With its eye-catching Stinger sports sedan, Kia hopes to snatch customers away from the likes of BMW, Audi, Infiniti, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz and although that won’t be easy, the exterior design alone has already convinced many Kia naysayers.
However, it will take much more than good looks for the Stinger to prove successful, it’ll also have to drive as well as its premium rivals and also have enough sound to get the adrenaline pumping of enthusiasts. That’s no easy feat and if the videos below are anything to go by, Kia will have to step up its game.
These two clips were recently shot at a preview event for the Stinger in Asia and managed to capture a rather sedate sounding engine and exhaust note.
According to Kia, the range-topping 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 model produces 365 hp and 376 lb-ft (494 Nm) of torque, enough to send the rear-wheel drive model to 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds. However, performance is nothing without sound and Kia appears to have some way to go before the Stinger’s figures are matched by its sound.
Thankfully, that could very well happen. Kia Australia confirmed last week that it is working hard on ensuring local Stinger models sound good, suggesting that other markets may also receive more pleasant sounding models when deliveries begin.
H/T to Paul Sciacca!