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N O R T H E AST V I C TO R I A
JANUARY 5 - 11
| 2018
> available online - www.nemedia.com.au
EYE-CATCHER: New Kia Stinger looks spectacular from every angle.
Stinger a game-changer for Kia THE end of local production of Commodores and Falcons has created a battle in the large family car market. The new German Commodore isn’t due till February, new Kia Stinger and Toyota Camry arrived earlier this year and both are pushing hard in the sales race while the Commodore slot is vacant. Kia Stinger is making a big deal on being rear-wheel drive, unlike Commodore which is either front- or all-wheel-drive, Camry is front drive only. Stinger is offered in four specification levels: S and Si with either four or sixcylinder engines; and GT-Line in the four and GT in the six. Stinger is a product of Kia’s European
ROAD TEST By ALISTAIR KENNEDY, Marque Motoring design studio in Frankfurt under the supervision of the company’s high-profile designer chief Peter Schreyer. Long and sleek, Stinger could easily pass as a coupe rather than a fivedoor hatchback. From any angle it’s a spectacular looking car that attracted attention virtually everywhere we went. At 4.83 metres in length and 1.87 metres wide it’s marginally smaller than both the old (VF) and new (ZB) Commodores. The extended bonnet is fronted by a black
and chrome version of Kia’s tiger-nose grille. There is a short front overhang and a long rear one. A 2905 mm wheelbase provides for a reasonably spacious cabin. All models come with chrome coated quad exhaust pipes. With its low roofline entry and exit can be a bit of a challenge for tall and/or bulky occupants but once settled the front seats are comfortable and supportive, the latter especially so with the adjustable bolsters on the GT. Headroom in both front and rear is reasonable although we had to lower our driver’s seat to the bottom setting. The rear seats are comfortable with reasonable head and legroom. All models have powered driver’s seats.
The boot is wide and flat but without much height. Capacity is listed at 406 litres with the rear seatbacks in place and up to 1114 with them folded. Kia Stinger come with the choice of two turbocharged petrol engines, a single-turbo 2.0-litre four-cylinder (182kW and 353Nm from 1400 to 4000 rpm) or a twin-turbo 3.3-litre V6 (272kW, and 510Nm from 1300 to 4500 revs). Both drive the rear wheels through Kia’s in-house eight-speed multimode automatic transmission. The Stinger is sold with all-wheel-drive in some overseas markets, however, at this stage there are no plans to introduce this to Australia.
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