Will Kia Mass-Produce the Stinger?

[Kia Stinger]

I am just as interested to discover where Stinger buyers are coming from. Based on the "What did you pay for your Stinger" threads, the GT's seem to be drawing in previous Luxury owners. Some are tired of buying a BMW over and over, or being tired of BMW's countless - in the shop again - issues. Would-be Acura buyers also seem to be interested, and that makes me wonder about Audi and Kia's true intentions for the Stinger.

Audio's A5 is a supposed target, but that vehicle is about the costliest of the bunch Kia's put in their sights, and the type of person that buys an Audi is doing so because it is an Audi and they want that brand. I believe the A5 is targeted to reveal the massive value the Stinger brings to the table. BMW buyers are more geared towards driving performance than just the luxury brand label alone (like Audi buyers are more prone to lean too). Thus, a BMW owner could see the value of the Stinger, it's performance characteristics and more easily make the leap to the Stinger vs Audi folks.

Acura has struggled of late with their sedans. The RL is basically another version of the TL, and is way over-priced and doesn't sell well. The TL lost it's way years ago, became big and bulky, AKA the mid-2000's Nissan Maxima which also fell away from it's sport roots.

With today's Acura's, the TLX must be the drive most compared to when looking at a Stinger? But 206hp starting at $33,000?... One really needs to jump into the V6 to get close to 300HP and even then it's woefully behind the GT, and still is not up to snuff. 5.7 seconds 0-60. Granted that's just a straight-line figure, but gives an impression of where it's at.

As for beauty, it is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but people seem to be beholding the Stinger en mass. Acura? It's never pushed my buttons. Ever since the hot late 90's TL lost it's way to big, coupled with a plastic silver nose shield, the designs just lost me. Acura designs are certainly more muted in flow than a Honda, but they just kinda put me to sleep. Again, this is just my preference, as I know Honda/Acura make solid reliable cars, they just don't capture me.

The Stinger is going to pull at lot of buyers north out of mainstream wanna-be sport sedans, into the real deal - Stinger.

Acura and Infiniti may feel a bit of a hit, and lastly, if Kia/Hyundai can pull their Optima and Sonata owners north into this G70 platform, then the Stinger and Genisis variant will see all kinds of success.

In the interest of figuring out where Stinger buyers are coming from, I present you with:
Kia Stinger Conquest Sales - Which luxury brand did you have before the Stinger?

 

[Clearly Canadian]

I am just as interested to discover where Stinger buyers are coming from. Based on the "What did you pay for your Stinger" threads, the GT's seem to be drawing in previous Luxury owners. Some are tired of buying a BMW over and over, or being tired of BMW's countless - in the shop again - issues. Would-be Acura buyers also seem to be interested, and that makes me wonder about Audi and Kia's true intentions for the Stinger.

Audio's A5 is a supposed target, but that vehicle is about the costliest of the bunch Kia's put in their sights, and the type of person that buys an Audi is doing so because it is an Audi and they want that brand. I believe the A5 is targeted to reveal the massive value the Stinger brings to the table. BMW buyers are more geared towards driving performance than just the luxury brand label alone (like Audi buyers are more prone to lean too). Thus, a BMW owner could see the value of the Stinger, it's performance characteristics and more easily make the leap to the Stinger vs Audi folks.

Acura has struggled of late with their sedans. The RL is basically another version of the TL, and is way over-priced and doesn't sell well. The TL lost it's way years ago, became big and bulky, AKA the mid-2000's Nissan Maxima which also fell away from it's sport roots.

With today's Acura's, the TLX must be the drive most compared to when looking at a Stinger? But 206hp starting at $33,000?... One really needs to jump into the V6 to get close to 300HP and even then it's woefully behind the GT, and still is not up to snuff. 5.7 seconds 0-60. Granted that's just a straight-line figure, but gives an impression of where it's at.

As for beauty, it is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but people seem to be beholding the Stinger en mass. Acura? It's never pushed my buttons. Ever since the hot late 90's TL lost it's way to big, coupled with a plastic silver nose shield, the designs just lost me. Acura designs are certainly more muted in flow than a Honda, but they just kinda put me to sleep. Again, this is just my preference, as I know Honda/Acura make solid reliable cars, they just don't capture me.

The Stinger is going to pull at lot of buyers north out of mainstream wanna-be sport sedans, into the real deal - Stinger.

Acura and Infiniti may feel a bit of a hit, and lastly, if Kia/Hyundai can pull their Optima and Sonata owners north into this G70 platform, then the Stinger and Genisis variant will see all kinds of success.

You make a strong case for mass production though I partially disagree about the BMW owners, I think many of them would never consider the Kia brand no matter how good this automobile is.

MarkyMark, where in the states are you located?

 

[MarkyMark]

You make a strong case for mass production though I partially disagree about the BMW owners, I think many of them would never consider the Kia brand no matter how good this automobile is.

MarkyMark, where in the states are you located?

You are 100% correct about some BMW owners. I've considered one, but don't want to deal with their costly maintenance and in-shop issues (because they have them). But some BMW owners on this site have bought the Stinger, which is cool to see. Not solely suck on brand, which is what Kia needs. Driving 25k miles a year, I burn through warranties, so Kia's 10yr/100k power train is a BIG deal to me. Means I'll get a full 4.2x years out of it! ; )

I am in the state of Oregon, in a suburb of Portland.

 

[Clearly Canadian]

You are 100% correct about some BMW owners. I've considered one, but don't want to deal with their costly maintenance and in-shop issues (because they have them). But some BMW owners on this site have bought the Stinger, which is cool to see. Not solely suck on brand, which is what Kia needs. Driving 25k miles a year, I burn through warranties, so Kia's 10yr/100k power train is a BIG deal to me. Means I'll get a full 4.2x years out of it! ; )

I am in the state of Oregon, in a suburb of Portland.

Hmmm... kia.ca indicates 5 year 100,000 km powertrain warranty. Interesting.

 

[Waynerm002]

My first car with a true sport suspension was the Audi A4 and it was really nice and comfortable, plus it handled well. I never liked BMWs way of charging you extra for options and walked away from a deal due to this. I had a chance to drive a sport package equipped 525 and it was so great, I ended up going with a 535 M Sport later. For me it all about the drive and comfort while blasting down the road. The crazy maintenance cost is why I left and better fuel economy is why I ended up with a Optima Hybrid instead of the 2.0T. Unlike folks that are badge snobs, I went to the European cars for their driving feel. I chose KIA because their Optima had a ride feel close to a euro car. With the Stinger, I feel folks that like to drive will come over no matter the brand once they understand the value you get with is car that stands its ground next to the competition from Germany.

Let’s be real, it looks better than anything on the road in its price point and a class above. You can have a lot of fun with it on your daily drive and on some corners. It’s not a track car but how many of us are doing that with our cars anyway? Let this thing get out there in large numbers to keep it going for a few generations and iterations, KIA GT K-Sport anyone?

 

[STNGRNV]

I am just as interested to discover where Stinger buyers are coming from. .

Mark, I'm the "I hate spending money on cars" guy. My current car, a Pontiac is 20 years old. I need a new car, but with a backseat because I have a toddler. I don't like SUVs, or CUVs. However, I don't want another boring sedan. In steps the Stinger. It's more than I want to pay, but it's sporty with a backseat.

 

[ERS]

You make a strong case for mass production though I partially disagree about the BMW owners, I think many of them would never consider the Kia brand no matter how good this automobile is.

MarkyMark, where in the states are you located?

I may be the Stinger target customer. I have been a "car guy" my whole life and I'm all about styling, engineering and handling. The Stinger checked all those boxes for me. I mentioned in another post that I bought my wife a new BMW 430i Gran Coupe last summer and that it is a great little vehicle. Fit and finish is excellent with a wonderful interior and the adjustable driving modes make it a great handling sport sedan. That said, I enjoy driving my new Stinger Premium 2.0T with Drive Assist PKG more than the Gran Coupe. It has better steering by a long shot and the on-center tracking is far superior. I thought I wanted/needed the GT version of the Stinger until I drove the 2.0T. It is really well balanced and the 160 less pounds over the front axel made it feel very nimble. My experience with Hyundai/KIA started in 2012 when I traded my 3rd Audi A6 for a Genesis 5.0 R-Spec. It proved to be one of the best and reliable long distance drivers that I've owned. I wanted something a little more agile and found what I was looking for in the Stinger. I suggest that folks who are looking at Stingers drive a 2.0T and not blow off the smaller engine. Granted it isn't the barn burner the 3.3T is but it sure is a lot of fun.

 

[MarkyMark]

Hmmm... kia.ca indicates 5 year 100,000 km powertrain warranty. Interesting.

That is interesting, as in the US it is a 10yr/100k power train warranty. But I have been told to keep all my records on oil changes, etc... and make sure I meet every single spec Kia states or it'll be voided really quickly...

 

[Waynerm002]

With folks modding their vehicles and having issues, dealers don’t want to fix issues that are due to use outside of what the manufacturer recommended. This is true of any brand. When my BMW first started having issues, one dealer service rep was telling me the issues can be caused by things outside of I would do with my car, i.e. modding, using fuel enhancers, or cheap fuel. I use only premium as the car specified but it was a known issue with the engine but BMW had not yet extended the warranty and a lawsuit was pending. Some of Hyundai/KIA 2.4 and 2.0T engine had an issue and before they confirmed it, dealers were not helpful. They are now covering them for 15 years and unlimited mileage, no matter if you are the first or subsequent owners of the vehicle.

I’ll have to spend more time with the 2.0 Premium as that’s the one I had my eyes on but withe the lack of equipment or rather mission features and limited exterior and interior color choices, plus driving the 3.3T, it makes want a GT. Let’s hope next year brings in more on the Premium, that’s the one I would like but with a bit more power.

 

[Kia Stinger]

In regards to warranty, that's one area the U.S. has an advantage over Canada. The U.S. gets a better warranty...

I bought my wife a new BMW 430i Gran Coupe last summer and that it is a great little vehicle. Fit and finish is excellent with a wonderful interior and the adjustable driving modes make it a great handling sport sedan. That said, I enjoy driving my new Stinger Premium 2.0T with Drive Assist PKG more than the Gran Coupe. It has better steering by a long shot and the on-center tracking is far superior.

That is truly impressive and great to hear! I'm waiting to see if anybody says anything like this about the 2018 Buick Regal. I won't be holding my breath...

 

[CTBumpkin]

I am just as interested to discover where Stinger buyers are coming from. Based on the "What did you pay for your Stinger" threads, the GT's seem to be drawing in previous Luxury owners. Some are tired of buying a BMW over and over, or being tired of BMW's countless - in the shop again - issues. Would-be Acura buyers also seem to be interested, and that makes me wonder about Audi and Kia's true intentions for the Stinger.

Audio's A5 is a supposed target, but that vehicle is about the costliest of the bunch Kia's put in their sights, and the type of person that buys an Audi is doing so because it is an Audi and they want that brand. I believe the A5 is targeted to reveal the massive value the Stinger brings to the table. BMW buyers are more geared towards driving performance than just the luxury brand label alone (like Audi buyers are more prone to lean too). Thus, a BMW owner could see the value of the Stinger, it's performance characteristics and more easily make the leap to the Stinger vs Audi folks.

Acura has struggled of late with their sedans. The RL is basically another version of the TL, and is way over-priced and doesn't sell well. The TL lost it's way years ago, became big and bulky, AKA the mid-2000's Nissan Maxima which also fell away from it's sport roots.

With today's Acura's, the TLX must be the drive most compared to when looking at a Stinger? But 206hp starting at $33,000?... One really needs to jump into the V6 to get close to 300HP and even then it's woefully behind the GT, and still is not up to snuff. 5.7 seconds 0-60. Granted that's just a straight-line figure, but gives an impression of where it's at.

As for beauty, it is certainly in the eye of the beholder, but people seem to be beholding the Stinger en mass. Acura? It's never pushed my buttons. Ever since the hot late 90's TL lost it's way to big, coupled with a plastic silver nose shield, the designs just lost me. Acura designs are certainly more muted in flow than a Honda, but they just kinda put me to sleep. Again, this is just my preference, as I know Honda/Acura make solid reliable cars, they just don't capture me.

The Stinger is going to pull at lot of buyers north out of mainstream wanna-be sport sedans, into the real deal - Stinger.

Acura and Infiniti may feel a bit of a hit, and lastly, if Kia/Hyundai can pull their Optima and Sonata owners north into this G70 platform, then the Stinger and Genisis variant will see all kinds of success.

I am moving up from a 6 cylinder Accord, which gave up the ghost after 340k miles. Fully depreciated! I am justifying this extravagance by the previous 8 years without a car payment, plus I drive 35,000 miles per year just in my daily commute. With 15 hours/week with my butt in the driver's seat, I deserve some fun and comfort.
I could have gone with a Civic Type R if all-wheel drive and automatic transmission were options. Instead, I'm going to give myself a real treat! The local dealer says they are very hard to get still.

 

[Kia Stinger]

I am moving up from a 6 cylinder Accord, which gave up the ghost after 340k miles. Fully depreciated! I am justifying this extravagance by the previous 8 years without a car payment, plus I drive 35,000 miles per year just in my daily commute. With 15 hours/week with my butt in the driver's seat, I deserve some fun and comfort.
I could have gone with a Civic Type R if power steering and automatic transmission were options. Instead, I'm going to give myself a real treat! The local dealer says they are very hard to get still.

Wow, 340k for your Accord V6! Impressive. No power steering on the Civic Type R? Why?

 

[Chris]

Wow, 340k for your Accord V6! Impressive. No power steering on the Civic Type R? Why?

?!?!? He's smoking something. The civic type r has electric power steering. My little bro has one. I've driven it.

 

[Kia Stinger]

?!?!? He's smoking something. The civic type r has electric power steering. My little bro has one. I've driven it.

Well, maybe he was misinformed. Either way, a manual transmission being the only option removes the Type R from his shopping list...

 

[CTBumpkin]

Well, maybe he was misinformed. Either way, a manual transmission being the only option removes the Type R from his shopping list...

My mistake. I meant AWD.

 

[MarkyMark]

I am moving up from a 6 cylinder Accord, which gave up the ghost after 340k miles. Fully depreciated! I am justifying this extravagance by the previous 8 years without a car payment, plus I drive 35,000 miles per year just in my daily commute. With 15 hours/week with my butt in the driver's seat, I deserve some fun and comfort.
I could have gone with a Civic Type R if all-wheel drive and automatic transmission were options. Instead, I'm going to give myself a real treat! The local dealer says they are very hard to get still.

You've bested my 25k miles a year - easy! You sound like a LA commuter that lives out a ways? At least, that's what I could assume? Congrats! And at least if you follow the warranty well, it'll get you to 100k miles 3 years) fully covered!

 

[CTBumpkin]

You've bested my 25k miles a year - easy! You sound like a LA commuter that lives out a ways? At least, that's what I could assume? Congrats! And at least if you follow the warranty well, it'll get you to 100k miles 3 years) fully covered!

Connecticut. I have a home I love and a job I love, but they are not near each other. At least I'm usually moving, not stuck in traffic.