There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger

Most of us can agree the Stinger is a bit of a looker, but the reality in Europe is that it's going head-to-head with some well-established, high-profile, big-fun rivals, and looking at the figures on paper, I'm not sure it offers enough
There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger

All eyes were on the Kia stand at the Detroit motor show this week, for a while at least, where the Stinger GT was finally unveiled.

To say it’s a departure from Kia’s normal wares is an understatement. It’s about as close in spirit to the Picanto and Cee’d as a Eurofighter is to a Cessna. That makes it a risk, especially for a brand whose only prior experience of building a performance car is a 201bhp platform used by three and five-door warm hatchbacks.

This lack of provenance is more of a problem than true petrolhead morality says it should be. After all, we want to love any car that deserves it, not just those that have the right badges. If and when we get a go in the 360bhp Stinger we’ll let you know what we think. But there are facets of the car’s reality that count against it, increasing the risk of launching it at all.

There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger

For one thing it’s built on the same platform as the Hyundai Genesis, which isn’t exactly a sporting beast. The suspension and rear axle have been completely revised and/or redesigned, says Kia, and the exhaust for the 3.3-litre turbocharged V6 is bespoke to this car. Early reports from pre-production cars say the noise it makes is a bit dull, though, and apparently the chassis is – or was at the time – a bit roly-poly.

Then there’s the fact that the Stinger is being launched at a very crowded price point. Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar all have forced-induction rivals for around the £43,000 the Kia will cost, and history tells us that when there’s a choice between a stunning and different option and one (or many) with the right badge for the same price, people are shallow and go for the badge.

The only guess we can make, between the early driving feedback and Kia’s own assertion that this isn’t an outright sports car as much as it’s a (more) luxurious (than its other cars) long-distance grand tourer, is that the fear of taking too big a risk has lead to the company running the biggest risk of all: being ignored.

There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger

Take the Toyota Corolla T-Sport as an example. It had a screaming engine that rivalled the one in the Civic Type R of the day, was more comfortable and at least as well built. But it was overlooked because it offered less of what the market ultimately wanted. Fast, high-power saloon versions of mainstream cars like the Mondeo and Laguna (remember that?) ultimately failed. The Vauxhall Cascada flopped because it’s not a premium product. The Stinger will offer comfort and a strong engine, but it needs more than that to win this fight.

When we look at sports cars that have attempted to disrupt the market, only two things have ever worked: exceptional price and/or performance. Take the Jaguar E-Type, which was faster than Ferraris and cost vastly less to buy. The fact that it looked a million dollars was a bonus. Genius: a legend was born.

When The Nissan GT-R was launched, it offered space-time-bending speed and traction for not much more than half the price of a 911 Turbo, so the fact that it was a Nissan didn’t matter. It was an instant cult hit, albeit one with the benefit of three Skyline-badged predecessors to add the all-important sense of heritage.

There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger

Launching a grand tourer into a marketplace already dominated by proven (and celebrated) Germans, with comparable power and price, is going to be tricky. With the best will in the world, on this continent the odds are stacked against the Kia.

But with the USA as the car’s real target, perhaps its main function in Europe will be as a figurehead; a halo product that makes the brand look even more appealing to people searching for a stylish daily driver. The UK sales figures will eventually give us a guide, but don’t expect to see too many.

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Comments

Chewbacca_buddy (McLaren squad)(VW GTI Clubsport)(McLaren 60

They should at least give it a shot

01/14/2017 - 13:12 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

They have to price it agressively or else people will buy bmw, audi, mercedes or volkswagen. Kia still has the reputation of being cheap. My neighbour asked about my dads 2015 cee’d and I told him it has a parking camera, 1.6L engine and all, he was surprised. So I asked him what he thought the car is worth. He guessed €15k. It’s a €25k car (btw, he drives Mercedes)

01/14/2017 - 14:05 |
2 | 0
slevo beavo

Front end of a fisker and the side profile of a cheap Chinese special for Audi prices!!! No thanks Kia.

01/14/2017 - 14:13 |
0 | 2

Which Fisker looks like a Kia again?

01/14/2017 - 17:36 |
2 | 0
The_Stoker

Yeah they stoppede selling them in Denmark 4 years ago

01/14/2017 - 14:59 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Given the option of a 3 year warranty and expensive parts, versus a 7 year warranty and cheaper parts… I know where I’d go!
I’m rapidly falling out of love with the German cars, poor reliability, bad reputation and driving performance that doesn’t match the badge

01/14/2017 - 17:21 |
28 | 2
CitigoMan

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

thats the reason volvo,ford and many other brands exist

01/14/2017 - 19:22 |
6 | 2
There's Potentially A Big Problem In Europe For The Stunning Kia Stinger
Straight6Unicorn95

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

Poor reliability ? elaborate please. Old Bmws and mercedeses are everywhere because they never break down.

01/14/2017 - 23:18 |
2 | 12
Ashley Black

If they make an FR coupe, I’d go check it out and possibly buy it.
I’m getting the feeling this is what the generation before us felt like when Japan started building up steam! It’s quite exciting! I’m keen for the new wave of KDM cars

01/14/2017 - 17:42 |
2 | 0
Anonymous

Please, take notes, Kia.

01/14/2017 - 17:44 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

They’ll sell thousands in Australia

01/15/2017 - 15:29 |
0 | 0
Diego Tului

is it me or the taillights of this stinger look quite similar to the ones from the charger?

01/14/2017 - 18:12 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

Ok, let’s clarify some things. KIA is here trying to offer the best VALUE possible in a sports Sedan. So what does VALUE in a product means ? in this case it is offering you amazing performance, excellent reliability ( unlike the overpriced junk German brands, don’t get me started here I owned one, but you can google car reliability, JD power, Consumer reports etc if you are not convinced) , and very very competitive pricing, on top of it beautiful design. This is the best value you can get and that’s why they built the Stinger because they know the value of their product. Beside 5 years after your german car’s warranty dies, and your german junk car dies with it, along the turbo, the supercharger, the icrap entertainment unit, the cylinder head pops out, the Kia Stinger will still have engine and transmission warranty for another 5 years, and even after that, it will not cost your house, marriage or kidney to repair it. SO to summarize : KIA stinger has the potential to be best value Sports Sedan on the market. Period

01/14/2017 - 18:14 |
4 | 4
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

You sound like someone who just found the place to release all of his frustration on german cars because he bought a lemon or failed at maintaining a car. No matter who I ask, everybody will tell that german cars are excellent at reliability and then there’s you who describes that they are overpriced junk and declares that you owned one. So, don’t get me wrong but I can safely assume that you are mad for some reason and you let your hate flow on this one.

Truth is, in Europe the Stinger has nothing more to offer than exciting styling for a Kia and the possibility of having something different. It offers the same performance for the same price as the german brands but they have a better overall reputation. So basically it will be the next Fiat Punto Abarth. Which had even more to offer than his german rivals but not enough to overcome their reputation.

01/15/2017 - 08:37 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

And in Australia, people who used to by Commodores and Falcons will have the choice of a Chrysler 300C and this. And Hyundai and Kia are gradually making a really good name for themselves in recent years

01/15/2017 - 15:28 |
0 | 0
Anonymous

KIA definitely aren’t a brand to laugh at nowadays, and this car is just more proof of how quickly they’re catching up to the big hitters.

Personally like it, and it is the first KIA I’d seriously consider owning.

01/14/2017 - 18:16 |
12 | 0
Anonymous

In reply to by Anonymous (not verified)

The Hyundai Tiburon and Getz is when Hyundai and Kia were starting to get serious and by 2010 started to really get noticed, especially Hyundai with the i30

01/15/2017 - 15:25 |
0 | 0