2018 Kia Stinger GT: A chatty chassis that zhooshes

"You've no doubt heard about Kia's big engineering coup, stealing Albert Biermann from BMW's M division with the mission of giving the Korean automaker's cars a much-needed dynamic zhooshing. It's worked, too. On a familiar set of canyon roads northeast of Los Angeles, the Stinger shines. The rear-wheel-drive GT dives into a corner with only the slightest hint of understeer. The car stays flat as a wealth of information is delivered through the thick steering wheel. I know exactly what all four of those sticky Michelin Pilot Sport 4 tires are doing at all times, and even in its full-on mode, the traction control is letting me play a little, loosening up the rear end a bit to help that pretty rump shimmy through a turn. Big Brembo brakes offer solid stopping power, with confident feel through the pedal. Optional all-wheel drive can be had for $2,000 if you want it, but on these sun-drenched LA roads, the rear-drive car's playful rear end has me smiling.

"Off the main road, the quicker motions and tighter turns of an autocross course reveal a number of little motions in the suspension, all of which are felt through the Stinger's body. This is a chatty chassis, especially talkative when pushing the Stinger very hard. A comparative lap in the Audi A7 exhibits a bit more composure in the tight corners, but my seat-of-the-pants feeling is that I'm faster in the Kia.

"I'm happy to report that steering feel -- a longstanding sore spot for Kia and parent company Hyundai -- is mostly good here in the Stinger. In its default setting, there's no on-center dead spot or false sense of weight to the wheel's action; heft builds progressively while cornering. But a sour Kia trait rears its head when I turn the drive select button to Sport -- there's no improvement, just added resistance that doesn't actually result in better steering action. On the other end, turning to Eco mode results in overboosted lightness."

-- Steven Ewing, Motor1.com

"Out in the mountains, the Stinger GT exhibits a surprising but intriguing combination of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness. Over bumps, the suspension was soft and the ride of luxury-car quality. In the corners, though, it was stiff with excellent body control. Even when pushing hard, the Stinger GT rode well but dug into corners with little body roll.

"The power is well-matched to the vehicle and only feels inadequate if you let the revs drop too low. You want those turbochargers working for you, and the best way to do it is to take advantage of the paddle shifters because the transmission isn't quite aggressive enough for the really twisty roads."

-- Scott Evans, Motor Trend

"The steering is sharp and responsive. Acceleration is definitely in the big leagues. The bi-turbo V-6's 4.7-second 0-60 time is quicker than the supercharged Audi A7 Sportback, BMW 4- and 6-series Gran Coupes, [Infiniti] Q50 3.0L and Lexus GS 350. EPA fuel economy ratings aren't available yet.

"Weight distribution is 52/48 for rear-drive, 53/47 for AWD. That's a bit nose-heavy compared to the best-balanced small sport sedans, but the Stinger's handling and acceleration are excellent."

-- Mark Phelan, Detroit Free Press

"On a road handling course, the Stinger delivers neutral handling and no nasty surprises in the twisty bits -- a good thing, considering we drove the closed courses with more abandon than on the road. Again at higher speeds, the Stinger felt a bit heavier than its lower-speed handling might suggest. Judging by the turn-in and weight transfer, I suspect there might also be some sorting to be done to the dynamic torque vectoring system, which brakes the inside wheel to help the car turn. But the Stinger's fundamentals seem strong, as evidenced on the high-speed oval where it felt stable and planted right up near its electronically limited 167-mph top speed. The drive home offered a smooth, quiet sanctuary from highway traffic, where most Stingers will likely see much of their time."

-- Basem Wasef, Autoblog

"Not only did the GT feel absolutely planted at triple-digit speeds but it was also pleasantly free of excessive air rush noise, especially around the side mirrors and B-pillars where many cars lose their cool. And even though the Stinger is technically a hatchback without a solid bulkhead behind the rear seat, there was very little road sizzle drifting into the cabin from the cargo bay.

"Meanwhile, despite the twin turbochargers, which are notorious buzzkill for a hearty exhaust sound, there's just enough 'sting' from the V-6's quad-tipped exhaust to let you know you're driving a performance car."

-- Ron Sessions, New York Daily News

"Out on a cone course at Kia's Mojave proving grounds, the GT's standard variable-ratio electric power steering proved its worth, requiring a lot less sawing back and forth at the wheel than cars like BMW's 6 Series Gran Coupe, and even less than Audi's A7 Sportback. I tested both RWD and AWD Stinger GTs back-to-back against those cars, along with an Audi S5 Sportback, base Porsche Panamera and Infiniti Q50, and the Kia more than held its own despite what promises to be a much lower price tag. The Stinger's steering also didn't feel completely artificial and devoid of feel like some variable-rack systems can.

"The signs were similarly encouraging during high-speed passes on a large banked oval, where runs at 130 mph proved utterly benign and unremarkable. At such speeds on manicured surfaces, the Stinger felt wholly at ease and unchallenged -- appropriate, since Kia says the car is good for a further 38 mph.

"When taking to the road course, the Stinger again inspired confidence, with friendly handling dynamics, resolute brakes and good power out of the corners. This clearly isn't a cutthroat track monster, it's a 4,000-pound street car, but that's not a demerit. After all, nobody really takes their Audi A7 or BMW 6 Series GC to the circuit, right? Either way, if Kia ever wants to come out with an even higher-performance model featuring significantly more horsepower and a starchier suspension, the chassis feels up to the job."

-- Chris Paukert, Roadshow by CNET

"The rear-drive Stinger had a tendency to plow in corners before snapping around into a tail-happy slide, while the AWD car proved more stable under hard acceleration. I could distantly feel the torque-vectoring system working to bring the AWD car around -- a feeling I was able to sort of detect even on public roads.

"Kia bragged about the Stinger's brakes, and with good reason -- they're fantastic. The automaker has introduced a system that is supposed to mitigate brake fade, but I can't say for sure if either autocrossing or driving through the mountains produced enough hard braking to require the system's intervention.

"On the road, perhaps the biggest flaw is something that's also a strength -- it often seemed too well-behaved to have an engaging personality. At times, I felt I was driving too slow, only to look down and see I was traveling or cornering at the appropriate speed -- the Stinger's quietness and mostly behaved (sans body roll) suspension sapped the drama, and perhaps some of the fun, out of the proceedings."

-- Tim Healey, The Truth About Cars