Kia Stinger 2.0 T-GDi GT-Line S

paul.acres@iliffemedia.co.uk

Published: 10:06, 08 August 2019 | Updated: 10:07, 08 August 2019

The Kia Stinger has proven to be a bit of a head-turner. It does seem to possess a little mystique, I think, because they are such a rare sight on our roads, but it is also a deliciously svelte and athletic design that is worthy of a second glance.

The first question that needs answering is, is it a saloon or a coupe? The answer is, a bit of both. So for the purposes of this review, I’m introducing a new, niche, category of car, and it’s called the ‘sloupe’.

The bonnet is long and the front overhang short. The extended wheelbase, at 2,905mm, ensures that cabin space is generous enough for four people. The rear overhang is long and the shoulders broad.

It remains unmistakeably a Kia. It wears the now familiar tiger-nose grille, albeit with a slightly revised look, between complex headlamp units. Another Kia trait. There are large air intakes at either extreme of the front bumper and on the long bonnet to aid cooling while the flanks wear bold creases that flow from the ducts just behind the front wheels to the rear arches where they blend into muscular rear haunches. Quad exhausts flank a bold rear diffuser to complete the notice of intent. And well served it is too.

There are some examples where cars’ cabins have failed to live up to the expectations created by the exterior design. Where ideas, or money, have run out and you find yourself sat in a passenger space that could have been – and probably has been – lifted straight out of another model in the manufacturer’s stable. That, I’m pleased to say, is not the case with the Stinger.

That isn’t to say that it’s not without its faults. It’s not as cohesive as, say, an Audi and there are some places, just a few, where material quality doesn’t quite match that of its more revered rivals nor, perhaps, expectations.

There are, however, some attractive touches: the swooping, wing-shaped fascia adds a welcome level of aesthetic interest.

It’s very well equipped, with heated and ventilated leather front seats – the two outer rear seats are also heated as is the steering wheel – LED headlights, reversing camera system, head-up display, powered bootlid, wireless charging pad for your mobile phone and dual zone air con.

Mounted on top of the dashboard is an eight-inch touchscreen. Below it is a trio of circular air vents and, below those, are the audio and air con controls. As well as TomTom sat nav it also has Android Auto Apple CarPlay smartphone connectivity.

It’s a competent system and responds well to touch inputs. Its position high on the dash means that, while you don’t have to lower your eyes from the road to look at it, it’s a bit of a stretch to reach.

The GT-Line S is fitted with a 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system that includes an under-seat subwoofer. It also comes with some clever processing that restores sound lost when files are compressed as well redistributing signals from the original recording to deliver multi-dimensional playback.

The seating position is very low, which emphasises the sporty feel. There’s plenty of adjustment in seat and steering wheel so finding a decent driving position is straightforward. Visibility, particularly around the rear thanks to the small windows and sloping roofline, isn’t exceptional.

The extended wheelbase pays dividends in the cabin, with excellent legroom for passengers in the front and back and, because the roof doesn’t begin its downward trajectory until its well behind rear passengers’ heads even taller passengers won’t feel the pinch.

There are three flavours of Stinger to choose from. A 197bhp 2.2-litre diesel, a 244bhp 2.0-litre turbocharged petrol engine, the subject of this review, the range-topping 365bhp GT S with a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 under the bonnet.

There is 353Nm of torque available from just 1,400rpm and the GT-Line S picks up its pace eagerly from low down in the rev range. Power delivery is linear too, so there are no surprises as you accelerate, apart from just how quickly you arrive at the speed limit.

Having driven the range-topping GTS I always felt that the Stinger would prove much more amenable with a little less grunt and so it proved. The GT-Line’s power feels much more accessible, and its limits much more approachable.

It feels athletic and nimble, but the reduction in torque means you can be a little more relaxed about putting the power down, that you worry less about the back end breaking loose and throwing you into a tree somewhere. Remember, though, that I’m speaking here as someone whose enthusiasm for driving far outstrips my actual skills.

There’s plenty of grip at the front and, while the steering is light in normal driving modes, you can add some heft, and improve engine and throttle response, by switching into Sport or Sport +. Unfortunately, what you don’t get is a great deal of feedback through the steering wheel, leaving you second-guessing what’s going on beneath those front tyres on occasion.

There might be just the four cylinders beneath the bonnet but when you’re pressing on the exhaust note is satisfyingly sporty helped, of course, by those four fat exhaust pipes poking out from beneath the rear bumper.

Settle down to a cruise on a motorway, though, and refinement, despite a degree of tyre roar on some surfaces aside, proves excellent. It is commendably quiet in the cabin, even at higher speeds.

The eight speed semi-automatic transmission swaps ratios smoothly in Comfort mode but you sacrifice some of the refinement switching to Sport mode, or using the manual paddle-shifters behind the steering wheel. On motorways at cruising speed, however, the Stinger is effortless and the need to change gear to overtake slower vehicles is unlikely to ever arise.

Kia have professed to have grand ambitions for the Stinger. There’s little doubt that it looks the part both outside and in and goes like it looks. Dynamically and materially there are some shortcomings but it must be remembered that the Stinger’s price, right across the range, is considerably less than its rivals and those savings have to made somewhere.

The truth is that it manages to push its rivals very, very close and, if you’re not overly concerned with the badge that adorns the front of your car, then the Stinger is very much worthy of your consideration. While the range-topping GTS is a brilliant car, the burden of carrying around 365bhp can overwhelm it a little. If you’re serious about a Stinger – and why wouldn’t you be – save yourself a few grand up-front, and a bit more in the long-term, and pick up a GT-Line S. You know it makes sense.