2019 Kia Stinger GT: First impression

Word came out a few days before the commencement of the 2019 Manila International Auto Show (MIAS) that Kia Philippines is going to showcase its Stinger at the event. We got pretty excited about it because the Stinger is one sporty-looking sedan that packs in some luring features. Yesterday, on the first day of the 2019 MIAS, Kia not only displayed the Stinger but also launched it at a price of Php 3.32 million. Yes, that’s a lot of money, but you’d be getting the GT variant of the car, and that’s the only one that Kia has made available for us. So how’s the Stinger GT? Let’s find out in our first impression.

Styling

As we said before, the Kia Stinger GT is one handsome sedan. The designers at Kia have done a great job. The Stinger GT features an aggressive front end thanks to the sharp LED headlight design and the company’s signature tiger-nose grille. The grille is quite unique, and we really like its shape and also the dotted pattern inside. The front bumper has got large intakes and looks very sporty and aerodynamic. In fact, the entire car is very aerodynamically designed.

Due to its low-slung stance, the Kia Stinger looks even more striking from the side. It has a few bits of chrome around the windows and at the front door. Its 19-inch alloy wheels add to the overall look of the car. Also, the sloping roofline looks very neat and elegant.

Perhaps, one of the best features at the rear end of the new Stinger GT is the quad exhaust pipes emerging out from underneath the bumper in pairs of two on each side of the car. Kia has designed the LED tail lights of the Stinger in such a way that it becomes easier for people to spot this car in a crowd. Carrying forward the sporty character is the integrated rear spoiler in the boot lid.

Interior

We were not surprised to see a black theme in the interior of the new Kia Stinger GT because that’s what you do if you want to make the cabin sporty and engaging. The fit and finish are superb, and so is the quality of the materials used. Kia has taken good care of providing luxury to the owners of the Stinger GT. The seats are wrapped in leather and offer great support and comfort level. There is an option of adjusting the seat (probably only the driver seat) electronically and even a memory function.

The 8-inch infotainment system located at the center of the dashboard should be sufficient to take care of all your entertainment needs. And when you combine that with the 9 speaker Harman Kardon sound system, you have a great entertainment setup. Some of the other features that you’d find inside the Stinger GT include an engine start/stop button, dual-zone automatic climate control, multi-functional leather-wrapped steering wheel with cruise control, a MID which can display lap time, G-forces, navigation, engine oil temperature, turbo boost, and trip computer, etc.

Engine and performance

This is where things get even more interesting. Kia only launched the GT variant of the Stinger, which is supposed to be more powerful than the standard model. So the technical section in the Kia Stinger GT specs sheet is a bit interesting. It lists a 3.3-liter V6 engine with twin turbochargers tuned in a state to churn out a max power of 370 PS at 6k revs and generate 510 Nm of peak torque at 1.3k to 4.5k revs. Taking full responsibility of sending all that force to the driving wheels is an 8-speed automatic gearbox. Put together all this and mix them up and some magic will happen that shoots the Stinger GT from 0 to 100 kph in just 4.9 seconds, and it can go all the way to 270 kph.

Safety features

The Kia Stinger GT price is on the dearer side, but it covers up a lot of things which you don’t need to worry about considering buying as optional or extras. Numerous essential features come as standard like 7-airbags, ABS with EBD and BA, blind spot monitoring, hill-start assist, lane keep assist, front and rear parking sensors, tire-pressure monitoring, and stability and traction control.

We applaud Kia for taking a bold step and giving the Filipinos the powerful Stinger GT. We are definitely impressed with this car, and we are sure that once we get to drive it, we are going to love it even more.