No Kia we’ve ever driven has attracted as many admiring glances as the Stinger. High-profile spots on certain well-known car TV shows have presumably raised the Stinger’s profile, but the bottom line is that Kia’s sports saloon has an eye-catching and attractive shape and plenty of road presence.
Its basic form is much like the kind of premium five-door hatchbacks we’ve seen from German manufacturers in recent years - think Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4-series Gran Coupe and Volkswagen’s Arteon. It’s quickly identifiable as a Kia though rather than a slavish copy, thanks to the company’s unique “tiger nose” grille design, distinctive rear lights and an arc of contrasting trim around the window line.
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Some of these details jar in certain colours – the reflectors coming off the rear lights and onto the rear arches look like afterthoughts – but in the right colour and trim combinations the Stinger looks distinctive and expensive. Black works very well (particularly with a contrasting red interior) and the blue of evo’s long-term Stinger GT is also particularly attractive in the metal.
Throw in great proportions – a long bonnet, short front overhang and longer rear overhang, and a sensible ratio of bodywork to – and you have a car far more desirable than any Kia has produced so far.
