The Kia Stinger Receives Crucial Updates, But Is It Enough?

The Kia Stinger marked a pivotal point for the Korean carmaker when it decided to punch above its weight and take on German powerhouses. Squarely aimed at the BMW 3 Series, the Stinger provided significantly better value for money than its German contemporary, wrapped in a more practical and spacious body.

Yet, it was the brand image that held the Stinger back from putting the sting where it hurts. Kia now hopes that its mid-life facelift can make the Stinger more potent by updating its latest technologies and safety features.

Of course, it is not a facelift without nips and tucks. While the front fascia remains identical to the pre-facelift Stinger, the rear features a redesigned taillight cluster that now stretches across the car’s width. This, together with the integrated boot lip spoiler, gives the Stinger a wider, lower and sportier stance. After all, given the Stinger’s performance, that’s the view most people are likely to see.

Kia hasn’t messed around with the Stinger’s powertrain, and that’s no bad thing. Base ‘GT’ models get the choice two four-cylinder turbocharged direct-injection engines; the older 2.0-litre Theta II with 252hp and 353Nm of torque, or the newer 2.5-litre Smartstream with 300hp and 422Nm of torque.

While these are decent performing engines, what you really want is the range-topping ‘GT S’ variant. The top-range engine pumps out 368hp and 510Nm of torque from a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6, giving the Stinger GT S a 0-100kph time of just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 270kph. All variants of the Stinger come with an eight-speed automatic gearbox, sending power to the rear wheels. All-wheel drive is available as an option but in selected regions only.

Kia has focused a lot on updating the Stinger’s interior. The onboard technology is one of the only weak points on its predecessor. The Stinger now comes with a 10.25-inch central touchscreen as its main infotainment display, equipped as standard with wireless Bluetooth, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Featuring an advanced split-screen function and an intuitive voice control system, the Stinger’s infotainment is backed up by a class-leading 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system. The instrument cluster features an all-new seven-inch digital instrument cluster, fitted with a customisable heads-up display that shows alerts from the car’s numerous driver assistance technologies, vehicle speed, and turn-by-turn navigation instructions.

Added convenience features in the Stinger include a remote start function using the Smart Key, and a 360-degree surround-view camera system. Together with the front and rear parking sensors, the system gives a birds-eye view for ease of manoeuvring in tight spaces.

Safety has seen a significant improvement in the latest update. The existing Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS) is upgraded to incorporate the latest cutting-edge safety technology. A new Blind-Spot View Monitor eliminates drivers blind spots by using the door-mounted camera’s to project the video feed of the indicated lane onto the instrument cluster. The navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC) helps drivers to navigate long highway drives, complemented by Lane Following Assist (LFA), Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) and Highway Driving Assist (HDA). These systems work hand-in-hand to automatically steer the vehicle to keep it in its lane while maintaining a set distance from the car in front on the highway.

The Stingers safety systems are further enhanced with a full suite of active and passive collision prevention systems. Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) and Rear Cross-Traffic-Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) are now offered, providing active monitoring and autonomous braking when the situation calls for. Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) enhances the existing Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW) by actively applying differential braking to prevent collisions.

Although the Stinger is a competent vehicle, consumers have yet to appreciate this sports sedan’s full magnificence, especially in GT S trim. Sales figures have been in continuous decline since its introduction, especially in the crucial North American market. However, like any good K-Drama, the Stinger’s biggest threat comes from within its own family. The Kia Stinger is coming dangerously close to upsetting its upmarket, corporate sibling, the Genesis G70.

Sharing the same platform as the Stinger, while showcasing more features and better technology, the G70 comes wrapped in luxury topped with premium branding. Arguably, the G70 represent the Koreans best chance at taking a chunk of the sports sedan market away from the all-conquering Germans, rendering the Stinger theoretically obsolete. While the latest update has revitalised the Stinger for the next few years, only time will tell if the Stinger will have a successor, or if it will go down as a brilliant one-hit-wonder.