2018 Kia Stinger GT 3.3T AWD

Back in 1964, the great Muhammad Ali famously taunted heavyweight-title opponent Sonny Liston, saying he’d “float like a butterfly, sting like a bee” in their upcoming match. We have to wonder if the team that developed the all-new Kia Stinger took that quote as their mantra, because it describes with uncanny precision the car they created to attack the sports-sedan segment.

Quick-step agility with the strength to deliver a powerful punch is the very definition of a sports sedan, and Kia has largely—but not entirely—delivered on that goal with the Stinger. It’s not for lack of trying. The Stinger (which is actually a hatchback) is built from solid hardware, on a version of the Genesis G70’s rear-wheel-drive platform. In the sports-sedan world the Stinger is a tweener, splitting the size difference between cars like the BMW 3-series and Mercedes-Benz C-class and their larger stablemates, the 5-series and E-class.

Powerful Puncher

Following a few laps on the Nürburgring several months ago, this was our first drive of a Stinger GT AWD on local roads. All GTs are powered by the same twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V-6 offered in the big Genesis G90 luxocruiser and the Genesis G80 Sport. The boosted mill develops a healthy 365 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque and is lashed to a Kia-built eight-speed automatic. Base Stingers are powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four that makes 255 horses and 260 lb-ft and is also mated to the eight-speed auto. Both powertrains feed torque to the rear wheels but can be optionally mated to an all-wheel-drive system that’s rear-biased and can send up to 50 percent of the available torque to the front wheels or 80 percent rearward.

The GT’s standard equipment is certainly appropriate to its mission. Our AWD test car came with Brembo brakes, adjustable dampers, and Michelin Pilot Sport 4 performance footwear—sized 225/40ZR-19 in front and 255/35ZR-19 at the rear—on handsome aluminum wheels. The powertrain and chassis are controlled via a driving-mode switch that offers five settings: Comfort, Sport, Smart, Eco, and Custom, the last of which allows you to mix and match suspension firmness, throttle mapping, shift programs, and engine-sound enhancement.

A Fighter’s Countenance

The mechanicals are bolted to a car whose styling promises they will be put to good use. The Stinger’s hatchback body is adorned with an angry face and enough mean-looking slots and grilles to make its go-fast intentions unmistakable. The interior layout is handsomely sporting as well, with a simple sweep of an instrument panel, clear gauges, a flat-bottom steering wheel with shift paddles, and standard leather trimmings.

Our track testing revealed that the hottest Kia does indeed sting like a bee: 60 mph comes up in 4.6 seconds, it circulates the skidpad at 0.91 g, and it stops from 70 mph in 164 feet. Kia claims that the car’s top speed is governed at 167 mph. Those numbers match up well with larger, much more expensive performance sedans like some that competed in a recent comparison test, including the Audi A6 3.0T Competition and the Cadillac CTS V-Sport.

The Stinger’s machinery whirs in relative harmony in everyday driving. The suspension rides well, the steering is reasonably direct, the brake pedal is firm, and the twin-turbo V-6 provides plenty of thrust—although there’s a beat or three of boost lag at lower speeds and from rest. It’s a quick, pleasant sedan and a comfortable one, too, particularly for back-seat riders, who have much more room to stretch their legs than they do in a 3-series or a C-class.

It Bobs, It Weaves

Unfortunately, when the asphalt writhes and your right foot goes down hard, the Stinger does sometimes float like a butterfly—and not in a good way. We experienced several unnerving sideways twitches while traversing nasty heaves in the middle of fast corners that convinced us firmer rear damper tuning was needed. Despite its adjustable shocks and multiple driving modes, we couldn’t find a setting that endowed the Stinger’s chassis with the poise and feedback that cements the driver-car connection. What’s more, the throttle was too jumpy in Sport mode for smooth mid-corner power applications, the transmission was slow to respond to calls for downshifts from the steering-wheel paddles, and the engine sounds merely ordinary in its upper rev range.

If the Stinger’s footwork isn’t honed to a razor’s edge, it has another way to deliver a roundhouse punch to the performance-sedan segment: Kia-style value. The base rear-drive GT comes with all the good stuff—including the twin-turbo V-6, big tires, and Brembos—for about $39,895 according to Kia’s estimates (prices aren’t finalized). All-wheel drive should add $2200. Our test car, however, had the full-boat GT2 trim package, which loaded it with everything from active-safety gear to nappa leather and boosted the sticker to about $52,595. At that price point, there are other attractive sports-sedan alternatives.

Restrain yourself on the order form and Kia’s challenger hits much harder against smaller, more expensive driver’s sedans from Germany, Japan, and America. The Stinger may not be quite ready to steal the heavyweight sports-sedan crown, but its value is a knockout.

Specifications >

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door hatchback

PRICE AS TESTED (mfr's est): $52,595 (base price: $39,895)

ENGINE TYPE: twin-turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 24-valve V-6, aluminum block and heads, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 204 cu in, 3342 cc
Power: 365 hp @ 6000 rpm
Torque: 376 lb-ft @ 1300 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic with manual shifting mode

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 114.4 in
Length: 190.2 in
Width: 73.6 in Height: 55.1 in
Passenger volume: 96 cu ft
Cargo volume: 23 cu ft
Curb weight: 4157 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS:
Zero to 60 mph: 4.6 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 11.3 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 19.9 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 30.5 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 5.3 sec
Top gear, 30–50 mph: 2.6 sec
Top gear, 50–70 mph: 3.4 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 13.2 sec @ 108 mph
Top speed (governor limited, mfr's claim): 167 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 164 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.91 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY:
75-mph highway driving: 26 mpg
Highway range: 410 miles

EPA FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
Combined/city/highway: 20/17/26 mpg