Used 2023 Kia Stinger

The 2023 Kia Stinger sedan dials up both the sporty and luxury aspects of a mainstream badge on the move. Here is a car with sharp style and driving dynamics that come close to German rivals like the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. It even deploys rear-wheel drive in its standard form.

Based on the same platform as the excellent Genesis G70, the Stinger pushes the boundaries of what to expect from Kia. Naturally, that might also mean higher prices, but the company still packs a lot of standard equipment, plus a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, into a car that undercuts the German competition.

There’s nothing particularly lacking in the 300-horsepower/4-cylinder engine under the GT-Line’s hood. It has a pleasant punch at low revs, there are paddle shifters behind the steering wheel for extra driver involvement, and all-wheel drive is available to apply thrust to the tarmac in the most effective way possible.

It’s something of a shame, though, to buy a new sport sedan and not have the sportiest version. GT2 has variable-ratio steering, a launch control mode in the transmission, Brembo brakes, and a forceful 368-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6.

Rear-drive examples also come with a limited-slip differential, while the optional all-wheel-drive system includes torque vectoring. This ensures optimum stability and cornering efficiency by subtly adjusting the speeds of various wheels. Going through a curve, the outside rear wheel has more torque than the inside.

The GT2 takes things further by adding an adaptive suspension as standard.

At first glance, it looks like a luxury car inside the 2023 Stinger, with the clean, crisp lines of the dashboard and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen set on top. Closer inspection, though, reveals materials that are not quite as classy as those in an Audi A5 Sportback or BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. But the Stinger doesn’t cost as much, so buyers can make up their own minds on how they’d like to spend their cash.

To emphasize the Stinger’s sportiness, a flat-bottomed steering wheel is wrapped in perforated leather, while aluminum pedals are ready to respond to the driver’s right foot.

Occupant space is plentiful up front. Rear legroom qualifies for an “OK” designation on account of its 36.4 inches. And rear headroom is affected by the sloping roof.

Behind the 60/40 split/folding rear seats is a luggage area of 23.3 cubic feet. Compare that with trunk space of 10.5 cubic feet in the Genesis G70.

Despite the 2023 Stinger being described as a sport sedan, it’s technically a hatchback — only with a sleeker roofline than a Volkswagen Golf, for example. It’s more like an Audi A5 Sportback.

Whatever it’s called, it works. However, newer Kia designs (like the K5 sedan and Sportage SUV) suddenly make the Stinger look a bit passé. Time waits for no car, it seems.

The GT-Line has 18-inch alloy wheels and the GT2 has 19-inch alloy wheels. And behind those bigger rims are the red calipers of the Brembo braking system.

Hatchback flexibility
Or fastback, sportback, liftback, whatever. It brings an extra element of practicality to a sporty 4-door car, enabling an impressive cargo hold of 40 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.

Brembo brakes
Brembo is an Italian company that specializes in stopping. Virtually every maker of exotic and fast cars has ordered from the Brembo catalog at one time or another. The examples in the GT2 have vented discs throughout, plus 4-piston calipers up front and 2-piston calipers at the back.

The different trim levels of the 2023 Stinger sport sedan sound really similar, which is less than ideal. But the thing to remember is that the GT-Line is the most affordable new Stinger.

It comes with LED headlights/daytime running lights/taillights, heated side mirrors with puddle lights, rain-sensing wipers, keyless entry/ignition, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, leather seating surfaces, heated front seats, 12-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, self-dimming rearview mirror, and rear parking sensors.

The infotainment system includes Apple CarPlay/Android Auto smartphone integration, wireless charging, satellite radio, navigation, USB ports front and rear, Bluetooth, nine speakers, and a 10.25-inch touchscreen.

Among the safety systems are forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic collision avoidance, automatic high beams, lane-keeping assistance, lane-following assistance, and navigation-based adaptive cruise control.

The thing to remember about the GT2 version of the 2023 Stinger is that it has the V6 engine and therefore enjoys greater power. Other differences include a powered sunroof (optional in the GT-Line) and LED interior lighting.

The GT2 has an adaptive suspension, upgraded LED headlights, auto-dimming rearview mirrors, powered hatchback, power-adjustable steering column, head-up display, and a 360-degree camera system. There’s also nicer (Nappa) leather seating surfaces, memory settings for the driver’s side, heated rear outboard seats, 720-watt Harman Kardon surround-sound system, and greater adjustability for the front seats — which are also heated and ventilated.

All 2023 Stinger models are eligible for all-wheel drive and a heated steering wheel.

A turbocharged 2.5-liter 4-cylinder unit endows the GT-Line version of the 2023 Stinger with 300 horsepower and 311 lb-ft of torque. The GT2 variant has 368 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque supplied by a twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6.

Both engines connect to an 8-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive (RWD) is the standard configuration in every 2023 Stinger sport sedan, with all-wheel drive (AWD) offered as an option.

Premium gasoline is recommended in each case.

2.5-liter turbocharged inline-4 (GT-Line)
300 horsepower @ 5,800 rpm
311 lb-ft of torque @ 1,650-4,000 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 22/32 mpg (RWD), 21/29 mpg (AWD)

3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 (GT2)
368 horsepower @ 6,000 rpm
376 lb-ft of torque @ 1,300-4,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 18/25 mpg (RWD), 17/24 mpg (AWD)

More Stinger fuel economy information is available on the EPA’s website.

5-Year/60,000-Mile Warranty

The Kia Stinger is covered by a 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty and a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty. This is an excellent warranty giving the driver peace of mind.