Kia Motors to unveil Stinger sedan in May
.jpg?w=728)
Kia Motors displays its Stinger sedan during the 2017 North American International Auto Show at the Russell Industrial Center in Detroit, Michigan, this past January. / Courtesy of Kia Motors
By Jhoo Dong-chan
Kia Motors strives to up the game by unveiling a slick premium sedan next month.
According to the nation’s second-largest carmaker, the Stinger sedan with a V6 3.3-liter engine will wear Kia Motors’ GT emblem on its front face. GT is the abbreviation for Gran Turismo, and a Kia Motors official said the name is given only to high-performance car models in its lineup.
Kia Motors previously introduced the K5 GT sedan, but the official said the Stinger GT is a real GT model befitting its high-performance reputation among its lineup.
“The Kia Stinger GT sedan will be the fastest car ever among domestically produced vehicles. The model reaches 100 kilometers per hour in 4.9 seconds, which showcases its power,” the official said.
The Stinger GT mounts a 3.3-liter twin turbo GDi engine that produces a maximum 365 horsepower with 52.0 kg/m of torque. It is also expected to feature the GT logo on its front seats as well as the door spot lamp that turns on when a passenger opens the door.
The Stinger sedan concept was first introduced at the Frankfurt International Motor Show in 2011, and it took six years to complete the model for mass production.
Peter Schreyer, head of Kia Motors' design operations, has been in charge of the model's design that features an extended wheelbase and lowered skirt to suggest a dynamic and luxurious look. Kia Motors research head Albert Biermann developed the Stinger sedan's powertrain.
The Stinger sedan comes with two engine options _ a 3.3-liter V6 that generates 365 horsepower and propels the car from 0 to 100 kilometers per hour in 4.9 seconds and a 2.0-liter four-cylinder GDi engine that produces a maximum of 255 horsepower.
Of them, only the 3.3-liter is expected to feature the GT emblem.
Both engine options will feature a rear-wheel-drive eight-speed dual clutch transmission to offer smooth but powerful acceleration and enhanced fuel efficiency. The official added that the carmaker plans to introduce a four-wheel-drive model late this year.
To boost driver safety, the Stinger sports sedan also features Kia Motors' latest technologies in the advanced drive assistance systems. They include driver attention alert and the lane keeping assist system as well as front collision warning.
Kia Motors’ sister brand Hyundai Motor is also mulling over introducing its own high-performance model soon.
The nation’s largest carmaker has participated in the World Rally Championship with its i20 N hatchback, and its motorsports team has performed better than expected to boast Hyundai Motor’s technologies in high performance.