Kia reckons it has something with the new Stinger, and from our perspective, we generally agree. With considerable seat time in the car among many of the Motor1.com editors, the general consensus is this South Korean sportster has legit street cred with its gutsy biturbo V6, and can also be surprisingly grippy and entertaining in the corners. We even went so far as to pit it against the BMW 430i Gran Coupe – a machine at a similar price point to the hot-blooded Stinger GT. We ultimately landed on the side of team BMW for its edge in refinement and feedback, but we still labeled the Kia a winner for being so freaking exciting to drive, and for getting so damn close to the Bimmer on all accounts.

Update:

Now, Kia is doing its own BMW comparison, and tossing in a Porsche Panamera for good measure. Of course, with the comparo coming from Kia directly you can probably guess the outcome. Even with the tests conducted by an independent agency, we’re pretty sure the automaker wouldn’t post up a video of its prize fighter getting lambasted. Still, the video does show what many people have said about the Stinger after driving it. The car has moves, and power, and it’s not afraid to use them – even when the competition is twice as expensive.

Kia Vs Porsche Vs BMW
Kia Vs Porsche Vs BMW
Kia Vs Porsche Vs BMW

Whereas the BMW for our comparison matched up in price, Kia chose the larger – and far more expensive – 640i Gran Coupe M Sport that matches in size and power. The Panamera is admittedly a base model, but again, the price is still more than double the Stinger, and at 330 horsepower it’s not what you’d call outclassed. The testers then subjected the cars to 0-60 blasts, skid pad tests, slalom runs, and a closed-course lap. We’ll leave the details to the video, but according to the independent judgement, the 640i lost at every juncture, with the Stinger and Panamera swapping victories by the slimmest of margins.Not bad for something half the price.

Yes, Kia recently held a rather funny comparison between its new Forte and a Lamborghini Aventador, but the Stinger is no joke. The dark days of Kia with throwaway vehicles like the Sephia are over.

Source:  Kia via YouTube

Gallery: 2018 Kia Stinger GT: First Drive

Photo by: Greg Jarem

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