2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line 2.5T First Test: Can a New Base Engine Save It?

kia stinger Full Overview

Instead of being killed off as was rumored, the 2022 Kia Stinger sport sedan got a midcycle revitalization with new looks and a more powerful base engine, the powertrain being an upgrade we were hoping for since the car first arrived in 2017. As you can imagine, we were eager to test the new base powertrain, so we got a 2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line RWD with the new 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine and an attractive starting price well below $40,000.

Bring on More Base Engine Power

For those unfamiliar—which is easy to do with any non-SUV in today’s auto market—the Stinger is a five-passenger, rear-wheel-drive sport sedan with a hatch in lieu of a traditional trunk. Assembled in Korea, it serves as the halo of the Kia brand and is the more workaday platform mate to the 2019 MotorTrend Car of the Year, the Genesis G70 luxury sedan. Kia continues to offer the Stinger with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6, now tweaked to 368 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, numbers that don’t outpace the new turbo four’s by much: It generates 300 hp and 311 lb-ft. This is in place of a 255-hp, 260-lb-ft 2.0-liter turbo-four, and both current engines  are paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters—there is no manual.

We fully expected the 45-hp hike would make the 2022 Stinger even more fun than we remembered, with the added bonus of also being more fuel efficient. The 2.5-liter has an EPA rating of 22 mpg in the city and 32 on the highway for 25 mpg combined—better than the outgoing base model but not as efficient as the Audi A5 Sportback Quattro or the BMW 330i.

The Stinger’s new powertrain delivers the goods in almost all circumstances, with good torque across the range. Most of our staffers found it to be a lively and entertaining engine, picking up steam notably once it’s on boil past 30 mph, with a gutsy exhaust note ringing in your ears. A problem does arise when the car is driven hard and you lift your foot off the throttle; the Stinger keeps accelerating for a solid second. The overrun is accompanied by a soundtrack that we found grainy and coarse and just plain loud—no Alfa Romeo dulcet tones here.

Not as Quick as Advertised

When Kia introduced the updated Stinger, executives said the new I-4 would propel the 2022 base model from 0-60 mph in 5.2 seconds. Our test team, who tend to beat manufacturer estimates, debunked the official figures in the other direction. MotorTrend recorded a 0-60-mph best time of 5.7 seconds, and it took 14.1 seconds to complete the quarter mile.  That compares with our results in a 300-pounds-lighter Kia K5 (with 290 hp and 311 lb-ft from the same engine), which scooted to 60 mph in 5.4 seconds.

The four-cylinder does exhibit some lag on slap-and-go launches, which is to say simply matting the throttle. We achieved our best time by using the launch control system, which was at least consistent and easy to use; go hard on the brake, then the throttle, and wait for the engine to settle at about 2,600 rpm before releasing the brake.

For comparison, a rear-drive 2020 CT5 350T with a 2.0-liter 237-hp, 258-lb-ft I-4 and a 10-speed automatic needed 7.1 seconds to hit 60 mph and 15.3 seconds for the quarter mile. The 2020 Alfa Romeo Giulia with a standard 280-hp, 306-lb-ft turbocharged 2.0-liter, but with AWD, did 0-60 in 5.2 seconds and the quarter mile in 13.8.  And a base 2020 BMW 330i xDrive (AWD) with a 255-hp, 295-lb-ft  turbocharged 2.0-liter I-4 did 0-60 in 5.5 seconds and the quarter mile in 14.1 seconds.

Wait, You Can’t Turn Off Stability Control?

Dynamically, road test editor Chris Walton said it was odd that a Stinger with the four-cylinder felt completely different from the six-cylinder. “It somehow manages to be more tail-happy, and yet stability ‘off’ isn’t truly off.” That was a sore point among staff overall.

The Stinger wants to wag its tail badly but is curbed by the inability to turn off stability control, which has a tendency to be overeager, always grabbing a brake to bring the rear back into line with more intervention that we’d like. Really, a rear-drive turbocharged performance sport sedan ought to be allowed to let its hair down; otherwise, it’s more of a grand tourer.

One positive is light, smooth, and crisp steering for a sedan this size, as well as exemplary body control. Still, in the figure-eight test, Walton found it hard to get a consistent lap with the stability control cutting in and difficult to modulate brakes with a pedal-pressure sweet spot right at the ABS threshold. The figure eight was completed in 26.7 seconds at 0.68 g. In our 60-0-mph braking test, the stoppers showed out better, with progressive pedal feel and minimal front-end dive. The tires could use more bite, though. Braking from 60 to 0 mph took 124 feet. The Giulia we tested needed 130 feet; the CT5 and 330i xDrive needed only 114 feet.

Upgrades for the 2022 Kia Stinger

For 2022, the Stinger received updated headlights, wheels, taillights, larger quad tips, a new standard 10.3-inch center screen, and the new Kia logo. The car also added a 360-degree camera and blind-spot monitor that displays video when the turn signal is on, and in general the Stinger comes packed with a lot of safety features standard that contribute to its excellent safety rating.

The base price is $37,365. Our test car with the $2,300 Sun and Sound package, cargo mat, and carpeted floor mats came to $39,945. Some of the materials in the all-black interior are on the cheaper side, and amenities such as a power liftgate for the giant rear hatch are missing, making it more difficult to justify even at this price point.

If the 2018 Kia Stinger had this base engine when it made its debut in 2017 with a $32,800 price tag, more folks might have bought one. As it was, 2018 was the Stinger’s best sales year and with sales having dwindled ever since, we don’t know how much longer Kia will keep this sport sedan in its lineup. We fear the improved base powertrain, in a car now costing closer to $40,000, might be too little, too late to ultimately save the Stinger when the current generation runs its course.

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