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One of many early indicators Kia despatched about going upmarket was in 2011 with the GT Idea. Nevertheless, it wasn’t till 2017 that the following manufacturing model arrived because the Stinger. The sporty gran tourer was praised by journalists, however gross sales by no means matched the hype surrounding the automotive. In recent times, there have been loads of rumors about its demise. A brand new report from Auto Occasions claims the tip is nigh for the BMW 4 Sequence Gran Coupe rival.
The South Korean publication says Kia will discontinue the Stinger in April 2023 resulting from weak demand. By way of September, only one,499 items had been offered in South Korea, thus making it the slowest-selling Kia in its home market. A direct substitute is outwardly not deliberate, however designer Karim Habib stated final 12 months the EV6 GT serves an identical position within the lineup.
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Regardless of poor gross sales, Kia has not ignored the Stinger. It gave the swoopy liftback a mid-cycle replace that introduced an influence bump in america final 12 months. The Stinger misplaced its base 2.0-liter engine in favor of a 2.5-liter mill rated at 300 hp or 45 hp greater than its predecessor. As well as, the range-topping GT with its twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 was massaged to ship 368 hp. It stored each rear- and all-wheel-drive configurations, linked completely to an eight-speed computerized transmission.
The nip and tuck got here together with some gentle beauty modifications to the physique and wheels, together with an even bigger 4.2-inch driver’s show and a ten.25-inch touchscreen for the infotainment. For the US market, Kia launched the Stinger Scorpion particular version with an assortment of black accents, fake carbon fiber trim on the within, and a alternative between black or pink Nappa leather-based upholstery.
What comes after the Stinger? Properly, the identical report printed by Auto Occasions claims an electrical swoopy sedan will arrive in 2025, albeit nothing is official but.
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