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The Kia Stinger has been dogged by rumours its dad or mum will finish manufacturing but it surely’s stored on ticking. However may its time lastly be arising?
The newest report out of Korea, from Auto Instances, says manufacturing of the present Stinger will finish in April 2023.
Nonetheless, it says a alternative of types – a glossy, electrical four-door coupe – will likely be launched in 2025 to maintain the sports activities sedan flame alive in Kia’s line-up.
CarExpert reached out to Kia Australia, which provided no touch upon the accuracy of the report or the Stinger’s future.
Whereas Auto Instances notes Kia has discontinued fashions within the Korean market as a result of sluggish gross sales which have survived in different markets, such because the Soul and Stonic, it says Kia “plans to utterly cease producing the Stinger”.
A report from Korea’s Every day Automobile final July stated manufacturing would finish in 2022 and the manufacturing unit could be retooled to supply a hybrid Carnival – one thing that didn’t find yourself occurring.
The Stinger entered manufacturing in 2017, and is subsequently in the direction of the tip of a standard Korean passenger automobile lifecycle.
It obtained a mid-life replace in 2021 with beauty tweaks and extra tools, however a extra highly effective 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder didn’t make the journey to Australia.
Whereas it’s had a burst of recognition of late in Australia – it’s set to submit its greatest gross sales yr but – its efficiency in different markets have been unremarkable.
Sedans stay a scorching commodity in South Korea however the Stinger – technically a hatchback – has grow to be the model’s lowest-volume mannequin there.
Auto Instances stories 1499 items have been offered there from January to September, down 39.1 per cent on the identical interval final yr.
It’s all the time been a distinct segment participant in Europe, regardless of the provision of a turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine. However the Stinger arrived as diesels have been shedding favour and it by no means provided an electrified powertrain as Europe embraced these.
The European Stinger vary has subsequently been pared again to only the top-spec, twin-turbo V6 GT.
It was by no means destined for greatness in China both, not being produced regionally and subsequently being topic to tariffs.
Within the US market, which has an extended historical past of embracing petrol-powered sports activities sedans, its gross sales have been regular if unspectacular, hovering round 13,000 items virtually yearly since launch.
It outsold the Volkswagen Arteon there final yr however was outsold by virtually each different medium or massive automobile from a mainstream nameplate. The extra reasonably priced, Optima-replacing K5 outsold it by greater than six-to-one final yr.
Requested concerning the Stinger’s future in Australia again in June, Kia Australia’s chief working officer Damien Meredith stated, “The long run on an operational stage is incredible.”
“We haven’t heard something official from Korea on whether or not or not we’re going to a brand new mannequin for Stinger or not so we’re simply comfortable in the intervening time that we’re getting incredible provide for the automobile and it’s doing exceptionally nicely in market.”
“We’ve made no secret that we predict EV6 is our new halo product, from a tech and efficiency standpoint,” stated Roland Rivero, the final supervisor of product planning at Kia Australia, noting the EV6 can also be bringing new consumers to the model.
“You’re all the time going to have ICE folks that gained’t ever need to flip, which might be virtually closely towards the flip to EVs. And Stinger goes to learn from that for a while but.”
Mr Rivero advised CarExpert in Could the corporate continues to work by means of loads of Stinger backorders with “nonetheless a few months value banked up”.
The flagship GT is accounting for over 90 per cent of gross sales, and with the loss of life of the Chrysler 300 is the one mainstream-brand rear-wheel drive sports activities sedan on supply in Australia.
It’s additionally grow to be a favorite of some Australian police forces, which have used it to exchange the Holden Commodore and Ford Falcon.
| Kia Stinger gross sales in Australia | |
|---|---|
| 2022 (January to September) | 1942 |
| 2021 | 1407 |
| 2020 | 1778 |
| 2019 | 1773 |
| 2018 | 1957 |
| 2017 | 504 |
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