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2019 Kia Stinger Overview
Kia shocked the car world when it started building the Stinger in 2017. The humble South Korean carmaker, known for front-drive eco-boxes, was building a fast, sharp-looking rear-wheel-drive (RWD) car designed by a former BMW engineer to take on the established sports sedans from Europe and North America. For 2019, there is a special Atlantica model. It adds a special color scheme–blue over Espresso Brown Nappa leather–for a more appealing package. The Atlantica package also features the 19-inch alloy wheels from the European market Stinger and badges from the Korean model, plus a wireless device charger, surround-view monitor, and heated rear seats. The 2019 Kia Stinger is still available in Base, Premium, GT, GT1, and GT2 trims with either 4-cylinder or 6-cylinder power.
The entry-level Stinger gets a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder. It's good for 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. Shoppers can only find 4-cylinder trims in the base and Premium models. Any Stinger with “GT” in the name gets a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 that makes 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. All Stingers get an 8-speed automatic with paddle shifters. RWD is standard, and all-wheel drive (AWD) is available. The 4-cylinder models get 22 mpg city, 29 highway, and 24 combined with RWD. With AWD, models get 21, 29, and 24. V6 models get 19, 25, and 21 in any guise.
Rear-drive Stingers come with a limited-slip differential. The car's direct, flat cornering was developed at Germany’s famous Nurburgring race track. The Stinger has MacPherson struts in the front and a five-link setup in the rear. Brakes are 13.8-inch front and 13.4-inch rear discs by Brembo in V6 GT models. The Stinger GT also gets adjustable dampers and staggered size Michelin Pilot Sport tires.
The interior is a pleasant surprise. All models get leather upholstery; power heated front seats; a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel; dual-zone automatic climate control; a 7.0-inch infotainment touchscreen; and a 6-speaker stereo along with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Bluetooth capabilities. The Premium trim adds a sunroof, a power-adjustable steering column, a 7.0-inch digital display on the instrument panel, memory settings for the driver’s seat and steering wheel, an electronic parking brake, a larger 8.0-inch infotainment screen with navigation, and a 15-speaker Harman Kardon stereo.
By stepping up to the Stinger GT, shoppers get a much more powerful engine. Compared to the base 4-cylinder car, the GT gets an electronic parking brake, aluminum pedals, a flat-bottom steering wheel, and three extra speakers for the stereo. The Stinger GT1 model adds the features found on the 4-cylinder Premium model, plus performance gauges. The GT2 is the top dog of the Stinger lineup. It gets a head-up display (HUD), auto-dimming outside mirrors, and Nappa leather upholstery with ventilation for the front seats. The Stinger has 23.3 cubic feet of space in the trunk and 40.9 cubic feet of room with the rear seats folded, which is huge for a vehicle in this class.
The Stinger hasn’t been fully crash tested yet. All models are available with a heaping number of active safety features, including forward-collision warning with automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, rear cross-traffic alerts, blind-spot monitors, automatic high-beam headlights, lane-departure warning, driver-attention alert, active lane control, and dynamic headlights. Buyers who get the Stinger GT2 models will get all the above features standard.
For some, the unfortunate stigma of a Kia badge may be enough for them to steer clear of a Stinger. But for people who want a fun, fast, good-looking all-rounder at a good value, it’s definitely a car worth considering. It’s hard to say what the Stinger’s direct competition is, but other choices include sporty luxury sedans like the Cadillac ATS, Jaguar XE, BMW 3-Series, Lexus IS, and Mercedes-Benz C-Class.
Since 2012, Andrew Newton has been writing about cars both old and new. Andrew has been an associate editor at Sport Car Digest as well as a contributor to sites like BoldRide and JamesEdition. He was also the Education Manager at the Larz Anderson Auto Museum in Brookline, MA before becoming the Auction Editor at Hagerty Classic Car Insurance. He currently splits his time behind the wheel between his NA Miata, 1994 Corvette, and Triumph TR6.
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Garylr Should be like a go cart on staroids
GuruHRTNC I leased a 2019 Stinger GT after turning in my Optima a year early. I leased the car on 12/18/18. Within the first 30 days my rear defroster made a popping noise and shorted out. I took it back to the dealership and they supposedly fixed the issue. On May 14th on my way into work the car made the same noise. I called the dealership to have it looked at again. I got into my car after work, within a few minutes I could smell smoke and pulled over on the side of the highway. I opened the hatchback to see the rear defroster compartment melted away and then flames shot out of the hole. Within 4 minutes the car burned down to the frame. A formal investigation was completed with my insurance company, Kia, and the NHTSA. Kia accepted responsibility for the fire. They bought the car back from the insurance to hide a fatal flaw in the car. After weeks of failing to return numerous calls and emails to Kia attempting to understand what the next steps are, we finally received a call stating that they were willing to reimburse us for the contents in the car- WHICH THEY HAVE to do. After several more phone calls and emails, a supposed manager named Jeff C. contacted us (of course they have no email address, last name or phone number). After going back and forth he offered to refund us the $2000 we put down on the car only 5 months earlier stating it was the cost of ownership! After asking we found out that if we accepted, we would have signed off our rights to any future actions. The fire department told me the only thing that saved my life was that I can a full tank of gas so it did not blow cause of the lack of fumes. I was minutes away from picking my 6 year old daughter from school. The fire started right under where her booster seat was. Do not buy this car as it can easily kill you.
Brian I have a 2018 Stinger GT AWD V6...flawless none of what you state makes any sense..