… Kia Stinger 2.0 T-GDi ‘GT Line S’ …
This is a surprising car. Surprising in many different ways, and not just the name. Looks, equipment, comfort and price, not to mention that it comes from a company more renowned for compact and city cars, family saloons and SUVs. If someone is looking for a prestige, executive, automotive conveyance then this has to be a serious contender. So buck the fashion trend and aspirational grille badges and give the Stinger a look on merit, then take it for a test drive.
The only drawback for the budding entrepreneur who wants to be taken seriously is the name. I wouldn’t trust a banker who drove a Stinger, would you? Still, a trip to Halfords to buy a ‘GB’ sticker would do the job.
That apart, the car looks quite sensational for a company that prides itself on common sense and practicality. It has a sort of deep, high-waisted Bavarian influence to the flanks and silhouette which might not be a bad thing if Kia wants to attract attention from the serious car buying public.
It’s just as good looking inside, offering up a comfortable driving position from its leather heated and air-ventilated electric seats with memory and adjustable lumbar support. The rear seat passengers aren’t neglected either, the two outer seats are heated as well.
The multi-function leather rimmed steering wheel is infinitely adjustable and matches up nicely to the leather finished dashboard. In fact, it would be a good wheeze to cover up the badge on the steering wheel centre and challenge someone to identify the car from the inside.
The spec is pretty comprehensive offering up everything you would expect in a car at this price and possibly a little bit more. The 8 inch touchscreen opens up the driver to a bewildering array of accessories and options. The 15 speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system is hooked up to a DAB radio which naturally has MP3, Bluetooth, Apple and Android connectivity and is linked to a 360 degree ‘around view monitor’ with front and rear parking sensors and rear camera. There’s even a Head-Up display to keep the driver informed.
Even with a turbocharger, the 2 litre four pot needs a bit of encouragement to get off its mark. There isn’t much in the way of torque low down the rev range but the 8 speed automatic gearbox makes the most of what it s got. It can be a bit slow to react at times but on the whole it’s as good an auto ‘box as you’d find elsewhere in Europe.
Suspension in the ‘Comfort’ setting is more than adequate but it gets a bit firm and jittery in ‘Sports’ setting. The steering sharpens up too in ‘Sports’ mode but not necessarily in a good way, although the car does actually handle rather well. So much so, that the driver can be tempted to go a bit harder just for the sheer joy of it. With so much weight behind the engine pushing the 1800 kg car along, the front end tends to understeer but just lift off and it will bring it back into line.
The whole driveline actually makes the car enjoyable to drive and with 244 bhp on tap it’s quick enough to be interesting and entertaining. The brakes do a decent job of slowing the whole thing down when necessary, but there is a downside to this much fun. Fuel consumption at best averaged around 36 mpg but can drop below 30 when impetuosity overtakes common sense.
There’s a lot to like in this large, roomy, comfortable and decently quick car, and there would have to be, as it’s not cheap. Pitched against its BMW, Jag and Audi rivals, the Stinger will have to stand on its own two feet, or four wheels!, and meet its competition head on, which it does rather successfully. And not just in terms of driveability and enjoyment, but in high equipment levels. Few of its rivals can better it in terms of kit and price.
With a voluminous boot under its large powered tailgate, this could be classed as an ‘old school grand tourer’. Perfectly happy taking the weans to school or on a camping trip to the south of France.
I for one could live quite happily with this. And how many other exec saloons offer a 7 year warranty?