Kia confirms diesel power for sporty Stinger

Published Jan 19, 2017

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A week after creating a stir at the Detroit Motor Show, Kia has detailed the European specifications for its new rear-wheel-driven sports sedan, and it includes a diesel option.

Heavily inspired by the Kia GT Concept of 2011, the Stinger will be Kia’s fastest vehicle ever in range-topping V6 petrol form, but there will also be a more sensible option for diesel-heads. This comes in the form of a 2.2-litre turbodiesel that produces 147kW at 3800rpm and 440Nm between 1750 and 2750rpm. Kia claims a top speed of 225km/h for this derivative, which will take just 8.5 seconds to get to the 100km/h mark.

Meanwhile Kia has also confirmed the outputs and performance figures for the range-topping 3.3-litre V6 turbopetrol engine. This one’s good for 272kW at 6000rpm (Kia previously estimated at 268kW), with 510Nm of twist between 1300 and 4500rpm and 0-100km/h should take just 5.1 seconds, Kia claims.

The only other petrol option for now is a 2-litre turbo motor that pushes 188kW at 6200rpm and 353 from 1400 to 400rpm.

The engines are, of course, mounted lengthways and drive the rear wheels (or all wheels in certain derivatives where that option will be offered) through an eight-speed automatic gearbox, featuring steering-mounted shift paddles.

Kia describes the GT as a “true gran turismo, a car for spirited long-distance driving.” It features an variable damping system offering separate adjustments for the front and rear axles as well as five drive modes.

Available features and gadgets include height-adjustable Head-Up Display, Advanced Smart Cruise Control, Lane Keeping Assist, Surround View Monitoring, Driver Attention Alert and a 15-speaker Harman-Kardon surround-sound audio system.

While Kia has yet to confirm this sports sedan for the local market, it is currently “under consideration” and if it did get the green light, it wouldn’t land before year-end.

IOL Motoring

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