KIA’s performance-leading Stinger has been refreshed and revised with a raft of new and enhanced safety and convenience features as it continues to win hearts and minds in the Australian market.
Since its global launch in 2017, the Stinger has carved out a solid niche in the high-performance rear-wheel drive sedan market, a segment many believed was on its final legs.
One of the most outstanding styling changes is the new rear LED combination taillight (across the range), with a distinctive light signature extending the full width of the car mimicking the subtle spoiler integrated into the boot lid.
There is also a playful touch with the turn signal now designed with 10 individual LED units on each side, and arranged in a grid pattern to represent the chequered flag used in motor sport.
New multifaceted reflector LED headlights with integrated daytime running lights will now be standard on the 200S and 330S. Appearing dark and sleek with the lights out, they spring to life with sharp slashes of light when illuminated.
The clever dynamic bending LED headlights will be retained on GT and GT-Line models. Inside, the most notable upgrade is the inclusion of the 10.25-inch touchscreen with inbuilt navigation and smartphone connectivity.
The dash-mounted screen allows users to control and monitor a range of vehicle functions simultaneously, and as part of the technology upgrade, the Stinger now features Bluetooth multi-connection allowing multiple smart phones to be paired at the same time.
The smart key remote engine start offers the opportunity to remotely start the car and have the climate conditions reach their optimum settings before entering the cabin.
For the 200S and 330S models, the 3.5-inch mono-TFT screen in the instrument cluster has been replaced by a more advanced 4.2-inch colour-TFT unit, with improved visual clarity and a wider range of information displayed.
For GT and GT-Line models the high-resolution 7.0-inch supervision cluster is retained, with the addition of blind spot view monitor (pioneered on the new Sorento).
On GT and GT-Line models, the smart power tailgate can now also be set to four pre-determined opening heights.
The interior ambience of the GT and GT-Line cars can be tuned by the choice of 64 colours in the mood lamp (ambient lighting), to subtly alter the character of the cabin.
The steering wheel also features a new metallic finish while the dashboard and doors are trimmed with a new stitch pattern design.
On the safety front the improvements are widespread and significant, building on the Stinger’s 5-star ANCAP safety rating awarded at launch in 2017. Updates include the addition of cyclist detection and junction assist as part of the AEB system.
Junction assist uses the front camera and radar to apply the brakes if danger is detected while turning across oncoming traffic. To further enhance the richness of the GT-Line and GT models, they will benefit from rear cross traffic collision-avoidance assist.
The top grade models will also get blind spot collision-avoidance assist, which uses the blind spot detection and electronic stability control to prevent collisions with cars in the adjacent lanes.
The blind spot view monitor is linked to the turn signal operation and displays a camera view of the blind spots in the 7.0-inch supervision cluster. Passenger safety is further enhanced in the GT and GT-Line models, with safe exit warning added.
The Lambda 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 retains its awesome 510Nm of torque across a huge rev range but the inclusion of a factory-developed bi-model exhaust system has found an additional 2kW of power, lifting the output to 274kW.
The turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder Theta II engine remains unchanged with 182kW and 353Nm. Both engines are paired with a smooth-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission, matching the car’s long-legged gran-turismo personality.
In line with the new bi-modal exhaust and increased power output, the GT and 330S models will feature noticeably larger quad exhaust tips, while the 200S and GT-Line models will carry over the current designs.
A pair of new alloy wheel designs further enhance the exterior look of the car with the thinner spokes of the 19-inch GT-Line and GT models styled to further highlight the high performance Brembo brake package, which is standard on the V6 range.
Pricing for the 2021 Kia Stinger range starts at $53,090 (drive away), through to $66,690 (drive away) for the GT variant. For further information, please contact your local Kia dealer.
