Kia's high-performance fastback sports saloon, the Stinger, now boasts a refreshed design to amplify its gran turismo character and features a range of technology and safety upgrades.
The upgraded Stinger boasts a re-profiled exterior design and has been enhanced to improve cabin appearance and quality. The upgraded cabin, in particular, reaffirms the Stinger's credentials as the consummate grand tourer and the flagship of Kia's European line-up.
The exterior notably gains a more high-tech light signature, with a new rear combination lamp spanning the width of the car. This creates a distinctive new light signature, which mimics the shape of the subtle spoiler integrated into the boot lid. New rear indicators, each comprising of 10 individual LED units, are arranged in a grid pattern – a motorsport-inspired design – which reflects the appearance of a chequered flag.
A new design for the 19-inch alloy wheels is also introduced, with intricate, geometric designs which enhances the sporty, grand tourer nature of the car. ‘Electric Blue' exterior paint is also introduced to the 'GT S' for the first time.
Inside, the overall architecture of the cabin remains the same, but subtle visual, material, and textural enhancements create a more luxurious ambience. New additions include a metallic finish to sections of the flat-bottomed steering wheel and a chrome bezel around the instrument cluster. The rear-view mirror is now frameless, creating a classy, modern look and also has the benefit of enhancing rearward visibility. The dashboard features Kia's upgraded 10.25-inch touchscreen infotainment and navigation system and is further accentuated by new gloss black trim. New mood lighting allows the driver to select from one of 64 colours to subtly alter the character of the cabin.
Available to pre-order now from Kia showrooms, the Stinger ‘GT S' is priced from £42,595.
State-of-the art technology with concert hall quality premium audio system The upgraded Stinger is fitted as standard with Kia's 10.25-inch touchscreen display. The infotainment system also allows Bluetooth smartphone pairing for two phones concurrently, enabling separate phones to be used for phone calls and music, for instance. Its advanced split-screen display lets users control or monitor different vehicle features at the same time, customising the screen with a series of different widgets. Apple CarPlay™ and Android Auto™ are standard, with intuitive voice control for many of the car's features, such as heating and ventilation, audio and navigation. A wireless charger allows smartphones to be topped up without wires trapsing across the cabin.
The standard touchscreen navigation system has full European mapping and a Traffic Messaging Channel. Stinger also has Kia Connected Services with TomTom™ and UVO Connect, giving access to traffic, speed camera and weather information plus local search details in a number of categories, from the location of Kia dealerships to nearby restaurants.
A concert hall quality 15-speaker harman/Kardon® premium system with subwoofer, external amplifier and front centre speaker is featured as standard on the latest Stinger. It features Clari-Fi, which restores the sound often lost when digital music files are heavily compressed, and QuantumLogic Surround Sound, which redistributes signals from the original recording to deliver multi-dimensional playback.
The upgraded model includes a high-resolution 7.0-inch digital display within the instrument cluster. This full-colour display with vivid graphics for different driving modes delivers crystal-clear information to the driver between the speedometer and tachometer. It is also fitted with a customisable head-up display, which projects driving information onto the base of the windscreen in the driver's line of sight. The system shows alerts from the car's numerous driver assistance technologies, details of vehicle speed, and turn-by-turn navigation instructions.
The new Stinger adds features such as a ‘connected car' Remote Engine Start system, which allows owners to start their car remotely using the Stinger's smart key. A 360-degree surround view camera system is fitted, as well as front and rear parking sensors, giving the driver a bird's eye view when manoeuvring in tight spaces. A smart key with button start is standard, and a Smart Power Tailgate takes the effort out of opening and closing the boot when your arms are full with shopping.
Safety systems are enhanced for 2021 The upgraded Kia Stinger carries over the same Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) that it offered previously, as well as a series of new features and updates to provide even better protection for the driver, their passengers and other road users.
The latest cutting-edge safety technology has been added to the new Stinger, including a new Blind-Spot View Monitor (BVM) that acts as a ‘second pair of eyes' for drivers by eliminating a driver's left- and right-side blind spots. It displays a high-resolution video feed within the instrument cluster's digital display if the driver indicates to change lane with another vehicle in their blind spot. The video feed comes from discreet wide-angle lenses hidden beneath the door mirror housings, giving drivers a wider viewing angle of their blind spots.
Lane Following Assist (LFA) helps the vehicle stay in the centre of its lane, while Highway Driving Assist (HDA) maintains a set distance from the vehicle in front on a motorway or A-road, and also keeps the car in the centre of its lane, even on a curved road.
Safe Exit Warning (SEW) detects vehicles coming up from behind on either side of the Stinger when parked and stopped, alerting occupants with a sound and visual warning if they attempt to open the door into oncoming traffic. Rear Occupant Alert (ROA) provides a warning to the driver if they leave behind any pets or children when they exit the car.
Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist (FCA) now offers protection when turning across the road into a junction by identifying oncoming traffic on the other side of the road. Furthermore, it offers increased activation range when detecting a vehicle, pedestrian or cyclist. The Lane Keeping Assist (LKA) is now able to detect the edge of a road, as well as the lines in the road, providing steering assistance to prevent the driver leaving their lane without signalling. Blind-Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist (BCA) provides an enhancement over the existing Blind-Spot Collision Warning (BCW). Instead of simply warning drivers of cars in adjacent lanes, BCA helps drivers avoid a potential collision by applying differential braking.
Intelligent Speed Limit Assist (ISLA) is a new feature for the latest Stinger, with system based on traffic sign recognition. Driver Attention Warning (DAW) now has an increased operating speed of up to 130mph, and also alerts drivers if they fail to notice the car in front move off from a stop. The navigation-based Smart Cruise Control (NSCC) helps drive around curved sections of a motorway or A-road, automatically reducing the vehicle's speed to an appropriate level before entering the curve. It reverts to the original speed as the vehicle leaves the curve and returns to a straight road.
The Rear Cross-Traffic-Collision-Avoidance Assist (RCCA) has been upgraded and now helps to prevent collisions with crossing vehicles while reversing by taking emergency action, whereas previously the system only warned the driver with a sound.
Stinger range focused on one halo ‘GT S' edition There is just one, high-specification version of the Stinger in the UK, powered by the tremendous 3.3-litre V6 T-GDi twin-turbocharged direct-injection petrol engine. Drive is sent to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
The 3.3-litre, 3,342cc twin-turbo V6 T-GDi is a member of the Lambda II range of engines and produces 361bhp at 6,000rpm and a huge 510Nm of torque starting at 1,300rpm and continuing uninterrupted until 4,500rpm.
The twin-turbo V6 makes Stinger the fastest-accelerating Kia ever. From standstill to 60mph takes just 4.7 seconds, and the top speed is 167mph where permitted. Yet the extensive testing regime to ensure durability and responsiveness has also helped efficiency: combined fuel consumption is 28.0mpg, while CO2 emissions are 229g/km.
| Model | Price £ | Power bhp | Torque Nm | 0–60 sec | Max speed mph | Combined mpg (WLTP) | CO2 (WLTP) |
| ‘GT S' 3.3 T-GDi 8-speed automatic ISG | £42,595 | 361 | 510 | 4.7 | 167 | 28.0 | 229 |
Class-leading warranty and aftercare Like all Kia models, the new Kia Stinger will be available with the industry-leading seven-year/100,000-mile warranty.
2021 Kia Stinger
Keyword: Kia Stinger – it gets better and better