April 25, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR]  Kia Motors, South Korea’s second-largest automaker, is planning to introduce its Stinger sports sedan in April, according to the automaker on March 23.

The fastback Stinger will hit the market in April, after its Asia debut at the upcoming Seoul Motor Show that kicks off on March 30, a Kia Motors official told The Investor.

The Stinger, which shares the rear-wheel drive platform and powertrain with Genesis G70, is Kia’s latest ambition to compete with BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz’ sport sedans. The coupe-like-sedan earned rave reviews from foreign media when it was first released at this year’s Detroit Auto Show for its high performance accompanied with dramatic design change.

The sports sedan is headed by Hyundai and Kia’s performance chief Albert Biermann, a former BMW M Division vice president, who is also working on Hyundai’s upcoming i30 N hot hatch. The sleek and muscular design is overseen by Peter Schreyer, president and chief design officer of the automaker, highlighted with Kia’s signature tiger-nose grille. 

Earlier, there was speculation that Stinger will remove the Kia emblem and use only the Stinger mark, as the automaker is trying to differentiate the car from the more economic Kia brand.

But according to a Kia official, the automaker hasn’t decided whether it will drop the Kia logo.

The car will be released in Korea first and then introduced in different countries, including the US, China and Europe.

Kia said it plans to sell 52,000 units of Stinger this year, at an IR event for foreign investors earlier this month.

The Stinger comes in two gasoline engine types, including a 2.0 turbocharged four-cylinder engine delivering 255 horsepower and maximum torque of 36 kilogram-force meter, while the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 delivers 370 horsepower and 52 kilogram-force meter, which can accelerate up to 100 kilometers in 5.1 seconds, the fastest among Kia models.

The Stinger is expected to be priced between US$35,000 to US$40,000 according to industry watchers, lower than K9, which sits atop the current Kia lineup.

By Ahn Sung-mi (sahn@heraldcorp.com)