2023 Kia Stinger GT2 Scorpion Review– The Kia Stinger 2023 sedan showcases the sportiness and luxury aspects of the mainstream badge on the go. It’s a car with sharp styling and driving dynamics close to that of German rivals such as the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. It even sports rear-wheel drive in its standard form.
Based on the same platform as the excellent Genesis G70, the Stinger pushes the boundaries of what is expected of Kia. Sure, that might also mean higher prices, but the company still packs a lot of the standard equipment, plus a 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain warranty, into a car that undercuts German competition.
2023 Kia Stinger GT-Line & GT2 Price
We expect prices for the 2023 Stinger sports sedan to start at around $37,000 for the GT-Line and rise to around $52K for the GT2. Budget around $2,200 for all-wheel drive.
The closely related Genesis G70 starts at close to $38K and is a true sedan, without the Stinger hatchback. The front-only Nissan Maxima sedan is in the same area. If the funds are available to buy something German, the Audi A5 Sportback is more like $44K (with all-wheel drive as standard), and the rear-drive BMW 430i Gran Coupe is close to $45.5K.
2023 Kia Stinger Performance
There’s nothing lacking in the 300-horsepower/4-cylinder engine under the hood of the GT-Line. It has a pleasant punch at low revs, there’s a paddle shifter behind the wheel for extra driver engagement, and all-wheel drive is available to apply thrust to the asphalt in the most effective way possible.
Too bad, bought a new sports sedan and didn’t have the sportiest version. Both the GT1 and 2023 Kia Stinger GT2 have variable-ratio steering, launch control mode in the transmission, Brembo brakes, and a powerful 368-horsepower twin-turbocharged V6.
The rear-drive example also comes with a limited-slip differential, while the optional all-wheel-drive system for the GT1 and GT2 includes torque vectoring. It ensures optimal stability and cornering efficiency by finely adjusting the speed of various wheels. Through corners, the outer rear wheel has greater torque than the inner. See Also: 2023 Toyota RAV4 Redesign.
The GT2 takes it a step further by adding adaptive suspension as standard.
2023 Kia Stinger Interior
At first glance, it looks like a luxury car inside the Stinger 2023, with clean and sharp dashboard lines and a 10.25-inch infotainment touchscreen above. Closer inspection, however, reveals materials that aren’t quite as classy as those in the Audi A5 Sportback or the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. But the Stinger is inexpensive, so buyers can decide for themselves how they want to spend their money.
To accentuate the Stinger’s sportiness, the flat-bottomed steering wheel is wrapped in perforated leather, while the aluminum pedals are ready to respond to the driver’s right foot.
Plenty of passenger space at the front. The rear legroom qualifies for the “OK” designation because of its 36.4 inches. And rear headroom is affected by the sloping roof.
Behind the 60/40 split/folding rear seats is 23.3 cubic feet of luggage area. Compare that to the 10.5 cubic feet of luggage space on the Genesis G70.
2023 Kia Stinger Exterior
While the 2023 Stinger is described as a sports sedan, it’s technically a hatchback – only with a slimmer roofline than the Volkswagen Golf, for example. It’s more like the Audi A5 Sportback.
Whatever it’s called, it works. However, Kia’s newer designs (like the K5 sedan and Sportage SUV) suddenly make the Stinger look a little out of date. Time doesn’t wait for the car, it seems.
The GT-Line has 18-inch wheels, and the GT1 and GT2 both have 19-inch wheels. And behind the larger rims are red calipers from the Brembo braking system.
Favorite Features
HATCHBACK BODY
- Or fastback, sportback, liftback, you name it. This brings an extra element of practicality to a sporty 4-door car, allowing a maximum cargo area of 40 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
BREMBO BRAKES
- Brembo is an Italian company that specializes in stops. Almost every exotic and fast car maker has ordered from the Brembo catalog. The examples in the GT1 and GT2 have ventilated discs, plus 4-piston calipers up front and 2-piston calipers at the rear.
Standard features
The three different trim levels of the 2023 Stinger sports sedan all sound very similar, which is less than ideal. But the thing to remember is that the GT-Line is the most affordable new Stinger.
Price: We expect the Kia Stinger 2023 to start at around $37,000.