans, nothing other than a V8 compares for soul-stirring sound. There may be faster cars covering the 0-100km dash, but a V8 does it with style. That's the argument, anyway.

On that basis the Stinger fails before it even gets out of the gate… or does it?

Holden still builds a quick Commodore, but the VXR is a very different beast from the VFII Commodore SS. The question begging here is whether the VXR can engage Holden brand loyalists and V8 fans.

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Who will they appeal to?

With its brazen styling, its rear-drive dynamics and its impressive performance, the Stinger is right at ground zero for families who bought a Commodore SS in the past.

Kia is offering an aftermarket exhaust system for the Stinger, and that might be the very thing to get buyers over the line. Only the nondescript exhaust note from the standard system detracts from the Stinger's cachet.

In contrast, the Commodore VXR will not likely attract former SS owners. At a pinch it might entice SV6 owners to trade in.

There's nothing rough or tumble about the VXR. It's a refined, sophisticated import with advanced safety features. It may conquest Subaru Liberty customers, if anything - particularly those owning the 3.6-litre flat-six models.

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How much do they cost?

At $55,990, the single-spec Commodore VXR is priced precisely $4000 below the top-shelf Stinger GT ($59,990).

As tested, the Stinger crossed the $60,000 threshold with its optional Deep Chroma Blue paint ($695). The Commodore also came with optional metallic paint: Cosmic Grey for $550 extra.

Standard features for both cars comprise of Bluetooth, Android Auto/Apple CarPlay connectivity, CD player, digital audio (DAB+), head-up display, trip computer, 8.0-inch infotainment touch-screen, satellite-navigation, keyless entry/starting, dual-zone climate-control, voice recognition, rain-sensing wipers, leather seat upholstery, electric driver's seat adjustment with memory position and electric windows/mirrors.

Safety features in common include: side-curtain airbags, lane keeping assist, forward collision warning, blind-spot monitoring, autonomous emergency braking (low-speed only for Commodore), rear cross-traffic alert, park distance sensors (front/rear), adaptive LED headlights and 360-degree cameras.

Additionally, the Stinger comes with an alarm, high-beam assist, a kneebag for the driver and tyre pressure sensor. Driver's seat massage function is standard in the Commodore.

The Kia is significantly more expensive than the Holden, but what price Kia's seven-year warranty for the Stinger? That's four years more than the Commodore's. Holden's service intervals are 2000km longer than the Stinger's (12,000km versus 10,000km), but both are limited to 12 months.

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What do they do well?

The Stinger's engine is an undeniably strong performer, delivering linear acceleration right across the rev range. And the automatic transmission mated to the turbo V6 is an excellent match - providing swift changes, albeit occasionally aggressive.

Steering response is one of the virtues of the Stinger's raw dynamics, which typify what people want from rear-wheel drive cars. That includes power-induced oversteer - although the Stinger won't just hand that to you on a plate, the driver has to work for it.

With Brembo brakes all round, the Stinger provides dependable braking power with progressive pedal feel for soft stopping. Fuel consumption is also a Stinger highlight, particularly in view of the Kia's performance potential.

The Commodore benefits from its all-wheel drive set-up for traction, and cornering grip is on par with the Stinger at higher speeds. Its handling is steadier and the body control is better overall - for ride as well as handling.

Both cars hold the road very well at higher speeds, but the Commodore feels a lot more composed and stable. And the Holden is more economical than the Stinger, despite its additional drivetrain components.

Much more an executive express than a point-and-shoot weapon, the Commodore is roomy inside, particularly in the rear, where it counts when you're discussing family sedans.

Many will find the Commodore's dash design and centre fascia sophisticated and refined, featuring more brightwork and piano-black gloss trim. Nicely contoured and straddling the line between support and comfort, the front seats are especially worthy of mention, also offering adjustable side bolstering and extendable bases.

On the road, the Commodore is quiet, other than the engine, which sounds pleasant when working. Steering is lightly weighted for easy manoeuvring.

Both cars are equipped with excellent headlights. The Commodore's LED matrix set-up had the edge, however.

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What could they do better?

The test Stinger was full of rattles and squeaks - testament to a hard life in the gentle hands of motoring journalists. But the Commodore also chimed in with an instrument panel rattle of its own - the same one heard in every ZB Commodore tested to date by motoring.com.au.

Ride comfort was firmer in the Kia, with initial impact harshness evident even with dampers set to comfort mode. Two minor issues in the Stinger were the lack of outboard adjustment for the driver-side mirror and soft accelerator pedal feel in any mode other than Sport.

But most importantly was the Kia's lack of aural power from the tailpipe. It has been said before, but the Stinger's subdued engine note is the major element likely to disappoint V8 fanciers.

The Commodore sounds all very 'thoroughbred', by comparison, but the atmo V6 just plain lacks the herbs to be a V8 killer - not that Holden promotes the VXR as such anyway.

The latter's nine-speed automatic is smooth, but won't change up at the redline and is slow to shift up manually (using shift paddles) when the accelerator pedal is nailed to the floor.

If you shift up a couple of hundred revs shy of the redline, the transmission is so slow to react that the engine will reach the redline and tag the rev-limiter anyway.

And just as the Stinger is not exactly a treat for the ears, the Commodore is a little too plain to be a visual delight for a certain type of buyer - such as those who have bought winged, hard-charging V8 sedans in the past.

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Which wins, and why?

The Stinger has one outstanding trick up its sleeve - the performance of its turbocharged powertrain. In terms of packaging, value, safety and comfort, the Commodore has it all over the Kia.

And yet, the Stinger wins this comparison. It's flawed in some ways, but when it comes to the towering presence, the potent performance and the undiluted larrikin appeal of the old 6.2-litre LS3-engined Commodore, the Kia is as close a facsimile as any current car - and likely any future car.

In fact, the Stinger is the car that just might build a bridge between two previously divided parties, Commodore SS owners and Falcon XR6 Turbo owners - all queued up to sign purchase contracts in Kia showrooms.

2018 Holden Commodore VXR pricing and specifications:
Price: $55,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.6-litre petrol V6
Output: 235kW/381Nm
Transmission: Nine-speed automatic
0-100km/h: 6.347 seconds
80-120km/h: 3.007 seconds
Fuel: 9.3L/100km (ADR Combined)
As tested: 10.7L/100km
CO2: 215g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP

2018 Kia Stinger GT pricing and specifications:
Price: $59,990 (plus on-road costs)
Engine: 3.3-litre twin-turbo petrol V6
Output: 272kW/510Nm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
0-100km/h: 5.486 seconds
80-120km/h: 2.614 seconds
Fuel: 10.2L/100km (ADR Combined)
As tested: 11.5L/100km
CO2: 239g/km (ADR Combined)
Safety rating: Five-star ANCAP (2017)

But wait... there's more

Stop reading here if you want just the bare bones story. But a comparison such as this one doesn't necessarily convey everything a committed enthusiast wants to know.

We spent some time with these two cars, and it's only right to provide that extra detail - how the Commodore and the Stinger drove, for example, as well as what we appreciated and what we rejected in these two machines.

Maybe this is the counterpoint that some readers will want.

Let's start with the engines. As we've already mentioned, the Stinger drives quietly, but carries a big stick. We couldn't fault it for power delivery, and there is a deeper, muscular bass note heard when you open up the taps. It is louder in sport mode, particularly from the mid-range up.

Otherwise, the Stinger's twin-turbo V6 is just too reticent and fades into the background. Kia has tied up a sports exhaust for the Stinger. Whether the aftermarket exhaust Kia has contracted out will be vital to the whole Stinger experience will depend on what you want from the car - raw performance and a fanfare to precede you, or a Q-ship type of vehicle.

While the V6 in the Commodore fell short of the Kia for performance, it was lively enough at higher revs and piped out a distinctive burble from start-up, sounding a little more like a Euro V6 at higher revs.

For best results (ie: acceleration), the Commodore's transmission is best left to its own devices. The GM powertrain gets slow and confused if you try shifting manually. Pull back on the paddle for an upshift a few hundred revs below the redline and the engine is tagging the limiter by the time the transmission has shifted up. It's much faster (and easier) if you select VXR/Competition modes and leave the transmission to pick its own sweet time to shift up.

The Stinger's transmission does shift with an occasional thump, even using the throttle lightly. It's more apparent in lower gears. But overall the Stinger's autobox is a better performance transmission than the Commodore's.

During our performance testing, the Commodore came within 0.4 of a second of the Stinger's time for the 80-120km/h overtaking test. Considering it was nearly nine tenths behind the Stinger for the 0-100km/h time, it appeared to be hauling in the Kia as the speeds rose. This could be due to aerodynamics, but just as likely it's the extra cog in the much-maligned (by me) nine-speed automatic in the Holden.

And then there's the weight. The Commodore - all-wheel drive as it is - weighs 85kg less than the rear-drive Stinger. So the Commodore's performance, in context, is not as limp as the engine specs suggest. In fact, we're in little doubt the tables would be turned in the wet.

The Commodore is shod with the same size tyres all round - 245/35 R20 Michelins - versus the rear-driver Stinger, which came to us with 225/40 R19 Continentals at the front and 255/35 R19 at the rear. Each set of tyres seemed a great match for the respective car.

In keeping with the rear-drive tradition, the Stinger was quicker to turn in than the Commodore. Both cars will tighten their line through a corner if you back off the throttle, and it's some credit to the Stinger's chassis tune that it never hinted it would oversteer on a trailing throttle - and that's at least partly due to the wider tyres at the rear.

The ride comfort at touring speeds favours the Commodore. Even in comfort mode, the Stinger is guilty of some initial impact harshness at speed. At least, in the Stinger's favour, it isn't much firmer in the sport setting than set to comfort.

The Stinger's Brembo brakes front and rear deliver progressive pedal feel and are strong to boot. As a measure of that pedal feel, the Stinger was easy to bring to a soft stop, without any trouble whatsoever. The Commodore also features Brembo brakes, but only at the front. Pedal feel was less progressive and the Commodore didn't pull up with that same degree of fine control.

For the other pedal, the Stinger's accelerator felt soft and doughy under foot, unless the car was operating in Sport mode.

Both cars offer a practical and comfortable driving position. The one shortcoming of the Stinger's is the driver-side external mirror, which won't adjust far enough outboard and leaves a blind spot in the field of vision. On the credit side of the ledger, however, the Stinger does come with power adjustment for the steering column.

While the Stinger had plenty of soft plastics going on, and the Kia's steering wheel was nicer to grip than the Commodore's, it was generally quite sombre and business-like inside.

If you've stepped out of a VF II Commodore, you might actually feel more at home in the ZB's chrome-laden cabin, although all that shiny brightwork signals that this car is a little more luxury-oriented - more Calais V than Commodore SS - whereas the Stinger's dash and centre fascia are functional in a sportier style.

Both cars feature piano-black gloss lacquer trim, but the Stinger's is applied sparingly and the aluminium-look matt-finish accents are subtler than the Commodore's chrome.

The seats are better in the Commodore though. The bolstering is better, the cushioning is firmer, yet somehow not as flat. And the Commodore has extendable seat bases in front, what's more. Despite the Stinger's adjustable lumbar support, it's not really in the same league for seat comfort.

There's abundant legroom in the rear of the Commodore, but headroom is marginal for an adult of average height. Even so, it's better than the Stinger's, which is a wee bit 'stingy'. Also, while the Kia has adjustable vents for rear-seat occupants, just like the Commodore, it features just one USB port, not two, as in the Holden, which also offers rear-seat heating.

We found the Stinger's transmission tunnel is higher than the Commodore's too, making the centre rear seat less usable for that fifth passenger.

So there you go. Are you still convinced that the Stinger is the car for you? Or do you see the Commodore VXR in a kinder light now?