Kia Stinger
2020 - 3.3 Gran Turismo Gt S T-GDi V6 5DR Hatch Petrol
Kia Stinger
2019 (19) - 2.0 T-GDi GT-Line S Gran Turismo Auto Euro 6 (s/s) 5dr
Kia Stinger
2019 - 2.2 CRDi GT-Line 5dr Auto
The Kia Stinger is a distinctive, attractive car with a sporty look that really stands out from the crowd. It looks like a saloon but it’s actually a five-door hatchback. The interior looks great and has a premium feel. Cars built from 2021 have subtly tweaked styling, including a new rear light design.
The Stinger is a lot of fun to drive, with responsive steering and a great feeling of balance through corners. It’s comfortable and undemanding too, with light steering and a smooth automatic gearbox. Three engines are available: a 2.2-litre diesel and 2.0- or 3.3-litre petrols. The diesel and smaller petrol engine give rapid acceleration up to motorway speeds, while the 3.3-litre model is seriously fast. From 2021, only the 3.3 is available as new. The Stinger’s great for long journeys – it feels rock-solid and the interior’s quiet and comfortable. The view behind isn’t great, so manoeuvring can be tricky, but all models have parking sensors and cameras that help.
The Stinger is a large, five-door hatchback with five seats and is about the same size as the Alfa Romeo Giulia or Audi A5 Sportback. The interior looks great and feels luxurious, though some buttons do feel a bit basic. Still, there’s lots of standard equipment including sat nav, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, heated leather seats, cruise control, head-up display and much more. The 2021 updates include a bigger dashboard display screen. There’s loads of space in the front seats, but the sloping roof means that your taller back-seat passengers might find headroom a bit tight. Small children might have difficulty seeing through the high back windows, too. The boot holds four medium suitcases and the back seats fold down for more space.
According to official figures, the diesel Stinger gives average fuel economy of 50mpg, the 2.0 petrol model gives 35mpg and the 3.3 model gives 28mpg. Those numbers are good but some rivals with similar engines are more economical. Tax costs for the latest 2021 are on the high side but are much lower for older cars. Safety organisation Euro NCAP gave the Stinger a five-star rating.
The Stinger’s main rivals are the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. They’re smaller than the Stinger and available with a wider choice of engines, but the Kia has a really distinctive look and is much better equipped. You can’t ignore the sheer speed of the 3.3-litre model, either.
The Stinger is a fast and fun hatchback with distinctive styling and a huge amount of standard equipment that makes it really good value.
Kias are well made and reliable in general, and the Stinger is no different.
All Stinger models give good fuel economy for a car of their size and power, but some rivals are more economical. Tax costs for the latest model are on the high side, but much lower for earlier cars.
The Stinger’s sloping roof means its back seat headroom is tight for tall people, and small children may struggle to see out of the high windows. But the boot is a decent size for this type of car.
The Stinger is bigger, yet not quite as practical as the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Audi A5 Sportback or BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. But the Kia is much better value and the 3.3-litre is fast.
