Kia Stinger ready to rumble from RM240K

By JAY WONG | 10 July 2018


KUALA LUMPUR: The arrival of the Kia Stinger marks Naza Kia Malaysia's (the official distributor of the Korean car brand) entry into the sport sedan segment.

Two rear-wheel driven variants are being offered, starting with the entry-level GT-Line that's priced on-the-road without insurance at RM239,888 and is followed by the range-topping V6 GT variant that's similarly riced at RM309,888.

Kia Stinger 3.3 V6 GT - 03
Both variants are offered in four colour choices of Hi Chroma Red, Deep Chroma Blue, Panthera Metal and Aurora Black Pearl.

“The Kia Stinger is the culmination of years of passion and commitment fuelled by the brand’s bold and adventurous spirit to amalgamate nimble performance and unyielding style," said Naza Corporation Holdings group CEO (Automotive Group) Datuk Samson Anand George.

At around 1,700kg (kerb), the GT Line uses a 2.0-litre turbocharged Theta II T-GDi engine producing 251hp at 6,200rpm and 353Nm of torque from 1,400 to 4,000rpm - helping it sprint from 0 to 100kph in 6.0 seconds.



Although weighing at roughly 100kg more at 1,800kg (kerb), the more potent 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 Lambda T-GDi engine produces 365hp at 6,000rpm and 510Nm from 1,300 – 4,500rpm to dispatch the century sprint in just 4.9 seconds.

As standard, an eight-speed second-generation Kia automatic gearbox with shift-by-wire technology and equipped with paddle shifters have been fitted to manage power delivery to the rear wheels.

The transmission (with five driving modes of Smart, Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+) also features the Korean carmaker's first use of a Centrifugal Pendulum Absorber (CPA) torque converter for the 2.0-litre variant.

This helps to reduce torsional vibrations through the drivetrain - a technology more typically found in aviation and racing-engine applications.

Kia Stinger 3.3 V6 GT - 07
Externally, the Stinger has a 2,905mm wheelbase, while measuring in at 4,830mm-long, 1,870mm-wide and 1,400mm-tall.

The signature ‘tiger-nose’ grille at the front is flanked by LED headlamps, while ‘gills’ have been placed just aft of the front wheel arches to help reduce wake turbulence as air passes over the car’s flanks.

At the rear, the boot is able to hold up to 406-litres of cargo and is capable of accommodating a full-sized luggage or golf bag.

The car has been further equipped with an electronically-controlled suspension system that is made up of a front MacPherson setup with large diameter shock absorbers, high-strength wheel bearings and an aluminium strut brace.

The reinforced five-link rear suspension is mounted to a stiffened rear subframe for greater durability.

Stopping power comes from the quad-piston (front) and dual-piston (rear) calipers that bite down on the 345mm (front) and 330mm (rear) disc brakes - partially hidden by the 18-inch alloys wearing 225/45 series tyres.

Kia Stinger 3.3 V6 GT - 09
The more potent GT gets larger Brembo 350mm (front) and 340mm (rear) disc brakes instead, with grip coming from a set of 19-inch wheels fitted with 225/40 (front) and 255/35 (rear) Continental ContiSportContact 5 tyres.

Inside, LED lights slowly illuminate the blacked-out (red package for GT) cabin that reveals the leather-upholstered seats (Napa leather for GT), colour heads-up display, eight-way powered driver's seat with four-way mechanical lumbar support, flat-bottom multifunction leather-wrapped steering wheel and paddle shifters.

Also included is an 8.0-inch floating touchscreen at the centre of the dashboard that provides access to the 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system as well as navigation, Bluetooth connectivity, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, reverse camera and 360-degree camera system



A 7.0-inch TFT LCD landscape cluster display sits between the gauge displays and shows performance data that includes G-forces, lap times and engine-oil temperature (GT variant only) as well as trip computer, driver settings, navigation and diagnostics.

For safety, both Stinger variants have been equipped extensively and includes seven airbags, anti-lock braking system, traction control, cornering brake control, vehicle dynamic control dynamic torque vectoring control hill-start assist, blind-spot collision warning and rear cross-traffic collision warning.

“Driven by Kia’s motto ‘The Power to Surprise’, the Kia Stinger ushers in a new era of innovation for the Korean brand while preserving its DNA to deliver the best performance, comfort and features. With that, we believe the Kia Stinger will elevate the brand’s identity and will be a revolutionary benchmark for the future of Kia vehicles,” added Samson.

Kia Stinger 2.0 GT-Line - 14



 


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