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Image 1 of 20
21 Feb, 2017 7:00am Dan Prosser We drive a prototype version of the new Kia Stinger GT and the first impressions are good
Kia has long been considered a high-value mainstream manufacturer that offered cheap, cheerful and well-equipped family cars. While a prolonged push upmarket has seen top-spec Sorento SUVs nudge ?40,000, it?ll take a different tack later this year, with the introduction of its all-new Stinger GT halo car.*
A four-door saloon targeting established German rivals such as the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class, the GT will act as the Korean brand?s exclusive flagship when it arrives in UK dealers later this year. It?ll come with a choice of 2.0-litre petrol and 2.2-litre diesel engines, as well as a range-topping 3.3-litre V6.
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Image 2 of 20
For an early taste of the new Stinger GT, Kia allowed Auto Express behind the wheel of a development car for a handful of laps at its test track in Korea. While it was hardly enough for a definitive verdict, it gave us enough of a taster to form some key first impressions.*
The seating position is good and the cabin spacious, with enough legroom in the rear even for taller adults. Interior quality is a step forward for Kia, too, although German competitors like the new A4 still lead the way.*
The V6 engine feels strong and very responsive, although the soundtrack is a touch soulless and it doesn?t care to be revved much beyond 6,000rpm. The eight-speed auto is smooth, but the ZF unit that?s favoured by the likes of BMW and Jaguar is more responsive in manual mode. In a nod to the car?s grand touring remit, there is a fair amount of body roll in corners rather than the flat-bodied stance of a true sports saloon, but this doesn?t feel like a chassis that wants for control or precision.*
The steering is direct, and there?s no looseness in the rack, plus what it lacks in feedback it makes up for with a predictable, intuitive rate of response at the front axle. Despite its size and weight, the Stinger GT feels agile and responsive in corners.*
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Image 10 of 20
In addition to the time spent in Korea, Kia?s engineers also gave us a taste of the car in Arjeplog, Sweden, during their winter testing programme. Naturally, driving the car on a frozen lake didn?t tell us a great deal about how the car might behave on the road, but a second stint behind the wheel did confirm those first impressions of the sharp, direct steering and strong, responsive engine.
The low grip conditions allowed us to explore the car?s intriguing four-tier stability control system, however. Using the test facility?s 250-metre steering pad we started with the systems fully on, whereby all the little slips and slides that you feel on sheet ice are stamped out almost immediately.
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Image 14 of 20
By switching the car into sport mode, the electronic safety nets give a little more freedom, allowing you to enjoy the car?s playful rear-wheel drive balance without any risk of spinning. Tapping the ESC button once more triggers the ESC programme?s third stage. As in the previous mode the car will still nibble its brakes to keep itself under control to some degree, but it will no longer cut the throttle when the rear wheels spin excessively. That means you can hold long slides with some assistance, but if you overcook it the car will happily spin.*
The final mode removes the safety nets entirely. There?s no ?wake up? function, either, so even if you spin or trigger the ABS violently the systems will remain fully off. In this mode it?s clear how effective the limited slip differential is, locking quickly and preventing the inside rear wheel from spinning away wastefully.
There are still many questions to be asked of the Kia Stinger GT. We?ll have to wait until we drive the car on real roads, but on the strength of these prototype drives, there is good reason to believe that it could be a refined, fast and entertaining grand tourer to rival the best of them.
- Model: Kia Stinger GT
- Price: ?43,000 (est)
- Engine: 3.3-litre V6 twin-turbo petrol
- Power/torque: 365bhp/510Nm
- Transmission: Eight-speed auto, rear-wheel drive
- 0-62mph: 5.1 seconds
- Top speed: TBC
- Economy/CO2: N/A
- On sale: TBC
Text Source: Auto Express
