Review: Kia CK Stinger (2017-on)

Overview

Released in Australia in September 2017, the Kia CK Stinger was a ‘fastback sports sedan’. Manufactured in South Korea, the rear-wheel drive Kia Stinger was powered by 2.0- and 3.3-litre turbocharged petrol engines that were mated to eight-speed automatic transmissions (see table below).

Both the 2.0-litre G4KL ‘Theta II’ and 3.3-litre G6DP ‘Lambda II’ engines had aluminium alloy blocks and cylinder heads, double overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder and compression ratios of 10.0:1. Furthermore, the Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDI was able to accelerate from rest to 100 km/h in 4.9 seconds.

Body and dimensions

The Kia CK Stinger was based on a shortened version of the Hyundai DH Genesis ‘ rear wheel drive platform. As such, the Kia Stinger was 4831 mm long, 1869 mm wide, 1400 mm tall and has a 2906 mm long wheelbase; luggage capacity was 406 litres (VDA method).

According to Kia, 55 per cent of the Kia Stinger’s chassis consisted of advanced high-strength steel. While the Kia Stinger 2.0 T-GDi had an unladen weight of 1693 kg, the Stinger 3.3 T-GDi weighed 1780 kg.

Suspension

The Kia CK Stinger had MacPherson strut front suspension and five-link rear suspension. For the CK Stinger GT-Line and GT, the suspension included electronically controlled dampers (Kia’s ‘Dynamic Stability Damping Control’) which automatically adjusted according to road surface and driver behaviour; the driver could also select from Personal, Eco, Sport, Comfort and Smart drive modes.

Australian-delivered Kia Stingers had a unique suspension tune that was developed by Kia Motors Australia’s ride and handling team.

Steering

The Kia CK Stinger had Kia’s ‘Rack-mounted Motor Driven Power Steering’ (R-MDPS) in which an electric motor that was mounted to the steering rack provided power assistance. Furthermore, the CK Stinger had a turning circle of 11.2 metres.

For the Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDI, the steering ratio varied according to lock (i.e. variable gear ratio steering).

Safety equipment

Standard safety equipment for the Kia Stinger included dual front airbags, a driver’s knee airbag, front seat-mounted side airbags, full-length curtain airbags (i.e. for front and rear occupants), ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, electronic stability control, traction control and front seatbelts with pre-tensioners and load limiters. As standard, the Kia Stinger was equipped with an ‘active bonnet’ which had pyrotechnic charges that would deploy in the event of a pedestrian collision to raise the height of the bonnet and create additional deformation space above hard structures in the engine bay.

The Kia Stinger Si variants were further equipped with the following active safety technologies –

• Forward Collision Assistance (FCA) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB): used a radar sensor to monitor the distance to obstacle ahead of the vehicle. If a collision risk was detected, the driver would receive audible and visual alerts. If the driver failed to respond to the these alerts, the brakes would be applied autonomously to reduce vehicle speed so that collisions could be avoided or their severity reduced;
• Lane Keeping Assist (LKA): monitored the Stinger’s position within its lane and provided an audible alerts and steering inputs to maintain the vehicle’s position;
• Advanced Smart Cruise Control (ASCC): could automatically apply the brakes to maintain a pre-set distance between the Kia Stinger and the vehicle ahead, accelerate back up to the selected cruising speed when the road was clear and could bring the vehicle to rest in congested traffic; and,
• Driver Attention Alert (DAA): monitored driver behaviour and provided visual and audible warnings if signs of fatigue were detected.

From May 2018, the Kia Stinger 200S and 330S variants were also equipped with these items.

Beyond this, the Stinger GT-Line and GT variants were fitted with:

• Blind Spot Detection (BSD) with Lane Change Assist (LCA): monitored the area up to 70 metres behind the Stinger and provided visual warnings in the door mirror when another car entered the driver’s blind spot; and,
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (RCTA): could detect approaching traffic that may cross the vehicle’s intended path when reversing.

Brakes

The Kia Stinger 2.0 T-GDI had 320 mm by 28 mm ventilated front brake discs and 314 mm by 13 mm solid rear discs. The Kia Stinger V6, however, had 350 mm by 30 mm ventilated front brake discs with four-piston Brembo callipers and 340 mm by 22 mm rear brake discs with dual-piston Brembo callipers.

Euro NCAP and ANCAP safety ratings

In Euro NCAP testing , the Kia CK Stinger received a five star safety rating which included a 93 per cent adult occupant protection rating, an 81 per cent child occupant protection rating and an 82 per cent ‘safety assist’ rating, based on Autonomous Emergency Braking being fitted as standard. For Australian-delivered vehicles, however, the Kia Stinger Si, GT-Line and GT were similarly equipped and received a five star safety rating from ANCAP .

The Kia Stinger S, however, omitted Forward Collision Assistance (FCA) with Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB) and Lane Keeping Assist (LKA). As a result, it received a three star safety rating from ANCAP .

Features: Kia Stinger S

The standard infotainment system for the Kia Stinger S included a satellite navigation system with seven-inch touchscreen, SUNA live traffic updates and 10 year map subscription, a six speaker sound system with digital radio tuner (DAB+), USB and 3.5 mm auxiliary inputs, Bluetooth mobile phone connectivity and audio streaming, and Android Auto and Apple Carplay smartphone integration with voice recognition.

Beyond this, standard features for the Kia Stinger S included 8.0J x 18-inch alloy wheels with 225/45 R18 ContiSportContact 5 tyres, dual-zone climate control air conditioning, sports seats, an eight-way power adjustable driver’s seat, cruise control, LED daytime running lights, dusk-sensing headlights, rear parking sensors, a rear view camera with dynamic parking guidelines, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with gear shift paddles, 60:40 split and flat folding rear seats, remote central locking with proximity key (i.e. keyless entry), power adjustable and heated door mirrors with automatic folding function, puddle lamps, power windows, tilt and telescopic steering wheel adjustment, an electrochromic interior rear view mirror, two 12 volt power outlets, a USB charging port, illuminated vanity mirrors, tyre pressure monitoring, a digital speedometer and multi-function trip computer, an alarm and immobiliser. From May 2018, the Kia Stinger S was also equipped with rain-sensing wipers.

Kia Stinger 3.3 T-GDi models were also fitted with a mechanical limited slip rear differential as standard.

Features: Kia Stinger Si

Compared to the Stinger S, the Stinger Si added 8.0J x 19-inch front wheels with 225/40 R19 tyres and 8.5J x 19-inch rear wheels with 255/35 R19 rear tyres, a nine speaker sound system, an eight-inch touch screen, front parking sensors, rain-sensing wipers and a luggage net.

Features: Kia Stinger GT-Line and GT

The Kia Stinger GT-Line was further equipped with a harman kardon surround sound system that had fifteen speakers, ventilated and heated front seats, driver’s seat with adjustable bolsters, lumbar support, thigh extender and memory settings, an eight-way power adjustable front passenger seat, directional LED headlights with High Beam Assist (HBA), colour head-up display (HUD) with digital speedometer, a flat-bottom steering wheel with perforated leather trim, a 360 degree surround camera system, electrochromic door mirrors, an auto-release boot, powered sunroof, a seven-inch colour ‘Supervision’ instrument cluster, alloy door scuff plates, alloy sports pedals, suede interior trim (for the roof, pillars and sunvisors), an additional USB charging port (behind the rear centre console) and a wireless mobile phone charging (Qi standard).

The Kia Stinger GT was distinguished by its Nappa leather upholstery and ‘GT interface’ which displayed oil temperature, torque and boost gauges, a lap timer and g-force meter.

2018 Kia Stinger Rafa Special Edition

In January 2018, the Kia Stinger Rafa Special Edition was released in Australia. Based on the Stinger 200S, the Stinger Rafa Special Edition added 19-inch alloy wheels, a nine speaker audio system, an eight-inch touchscreen for the satellite navigation system and a ‘premium’ brown interior. Visually, the Stinger Rafa Special Edition could be identified by its unique body decals which included a Rafa signature and ‘title number’ on an interior badge. The Kia Stinger Rafa Special Edition was also sold with a tennis racquet that was autographed by Rafael Nadal and a certificated of authenticity. Seventy-five Kia Stinger Rafa Special Edition vehicles were delivered to Australia, representing each of Rafael Nadal’s seventy-five singles titles at that time.

2019 Kia Stinger Carbon Edition

The Kia Stinger Carbon Edition was released in Australia in October 2019. Based on the Kia Stinger GT, the Stinger Carbon Edition could be identified by its carbon fibre door mirrors, grille surround, fender vents, rear skid plate and bonnet vent. Inside, the Stinger Carbon Edition had a ‘Carbon Edition’ badge ahead of the gear lever and an Alcantara steering wheel. Furthermore, the Stinger Carbon Edition was available in Neon Orange, Micro Blue, Hichroma Red, Snow White Pearl and Aurora Black paint finishes.

Specifications

• Specifications: Kia CK Stinger (September 2017)