- Doors and Seats
5 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
3.3TT, 6 cyl.
- Engine Power
272kW, 510Nm
- Fuel
Petrol (91) 10.2L/100KM
- Manufacturer
RWD
- Transmission
Auto
- Warranty
7 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2017)
2018 Kia Stinger GT (Black Leather) review
This is a car that is just plain fun to drive. It’s wonderful on corners and acceleration is never an issue – there is just zero lag off the mark.
- Acceleration
- Handling
- Looks
- Comfort
- Exhaust's lack of sound
If, like me, you like the note from your exhaust to actually make a decent sound, instead of the whisper-quiet factory version, then pay the extra and get the mod done by the dealer – totally worth every cent.
The warranty offered is the best on the market, but I was slightly disappointed that I was not able to get aftermarket rims put on. I asked the salesperson, who informed me that this would void my warranty.
The internal technology takes a bit to figure out, but you eventually get there. And the owner's manual is very, very thick, but after a while and some messing around, you figure it out. The one example was the red light and speed camera warning announcements. Even after asking the service centre to turn them off, they couldn’t do it. Then after six months of ownership, last week by mere chance I realised that if you mute the navigation, then you also mute the warnings. That’s a very minor complaint, but worth noting. I’d bet there are other Kia Stinger owners who don’t know this.
People also complain about getting in and out of the car. I’m a big bloke and I admit it’s like climbing into a race car, but hell that's half the fun. It is fairly low, and you do notice it when wearing a suit and in the rain, but again it’s worth the pain.
I drive 600km a week, mostly on the highway, and fuel economy is good sitting on 120km/h and around 8.3L/100km around town. It’s not great, but I blame myself for this. It's just so much fun to squeeze the right foot into the ground. The tank could be a little bigger, but I assume this was done for weight savings.
The attention to detail is definitely not like a typical Kia – it’s just amazing. The finish is equally as good as any Euro import and moulds my old V8 Calais.
Bottom line: if it were stolen today, I’d buy a new one tomorrow and pray there was stock of the dark blue. They are easily spotted on the road and the dark blue is pretty scarce.
It's just a wonderful car to drive that genuinely turns heads wherever you are. I delight in telling people it’s a Kia. I de-badged the rear and installed the Stinger badge that uses the Maserati font. I have also changed the wheel badges and the bonnet badge. It would have been good if the dealer offered this service. I bought all the badges online from the Korean store. No issue or real hassle, but it would have been good to have this as an option.
This is a cracker car and a genuine replacement for the old V8 rear-wheel-drive Aussie cars. Final comment: I struggle to keep my wife out of it.
NOTE: With no photo supplied, we have used an official press photo for this story.