LOS ANGELES — The Kia Stinger will receive more than just a mild styling update under a midcycle freshening for 2022. The Korean automaker’s answer to near-premium rivals also is getting more power, especially on the entry model, which will now crack the 300-hp barrier when it goes on sale in the spring.
That’s a significant 45-hp upgrade for the base sports hatchback, which was already a bargain compared with the German brands that Kia considers rivals. Unlike corporate sibling Hyundai, Kia does not have a luxury brand. The Stinger, however, shares a rear-drive platform with the Genesis G70 sedan.
“The Stinger confidently shows Kia’s ability to build a sport sedan that can compete — and beat — the best the world has to offer,” said Sean Yoon, CEO of Kia Motors North America, said in a statement Tuesday. “It is definitive proof of our proud and evolving engineering prowess.”
Kia has dropped the slow-selling Cadenza and K900, which leaned toward big-sedan luxury but sat on dealer lots. The Stinger is still suffering from the ongoing decline in the car market, with U.S. sales falling 9.4 percent to 12,556 in 2020. But Stinger deliveries were just shy of the Acura ILX and Lexus IS in the compact-luxury segment.
The Stinger’s styling updates include Kia’s new script-like logo, standard LED headlamps, a horizontal taillight that runs across the hatch, new geometric-pattern wheels and more aggressive exhaust tips.
Inside, there are new black-gloss and chrome details on the instrument panel, LED lighting with a vibrant color palette and special stitching on the higher-level GT trims.
The Scorpion edition, which will go on sale later this year, adds special white, black and silver exterior paint along with blacked-out exterior accents and a carbon-fiber pattern on the interior.
Under the hood, the entry GT-Line trim comes with a 2.5-liter turbo four-cylinder that puts out 300 hp for estimated acceleration of 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. The Stinger comes with rear-wheel drive standard and all-wheel drive as an option. It comes standard with an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters.
The higher GT trims with a standard V-6 add just 3 hp in additional power for 2022 to 368 hp, Kia said. But they do get a new electronic variable exhaust system that enhances the sound of the 3.3-liter turbo motor.
There also are technology upgrades across the trims: a bigger 10.25-inch infotainment screen, a larger 4.2-inch “helper” display within the instrument cluster and a wireless charging pad. An optional 7-inch “helper” screen in the instrument gauge cluster provides a live camera view of adjacent lanes when the turn signal is activated, Kia said.
There also are expanded safety features for avoiding accidents and driver-assistance functions for the highway.
Pricing for the 2022 Stinger starts at $37,135 with shipping for the base GT-Line model. The GT1 version with the V-6 starts at $44,735 with shipping, and the top GT2 trim starts at $52,335 with shipping. Awd is a $2,200 option across all trims for 2022.
The 2021 Stinger GT-Line starts at $34,135, with shipping. The highest GT2 trim starts at $51,435 with shipping. Awd is a $2,200 option across all trim lines for the current model year.