So what is a £40,495 Kia like? The styling is bang on, with aggressive-looking air intakes below the headlamps, muscular flanks, a swooping roofline and double twin tailpipes. Dummy air intakes on the bonnet serve no practical purpose but look the part.
Flooring the throttle too quickly will break the rear tyres’ grip, but the Stinger impresses with the way it delivers its 365hp through its eight-speed auto gearbox. It’s progressive, not neck-snapping, and all the better for it. It definitely feels like a mile-munching GT rather than a sports car, and you could cover huge distances with ease.
The engine note is fed into the cabin via the car’s audio system, while outside it is remarkable quiet. I’m no fan of these systems but some people like them.
The cabin appears well finished, with an aluminium-look centre console and a wing-shaped dashboard with Mercedes-style air vents. The dash may be leather-covered but somehow it doesn’t look real and is the only area which does not match the opposition.
This is a very well equipped and properly fast GT which will give many people reason to reassess Kia as a brand. And not only does it undercut most of the opposition on price, but its predicted residual values beat them too. Well done, Kia.
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