The Optima was a nice looking car anyway. But it may struggle to spend $70K on a Kia - even one as nice looking as that one.
supernova2,
Sep 27, 4:31pm
I saw a writeup in the paper about a month or so ago.
Might just be a replacement for the falcodore people to consider rather than a Opeltang or Mustwoo or whatever the new name will be for the Falcon and Commodore replacements.
If that was my market segment I'd certainly consider the Kia.
richardmayes,
Sep 27, 4:52pm
The list price for a BMW M2 with nearly identical peak power and torque as the Kia is $117,050.
Alternatively you could spend $73,350 on a 320i with 135kw and someone with a Kia would blow you into the weeds.
The world is changing.
sw20,
Sep 27, 4:55pm
Will be good budget motoring in five years time.
Sedan + Kia = Alfa Romeo level of depreciation.
tamarillo,
Sep 27, 5:06pm
Aussie mags have tested it and like it. Even the four cylinder has plenty of power, and I don't mean Camry power, I mean real performance. Time to start looking at Kia in a new light.
richardmayes,
Sep 27, 5:09pm
I think the $59,900+ORC Type R Civic will be the main nemesis that stops the Kia Stinger selling well IMO.
Cheaper, almost as powerful, and it's a Honda not a Kia so you know it will be built right.
(OK the Kia is a bit more powerful. OK the Kia is RWD. but would you? Really? Spend $10k more for a Kia flash in the pan instead of a Type R Civic?)
ema1,
Sep 27, 5:09pm
I'd rather wait to see if indeed that will be the case, I doubt it personally, will be depreciation certainly but not in the order of that which an Alfa will likely experience. Could be an interesting move on KIA's part with the demise of Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon in their current RWD format?
db.price,
Sep 27, 5:46pm
Yes possibly in that instance as the R Type Honda is pretty fugly
thejazzpianoma,
Sep 27, 6:48pm
They are catching up! Plus pricing is sensible compared to the opposition. unlike Hyundai Vans etc.
They need to work on their interior now though, it's busy and clunky with no nice focal point. Not as bad as some of the Japanese domestic market abominations but not quite there yet. Funny thing is, I would have thought contract a good designer and this part would be relatively easy?
tamarillo,
Sep 28, 2:29am
Complete different cars. Stinger is a commodore. Sized rwd saloon / lift back. And old ideas about Kia need sweeping aside. Honda is hot hatch in manual only, not really comparable Matey.
andy61,
Sep 28, 3:58am
I personally dont see it selling well, slightly overpriced,and the large car market has disappeared(think what happened to the Falcon and Commodore- the market became so small it became uneconomcial to manufacture them) ,even the Camry /Mondeo/Accord etc struggle to sell in reasonable numbers now,plus the people who were buying large cars are now buying SUV type of cars ie Highlanders etc.Wish Kia well with the Stinger.
the-lada-dude,
Sep 28, 4:13am
There appears to be two power packages for the 2 lt model, both way too powerful for my liking
timmo1,
Sep 28, 4:42am
I wonder if the Kia performance division will do a mash up of SUV and performance car like Nismo did with the Duke/GTR? That would mean the chassis of the Kia Soul and engine from the Stinger. call it the R Soul Stinger?
gamefisher,
Sep 28, 5:04am
Even has 'Launch control'. :)
lusty9,
Sep 28, 8:40am
the 4x4 model isn't coming to our shores, I'm contemplating get it shipped in myself.
sw20,
Sep 28, 9:00am
Yep yanks still love a sedan.
andy61,
Sep 28, 2:35pm
Err the yanks love there trucks and SUVs .
tamarillo,
Sep 28, 2:37pm
and sedans hence Camry. Sedan looks for yanks, liftback reality for rest of us . Note it isn't a sedan. Unlike commodore it's got a world market and modern efficient drive trains.
tamarillo,
Sep 28, 2:39pm
who says? Aussie is even getting a local exhaust option to help it sound better. Bet we'll get it once supply frees up.
db.price,
Sep 29, 1:09pm
Yes I do have to wonder about Kia's thinking here. They look like they are stepping into the "gap" that will be left by the departure of Holden and Ford in Australia (though Holden will get the insipid Daewoos). Trouble is there is almost no gap anymore. Ford and Holden big cars were selling sweet FA in NZ and Australia anyway (compared to the numbers they used to sell)
Great looking car though - and agree with Jazz re the interiors. When we were buying our SUV when we drove both the Sportage and the Tucson we were underwhelmed by the interiors and the myriad of buttons all over the dash. TBH the German cars were the same which is why the Mazda was so refreshing in it's simplicity.
tgray,
Sep 30, 5:06am
Nice but has that god awful ugly grill, just like other Kia's.
meow_mix,
Sep 30, 9:00am
Kia is doing what the Japs used to do, making impressive turbocharged sports sedans that build the image of the brand. The Gran Turismo generation will grow up saying "I want a Kia!" Just look at the comments in this thread "Time to start looking at Kia in a new light."
Unfortunately the Japs stopped playing this game so we get no more Galant VR-4, Mazda 6 MPS etc. The Stinger's only rival will be the Subaru Legacy. But look at the untouchable image the Japs created especially among the young set, and the success of The Fast And The Furious movies.
So Kia is sowing the seeds and building the brand's image. The Koreans know they don't have much of an image, there have been some fairly luke-warm attempts in the past like the Hyundai Coupe, but now they are getting serious.
rsr72,
Jan 6, 3:09am
- Kia designed by Europeans. The world is changing; look at the new Alfa Guilia- the Italians have designed and built a BMW M3.
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