Kia may have bestowed the title of flagship on the electric EV6, but the Stinger GT proves there is still life left in the large, powerful sports sedan format.
2022 Kia Stinger GT
You could almost hear the collective gasps when Kia executives said at the launch of the Kia EV6 that the Stinger had passed the baton of ‘flagship model’ to the all-electric ‘SUV’.
And sure, a flagship model can be the most expensive model in the range. Or the most technologically advanced. Or a model that brings the future just that little bit closer. The EV6 ticks those boxes on all counts.
But, a flagship model should also represent a quality that is almost undefinable; a tacit understanding that the car is something special, heroic even. By that undefinable measure, the 2022 Kia Stinger GT trumps the EV6 hands down.
It’s a simple recipe, the Stinger GT’s, a large sedan format with a powerful turbocharged six-cylinder engine transmitting a lot of kilowatts and Newton metres to the rear wheels. Wrap it in a purposeful body that oozes presence and casts an imposing figure on the road, and you have all the hallmarks of a ‘hero’ car, a flagship.
The Kia Stinger is starting to show its age, but that hasn’t stopped the Korean carmaker from keeping it fresh in the face of a trend that sees cars like the Stinger – large family sedans – relegated to contemporary curio status.
The most recent update came for the 2021 model year. It brought a bigger infotainment screen (10.25 inches) and a small power boost to the tune of 2kW – thanks to a new variable sports exhaust – while external tweaks to the rear diffuser encased a new quad-tips.
How much does the Kia Stinger GT cost in Australia?
The biggest change comes in the bank account, the 2022 Kia Stinger GT currently asking for $69,890 drive-away. The last time we tested a Stinger GT was back when Kia released the updated MY21 model, priced then at $66,690 drive-away.
The standard equipment list matches the meatiness of the 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 under the bonnet, with 19-inch alloys, a powered tailgate, nappa leather seats, adaptive LED headlights, 64-colour ambient LED cabin lighting, a 7.0-inch digital driver display alongside traditional analogue dials, suede headlining and a limited-slip rear differential.
That’s on top of the usual accoutrements found in modern cars – Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring, Bluetooth connectivity, satellite navigation, dual-zone climate control, DAB+ radio, rain-sensing wipers, and a swag of safety technologies commensurate with today’s automotive landscape. More on that later.
A scan of the Stinger’s rivals tells the tale of today’s new car market where medium SUVs and dual-cab utes roam the roads like apex predators while traditional passenger cars – and mainly sedans – face extinction.
The Skoda Superb and Genesis G80 come closest to matching the Stinger on price, and even then the Genesis’s $93,737 drive-away price is around $23K more than the Stinger’s. And for that money, the Genesis can only muster 224kW from its turbo four-cylinder. To get six cylinders and similar power and torque outputs from the Genesis, you need to spend $110,000 drive-away.
The Skoda Superb is a closer match to the Stinger, but only on price, starting at $56,990 drive-away for the front-wheel-drive Style variant and topping out at $68,990 for the all-wheel-drive Sportline model.
But, its 2.0-litre turbo four makes 206kW and 350Nm, and is not in the same ballpark as the Stinger’s meaty 274kW and 510Nm.
And that leaves the Stinger in rarefied territory waving the lone flag for affordable sports sedans; a field once populated with any number of models from any number of makers.
So, is it a last hurrah for not only the Kia Stinger GT, but also the idea that a sedan can be at once large, comfortable and playfully powerful? Time will tell, but for now we can enjoy the fruits of Kia’s steadfast obstinateness in the face of convention.
| Key details | 2022 Kia Stinger GT |
| Price | $64,960 plus on-road costs |
| Colour of test car | Silky Silver |
| Options | None |
| Price as tested | $64,960 plus on-road costs |
| Drive-away price | $69,890 (Sydney) |
| Rivals | Skoda Superb | Genesis G80 |
How much space does the Kia Stinger GT have inside?
The Stinger GT has always exuded more premiumness than it really ought to. Slide inside the GT and you’re greeted by swathes of soft and supple nappa leather, black in the case of our test car with a subtle grey contrast stitch. There’s also red nappa available as a no-cost option.
Premium materials abound, with plenty of softer surfaces greeting prodding fingers.
The 10.25-inch touchscreen sprouts elegantly from the dash; a dash dominated by three, large circular air vents that dominate the space. I’m not a fan (ha!) but they do lend a certain vibe to the interior that will appeal to some.
Take a moment in the electrically adjustable seats (they’re heated and cooled too) and you’ll notice how everything is large inside the Stinger GT. From the wide centre console to the chunky gear selector, those imposing air vents, and even the climate-control dials and switches, everything feels big and imposing. Make no mistake, this is a large car, and it feels it.
Storage is plentiful, too, with a pair of cupholders up front, large door pockets helpfully lined in felt to stop those annoying rattles, a large central bin with a lift-out tray, and a smartphone-sized cubby with wireless phone-charging capabilities fore of the gear lever.
The second row is spacious in almost every measure, with only toe room feeling a little snug. But in terms of leg, knee and head room, the Stinger GT feels like the large car it is from row two.
But thanks to the GT’s rear-wheel-drive platform, a large drivetrain tunnel eats into the comfort of the middle seat.
There are air vents back there, although no separate climate controls, while a flip-down armrest reveals a pair of cupholders. ISOFIX child seating mounts can be found on the outboard seats.
A powered tailgate reveals a big boot measuring in at 406L with the second row in play, and expanding to 1114L with row two folded away in 40:60 split fashion. A temporary spare lives under the boot floor.
The overall feeling of the Stinger’s GT interior is one of money well spent. From the use of materials to the way everything feels nicely screwed together – solid – the Stinger’s cabin is worthy of the brand’s flagship status, even as it seeks to install the electric EV6 to that lofty perch.
| 2022 Kia Stinger GT | |
| Seats | Five |
| Boot volume | 406L seats up 1114L seats folded |
| Length | 4830mm |
| Width | 1870mm |
| Height | 1400mm |
| Wheelbase | 2905mm |
Does the Kia Stinger GT have Apple CarPlay?
A 10.25-inch touchscreen anchors the Stinger GT’s infotainment system. It hosts wired Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone mirroring as well as native satellite navigation, digital radio alongside the incumbent AM/FM bands, and a 15-speaker Harman Kardon premium sound system.
It’s a sharp system, responsive to inputs while CarPlay is quick to fire up. A series of shortcut buttons, housed in the dash below those circular air vents, make easy work of navigating your way through the menu structure.
The native satellite navigation divides its information in a split-screen format that can be a little distracting. Use Google Maps via your smartphone is our tip.
A lone USB port up front is augmented by a wireless charging pad and a 12V plug. Second-row occupants score another USB point and another 12V plug, which help to keep those devices juiced up.
Cute features that you probably don’t need but are fun to play around with are a quiet mode, which limits sound from the speakers to the fronts only, and at a maximum volume of seven – handy for those with sleeping babies in the back, maybe.
Voice memos can record your thought bubbles on the fly, while buried deep inside the menu structure is the Sounds of Nature feature that plays the sounds of running water, birdsong and general forest ambience into the cabin. It’s surprisingly nice and relaxing.
A 7.0-inch colour driver’s display nestled between analogue dials offers a wealth of data – from trip meters to a digital speed readout, fuel consumption and tyre pressures, while a head-up display projects critical driving info onto the windscreen. You’re not left wanting for information in the Kia Stinger GT.
Is the Kia Stinger GT a safe car?
Australia’s safety body, ANCAP, awarded the entire Kia Stinger range, including the GT we have here, a five-star safety rating back in 2017.
It scored an impressive 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 81 per cent for child occupant, 78 per cent pedestrian, and 70 per cent for its safety assist systems.
A suite of seven airbags cover both rows of occupants.
| 2022 Kia Stinger GT | |
| ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2017) |
| Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Kia Stinger GT have?
Those systems in the Stinger GT include rear cross-traffic alert, driver attention monitoring, autonomous emergency braking with cyclist and pedestrian detection, lane keeping and lane-following assist, blind-spot monitoring and blind-spot avoidance assist.
The blind-spot monitoring is particularly helpful and projects an image – and a crisp one at that – from a rear-facing camera into the driver’s display so you can see what’s lurking behind you.
Another 360-degree-view camera projects good all ’round vision into the infotainment screen, while front and rear parking sensors help get the Stinger into tight parking spots.
Our week with the GT – thankfully – didn’t invoke any of the safety systems bar the omnipresent lane-keeping assist, which we found a touch trigger-happy, the safety nanny all too eager to nudge the steering gently to keep the big GT between the lines, despite lane creep not evident. It became annoying to the point where I switched it off.
Other annoyances include the traffic alerts, such as “speed and red light camera approaching” warnings.
Yes, they can be helpful, but each alert occurs in three stages – the initial spoken warning, followed by an audible tone as you approach the camera, and then another audible tone as you pass the offending traffic spy. All while muting the sound to whatever audio is playing through the excellent Harman Kardon sound system.
You can elect to switch these alerts off, but they are buried deep inside the Kia’s menu structure, making them difficult to find. Worse still, the alert resets to its default ‘On’ position every time you start the car, meaning you have to go through the menu, sub-menu, sub-sub-menu, we-lost-count rigmarole every single time you get in the car.
Just once we’d love a carmaker to recognise that if a driver elects to disable a certain function, it’s because that feature is not wanted. Opt-in is the go, not opt-out. Every. Single. Time. #EndRant
How much does the Kia Stinger GT cost to maintain?
Kia owners enjoy one of the best warranty experiences in the Australian car market, with seven-year/unlimited-kilometre surety.
Service intervals are a standard 12 months or a short 10,000km, whichever occurs first. Intervals spaced at 10,000km aren’t exactly class-leading, and with the average Aussie travelling around 15,000km per annum, that means you’ll be visiting your Kia dealership every eight months or so.
Kia does offer capped-price servicing for the Stinger GT. The first three years will set you back a total of $1374. Reasonable. But those maintenance costs start to blow out from there. Five years is priced at $2560, while hanging on to the Stinger GT for the full warranty period will see that balloon to $4243, the last two trips to the workshop priced at $731 and $952. Ouch!
Comprehensive insurance runs to $1411.71 per annum on a comparative quote from a leading provider and based on a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
| At a glance | 2022 Kia Stinger GT |
| Warranty | Seven years, unlimited km |
| Service intervals | 12 months or 10,000km |
| Servicing costs | $1374 (3 years) $2560 (5 years) $4243 (7 years) |
Is the Kia Stinger GT fuel-efficient?
Kia says the big V6-powered Stinger GT will use 10.2L/100km of 91-octane regular unleaded on the combined cycle.
Our week with the Stinger saw an indicated 11.5L/100km. We covered around 500km in a variety of conditions – peak-hour traffic, weekend around-town driving, highway running, and even some more adventurous stints on some nice back roads. The very definition of ‘combined cycle’ then.
The fuel tank measures in at 60L.
Fuel Consumption – brought to you by bp
| Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
| Fuel cons. (claimed) | 10.2L/100km |
| Fuel cons. (on test) | 11.5L/100km |
| Fuel type | 91-octane regular unleaded |
| Fuel tank size | 60L |
What is the Kia Stinger GT like to drive?
Often, when cars have been bestowed with the ‘GT’ moniker, they turn out to be anything but a ‘grand tourer’. That’s not the case with the Stinger GT, which embraces its badge and delivers on the promise those two letters bring.
There’s something delicious about a powerful six-cylinder sending all of its prodigious outputs to the rear wheels. It’s a proven formula, with many a six from days gone by still revered today.
It’s a formula the Stinger GT has nailed.
Under the bonnet, Kia’s 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 pumps out a healthy 274kW at 6000rpm and a deliciously usable 510Nm from 1300–4500rpm. That’s a nice fat torque curve, and nicer still for all those Newton metres being available at just 1300rpm, barely above idle.
What does that mean in real terms? A sub-five-second sprint time to 100km/h from standstill, for starters. Kia says when hooked up, the Stinger GT will dispatch the benchmark 0–100km/h dash in 4.9 seconds. That’s prodigiously quick, more so for a rear-wheel-drive family sedan.
A slick eight-speed conventional torque converter automatic sends those outputs to the rear wheels and it’s a refined piece of engineering. Smooth, intuitive and, when the situation demands, eager to let the V6 growl its way through the revs, the automatic in the Stinger GT does everything you need it to without any fuss, hesitation or jerkiness.
The big sedan is as happy around town in commuter traffic as it is out on the highway gobbling up long kilometres.
The ride remains commendably composed, even over what we could call scrappy road surfaces liberally sprinkled throughout Sydney’s network. There’s little to unsettle the hefty 1831kg (kerb) sedan, with minor road rash and speed bumps dealt with alacrity.
Find a nice stretch of open road, where the curves beguile and a twisting ribbon of tarmac tempts with its apexes, and the big sedan responds in a purposeful manner that belies its heft. The limited-slip diff plays its part here, keeping the Stinger GT tight around bends, making it feel like a more agile and nimbler car than it really ought to.
It does begin to feel its weight around some tighter bends, but not enough to cause understeering concern. The steering itself feels nicely weighted, responding well to inputs that telegraph your intention to the front wheels in a precise manner. It’s not exactly a car you can hustle like, say, a hot hatch, but the Stinger GT does surprise with its composure and steadiness.
But, as expected of a car like this, its happiest hunting ground is on the freeway calmly cruising at 110km/h while barely raising a sweat. That results in a relaxed time behind the wheel, where the Stinger feels like it’s barely working at all, such is its under-stressed nature on long runs. It is, in almost every respect, a grand tourer.
| Key details | 2022 Kia Stinger GT |
| Engine | 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol |
| Power | 274kW @ 6000rpm |
| Torque | 510Nm @ 1300–4500rpm |
| Drive type | Rear-wheel drive |
| Transmission | Eight-speed torque converter automatic |
| Power to weight ratio | 153kW/t |
| Weight (kerb) | 1831kg |
| Spare tyre type | Temporary |
| Tow rating | 1500kg braked 750kg unbraked |
| Turning circle | 11.2m |
Should I buy a Kia Stinger GT?
The short answer is that if you value the idea of a powerful six wrapped inside a large, family-sized sedan over a high-riding, soft-roading SUV, then yes, get into one before the era of large sedans is consigned to history.
The rear-wheel-drive family sedan is an anachronism in today’s automotive landscape, pulling over to the side of the road to allow an armada of SUVs and dual-cabs by as they fly the banner for today’s family vehicle.
But, there’s life in the old dog still, just as there is space in our consciousness for alternatives to the mainstream.
The Stinger GT is a powerful take on the large family car formula; one that is equal parts refined and comfortable, while having the ability to provide some sharp-edged fun behind the wheel when it’s just you and the road ahead.
Sure, the electric EV6 may now hold the mantle of Kia’s flagship, but the Stinger GT’s halo status, to anyone who values powerful and effortless motoring, isn’t under threat just yet.
There’s joy to be had behind the wheel, a tactile response to every movement that electric cars, no matter how good they are, just can’t quite emulate.
So, if your tastes run outside the mainstream, then the Kia Stinger GT could serve you well. It’s a nicely equipped, high-powered, performance sedan on a homogeneous SUV budget.
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