Kia Stinger teased ahead of Detroit | video
Kia has released the final teaser video for its upcoming rear-wheel-drive sports sedan, suspected to be dubbed the Stinger, with January 8 listed as the date for the full reveal of the South Korean brand's fastest-accelerating model to date.
Based on the GT Concept shown at the 2011 Frankfurt motor show, the Stinger takes its moniker from the small coupe concept released in 2014, and has been slowly teased in a number of small videos on its website, The Curve Ahead.
After being properly revealed at the Detroit motor show, the Stinger is expected to go on sale in Australia in the third quarter this year starting from around $40,000, and could potentially fill a very conspicuous hole in the four-door, rear-drive sports-sedan market being left by the soon-to-be-discontinued Holden Commodore SS.
While powertrains have not yet been confirmed, pundits are tipping that the 272kW/509Nm 3.3-litre bi-turbo V6 seen in the Hyundai Genesis G90 will be under the hood of the Stinger, which is corroborated by the latest The Curve Ahead video in which the word 'turbo' can be made out on top of the engine cover.
The Stinger can change the perception of Kia as a brand.
Other possibilities are an entry-level 202kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol four cylinder, and while unlikely for the Australian market, the 5.0-litre V8 also found in the Genesis G90.
In their current form, all powertrains mate to an eight-speed automatic, with no manual option.
In previous teaser instalments, Kia has shown the Stinger burning around Germany's Nurburgring, while whispers from Europe suggest that the bi-turbo V6 version can complete the zero to 100km/h sprint in just 5.1 seconds, and on to a top speed of 245km/h, which would give it the title of Kia's fastest production model yet.
Back in 2014, the GT concept on which the Stinger is based was one of the first sketches penned by Kia's now-design chief Peter Schreyer, who said the Stinger can change the perception of Kia as a brand.
"It will revolutionise the way people think about the brand and propel us upwards into a different era," he said.
"You cannot believe how excited I am about this car."
Glimpses of the teaser videos show LED headlights and daytime running lights, gills behind the front wheels, bonnet vents and a sleek four-door coupe body that would place it as an affordable alternative to European models such as the Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe and Mercedes-Benz CLS.
Comments