The new Kia Stinger performance sedan headed to America will offer a new engine option, updated looks, and new tech.
Kia in Korea said the new Stinger would go on sale there sometime this fall, and that the updated Stinger would arrive in the U.S. by the end of the year. Kia has already detailed the 2021 Stinger in the U.S., which doesn’t receive the new looks nor the new engine, and it’s unclear if the updated version will be sold as a 2022 model.
The Stinger competes with luxury-leaning performance sedans such as the 2020 Genesis G70 and, ambitiously, the 2020 BMW 3-Series. The new Stinger will sport a fresher face with more LED lights than before and taillights with more LEDs than the current version.
Inside, Kia updated the Stinger’s materials and added a new available 10.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment, while an 8.0-inch version replaces the standard outgoing 7.0-inch version. Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility may be in the cards for both touchscreens, although Kia’s current offerings prohibit wireless compatibility on the larger screen.
A 7.0-inch driver instrument cluster is available as well, which can display video of the driver’s blind spots on the right and left side when a turn signal is engaged. Active lane control and adaptive cruise control are newly available and will complement active lane control and automatic emergency braking.
The most significant mechanical change will be an available 2.5-liter turbo-4 that wedges between the 2.0-liter turbo-4 and 3.3-liter turbo-6. Kia says the 2.5-liter turbo-4 will offer 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque. The 2.0-liter turbo-4 still makes 255 hp and the 3.3-liter turbo-6 makes 367 hp, although Kia said it has revised the exhaust on the latter for a more sonorous note and a small bump in power, compared to the 2020 version.
All engines are paired to an 8-speed automatic and rear- or all-wheel drive. For 2020, Kia offered a heavily revised, sport-leaning all-wheel-drive system on the Stinger GTS that included a mechanical rear limited-slip differential that was sold in very limited numbers, but it’s unclear if that will reappear.
