Kia Stinger review – Don't be put off by the badge, the Stinger deserves your attention - Kia Stinger design

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.

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.