When Kia unveiled the Stinger and its GT version, it wasn’t shy to point out exactly what cars it was going after. Judging by the size of the new model and its design, Kia decided that the perfect rival for the Stinger would be the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. The world laughed and pointed fingers at the Stinger GT saying it would never be able to topple a giant such as the BMW. And yet, the first reviews offered the underdog here a bit more than just a chance at the title.
It would seem like the South Koreans are really onto something here and the Stinger GT is a really good car to begin with. It handles well and has an engine with character, something a lot of people didn’t expect to see. Under the hood of the GT there’s a 3.3-liter V6 turbocharged mill good for 370 PS and 510 Nm (376 lb-ft) of torque. All of that goes to the four corners of the car thanks to an AWD system and allows the Kia to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) in 4.9 seconds.
That’s pretty quick, and actually quicker than the car it’s going up against here, the BMW 440i xDrive Gran Coupe. The Bavarian machine has 326 PS and 450 Nm (332 lb-ft) of torque at its disposal, numbers lower than those of the Kia by a sensible margin. The 3-liter straight six engine sounds better in our book though than the V6 of the Stinger. Nevertheless, the BMW does the same sprint in a quoted 5 seconds flat, marginally slower than its rival here.
The video below also shows a comparison between how the two accelerate up to their respective top speeds. As you’re about to notice, the power difference between them makes the Kia faster not only in the initial phase but all the way up, being faster than the BMW throughout the whole thing which is quite surprising, at least to me.
Well the Stinger was spearheaded by a former BMW M employee which recently said that he has more freedom to design and engineer with Kia than his former workplace. Wait for Stinger V2 some years down the road and they will definitely scare the living daylights out of BMW.
If he has so much freedom why is it a V6?
Because that’s good enough to beat the 440i but leaves enough room for his other projects at Genesis.
Beat it? By .1? In sound? Refinement? Economy? Guess that’s why every other manufacturer uses V6. And Mercedes just introduced a turbo I6 for the 1st time. Apparently they know who their competition is.
What makes you believe I6 is better than v6 tho
thedrive, 4/23/17, to name one.
Also physics.
Balance.
Sound.
History.
Driving a BMW.
V6 can be superior for packaging, cost (3/4 of a V8), but Mercedes have returned to I6, Jaguar rumoured as well. Both were I6 for decades.
It is. Just ad the power kit to the 440, and bye Kia.
Please. Walk a girl out to a Kia Stinger and you’ll do a 0-60 to a BMW dealership in 4.9 seconds flat.
looks like you’re going after the wrong kind of girl….
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I’d dump the Stinger for name & design alone, very dachsundey in silhouette, like they’re going after the old Saab 900 Turbo market.
of course but off topic
That was very surprising indeed. Kia just brushed aside BMW in this case. Agreed that BMW has smaller engine with smaller power and torque ratings but thats negated as kia is much heavier. Its almost the size of 5er.
But I would still prefer BMW. They manage brilliant fuel efficiency ( when compared to rivals) along with astonishing performance numbers something that Kia don’t. Also, the aural drama is more in case of BMW.
But, one can’t argue what Kia has managed with its first attempt. If this is anything to go by, its next gen engines would give proper fist fight to Germans.
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Saw Stinger one day at a parking lot. Boy, it’s ugly in real life.
? The Stinger is a beautiful car. Perfect proportions. I bet you hated the TT when it came out…
I still hate the TT… It’s too short to be considered serious.
Totally agree, on both. Stinger is oddly proportioned & choppy, like a failed A7 knock-off, even lumpy Panamera is better. Stinger reminds me of an updated Saab 900 more than anything new.
Add the power kit to the 440, or the 340. (It should be Standard). The BMW hangs with the Kia, or pulls ahead. Also will sound a lot nicer too.