The Kia Stinger is being dropped in the UK market just as the highly-anticipated EV6 GT arrives. However, the move could be seen as writing on the wall for the exciting sports sedan as rumours suggest an impending demise.
Kia launched the Stinger in 2017 as a new hero model for the brand. And although overall sales have not met expectations in some markets, the Stinger has definitely forged a solid fanbase among driving enthusiasts and tuning specialists around the world, helping plant Kia more firmly on the map as a respected brand. It is one of the last remaining rear-wheel drive sedans in the non-premium market, too.
However, in the UK at least, the new EV6 GT is seen as its successor. After all, it will come in as the company’s new most powerful model, generating 430kW and 740Nm, while also taking the crown as the quickest-acceleration Kia in the showroom thanks to its 0-100km/h time of just 3.5 seconds. Paul Philpott, president and CEO for Kia UK, said:
“The launch of the Stinger will go down as a transformative moment for Kia. Its driver-focused ‘grand tourer’ credentials, paired with Kia’s reputation for vehicle quality and design, made it an incredibly compelling car for drivers. At the same time, it also had a transformative effect on how people saw Kia. For the same reasons, the EV6 GT is the ideal car to take the baton from the Stinger in the UK.”
The Stinger is – or has been – presented with a range of petrol and diesel engines, depending on the market region, with a 2.0-litre turbo and 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 currently on offer here in Australia. But due to ever-tightening emissions regulations, the V6 in particular could be dropped from the showroom at some point. Additionally, Kia, like many car brands, is full-steam ahead on its electrification plan, perhaps demoting priorities on maintaining the Stinger.
According to a report out of Korea a few weeks ago, production is apparently coming to an end in April 2023. However, like with the Chrysler 300 in Australia, we might hang onto the Stinger longer than some markets, particularly as we don’t have firm emissions laws in place. Not like those imposed in the USA and parts of Europe anyway. In a statement, Kia UK said:
“The Kia Stinger remains in production in South Korea, and Kia UK will fulfil all existing customer orders for the model. Order books are now open for the new EV6 GT from Kia’s UK dealer network, with first customer deliveries due to commence in the final quarter of 2022.”
