The Kia Stinger is the type of thing car enthusiasts long for but automakers are usually reluctant to build for fear that there aren’t enough car enthusiasts.
It’s a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or, optionally, an all-wheel-drive (AWD) sport sedan with serious performance chops and space for the kids. It’s a family car that can throw down. It’s a practical commuter with a sexy secret. It’s Bruce Wayne as a car.
In case you can’t tell, the KBB editorial team loves it. Our expert reviewer Colin Ryan compared it to the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe — cars with far higher price tags. He said it “pushes the boundaries of what to expect from Kia.”
It didn’t last long. Kia created it for the 2019 model year and, sadly, announced its retirement just five years later. There are still a few on dealer lots — if a brilliant sport sedan with a 10-year warranty and an affordable price tempts you.
We feared that the short life of the Stinger meant Kia would never attempt something like it again. A new report says we need not fear.
South Korean Press Reports Say an Heir Is Coming
A new report in South Korea’s ET News says Kia will debut a spiritual heir to the Stinger’s mystique. A translation of the article says it could “be introduced in 2025 at the earliest.” Like most future Kia vehicles these days, it’s electric. For now, the project is called GT1.
That name might make it all the way to production — automakers love alphanumeric names because they work in every language. But we’ll be a little disappointed if it doesn’t get named for the pointy part of a wasp.
All-Wheel Drive, 603+ Horsepower
The GT1 prototype, the report says, uses two motors (one on the front axle and one on the rear) for an AWD grip and a power output of 450 kW — about 603 horsepower. That would exceed the output of even the Kia EV6 GT, the brand’s current performance champ.
Is it real? It’s quite possible. It rides on the same platform as the EV6 and the Hyundai Ioniq 5 and Ioniq 6 (Hyundai and Kia share some ownership and many car bones).
EV Engineering Could Make This Easy
One of the promising things about the transition to electric cars is that it makes introducing new models easier. Many of today’s electric vehicles (EVs) ride on common platforms. So-called “skateboard platforms” are nearly flat combinations of batteries, motors, suspension, and steering components. Once manufacturers build one, scaling it up or down and tweaking its performance lets them create new models easily from common parts.
There’s no reason Kia couldn’t take its existing skateboard, inject it with wasp venom and the dreams of Motor Trend writers from the ‘70s, and sell it to parents who want to get a ticket after dropping the kids at daycare.
That was the entire idea of the Stinger. It might not have enticed enough buyers to last a decade, but the electric age could make chasing wild ideas cheaper for automakers. Let’s hope the GT1 is real enough, someday, to make auto writers and adventurous parents grin again.
