Kia Stinger Production To End In April 2023: Report

It's the company's slowest-selling car this year at home in South Korea.

Kia Stinger Ascot Green

Adrian Padeanu

By: Adrian Padeanu

Oct 21, 2022 at 5:17am ET

Add Motor1.com as a preferred source in Google

Comment

One of the early signs Kia sent about going upmarket was in 2011 with the GT Concept. However, it wasn't until 2017 that the subsequent production version arrived as the Stinger. The sporty gran tourer was praised by journalists, but sales never matched the hype surrounding the car. In recent years, there have been plenty of rumors about its demise. A new report from Auto Times claims the end is nigh for the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe rival.

The South Korean publication says Kia will discontinue the Stinger in April 2023 due to weak demand. Through September, only 1,499 units were sold in South Korea, thus making it the slowest-selling Kia in its domestic market. A direct replacement is apparently not planned, but designer Karim Habib said last year the EV6 GT serves a similar role in the lineup.

2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line Review

2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line Exterior Review

Despite poor sales, Kia has not ignored the Stinger. It gave the swoopy liftback a mid-cycle update that brought a power bump in the United States last year. The Stinger lost its base 2.0-liter engine in favor of a 2.5-liter mill rated at 300 hp or 45 hp more than its predecessor. In addition, the range-topping GT with its twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 was massaged to deliver 368 hp. It kept both rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations, linked exclusively to an eight-speed automatic transmission.

What do you think?

View

Comments

The nip and tuck came along with some mild cosmetic changes to the body and wheels, along with a bigger 4.2-inch driver's display and a 10.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. For the US market, Kia introduced the Stinger Scorpion special edition with an assortment of black accents, faux carbon fiber trim on the inside, and a choice between black or red Nappa leather upholstery.

What comes after the Stinger? Well, the same report published by Auto Times claims an electric swoopy sedan will arrive in 2025, albeit nothing is official yet.

Korea's Answer To the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe And Audi A5 Sportback:

2022 Kia Stinger GT-Line Review: Entry-Level Upgrade

2022 Kia Stinger Scorpion Edition Arrives As Sportier Looking Sedan

Source: Auto Times

We want your opinion!

What would you like to see on Motor1.com?

Take our 3 minute survey.

- The Motor1.com Team

Share this Story

GO TO COMMENTS

(

)

Got a tip for us? Email: tips@motor1.com

View all comments ( )

Popular

Honda Secretly Showed Dealers Its Future Models, Including The Element. Here's What They Said

Audi Tells Us Why The Nuvolari Costs $300,000 More Than Temerario

BMW Has 10 New Models Coming In 2027. Here's All Of Them

Scout Has 212,000 Reservations. Here's What Those Drivers Own

Toyota's Cheaper Sports Car Is Reportedly Back On The Menu