Kia Stinger price increases in less than a year of launch

KUALA LUMPUR: It has not been a year yet for the Kia Stinger to present on the Malaysian soil and the Korean automobile manufacturer has raised its cost price by RM 25,000. This is quite unusual especially when you are still trying to get a hold of the market.

The Kia Stinger was launched in July 2018 at a starting price of RM 239,888, which was then on the expensive side too. However, after only five months, the company has announced an increase in price. The reason for the increased Stinger price is the updated sales and service tax (SST) policies.

Last year in September, when Kia released the SST abiding price list for all its models, the Stinger was not included as the company was then still in talks with the finance ministry for the price revision. Finally, the talks are over and price revision has been finalized. Unfortunately, there is an increase.

Available in two variants, the 2.0 turbo GT-Line and the 3.3 V6 GT, the Kia Stinger is now just RM 38,000 cheaper than its prime rival in the market, the Mercedes-AMG C43 4Matic.

After the revision in price, the base Stinger can be purchased at RM 264,888 while the higher-end model at RM 383,888 which makes both models RM 25,000 and RM 74,000 pricier than before.

Prices stated above are the on-the-road prices inclusive of unlimited mileage and 5-year warranties, however exclusive of insurance.

For unawares, the base variant of Stinger comes with a 2.0-litre four-cylinder turbocharged Theta II petrol engine that pumps out a max power of 254.4 PS at 6,200 rpm and a peak torque of 353 Nm at 1,400-3,500 rpm, coupled with an 8-speed automatic gearbox.

On the other hand, the Stinger GT draws power from a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 Lambda II engine that churns out a max power output of 370 PS at 6,000 rpm and a peak torque of 510 Nm at 1,300-4,500 rpm.