Since its introduction, Kia Stinger was offered with two engines: 255 hp 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder and 365 hp 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6. And while it still has a great chassis, the four-cylinder has always outperformed its monster brother with two extra cylinders and another turbo. That’s not just due to the lower power output – the four-cylinder is also unremarkable with its sluggish response to start-up. That changes for 2022, as Kia has replaced the 2.0 liter engine with a 2.5 liter engine that produces much more powerand just as importantly, is livelier, more refined and more befitting of a performance sedan like Stinger. In fact, the new 2.5 makes a case for itself compared to V6.
While all GT versions get a V6 engine, only slightly updated for 2022, the four-cylinder engine is exclusive to the GT-Line version and vice versa. Output for the 2.5 engine is 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, a significant increase of 45 horsepower and 51 pound-feet of torque over the old engine. And as you’d expect, it makes the Stinger GT-Line quicker than its predecessor, with a manufacturer-listed 0-60 mph time of 5.2 seconds versus 5.9 for the old car.
Fuel economy has also improved, but not to the same extent. When equipped with standard rear-wheel drive, the Stinger GT-Line manages 22 mpg in the city, 32 mpg on the highway, and 25 mpg in combined driving. The previous four-cylinder engine hit just 29 mpg on the highway, though the combined and city ratings are the same. Adding all-wheel drive brings energy saving drops to 21 in the city, 29 on the highway and 24 in combined driving, the same as before. The V6 returns 20 mpg combined.
Unlike its predecessor, the new 2.5-liter engine feels much more alive throughout the entire power range. When it’s idle, it doesn’t feel appreciably slow thanks to the increased displacement and faster build boost. It also went smoothly. The V6 tends to come close to you with its turbos. It’s exhilarating, but not always welcome, especially if you’re trying to be smooth and precise. So the smoothness and controllability of the four cylinders is quite good. Furthermore, the four-cylinder feels like it continues to generate power in the high end of the rev range, while the old one seems to lose power sooner. The eight-speed automatic is also a great match for the engine, with smooth and quick shifting, close to the famous ZF eight-speed.
Complementing the pot of four spirits is an eager pointed nose. Having fewer cylinders, just a twin cam cylinder head and just one turbo means a lot less weight on the nose. As such, the Stinger GT-Line is more ready to sniff the peaks. The car also feels better balanced, instead of feeling like the rear end is much lighter. This is all great when it comes to such a great communicative chassis combined with super-fast and precise steering. It also makes it easy to spot coming out from behind, which will be more than happy to ask.
Now, it’s not perfect. The engine still doesn’t have a particularly great voice. Besides, brake is effective, but a bit difficult to adjust. The pedals are a bit soft and you can easily add a little extra pressure when you get to the stop light, resulting in an impolite stopping of the car. But they are nothing that we consider a deal breaker.
The Stinger is also really well equipped. The GT-Line looks exactly like its V6 cousins, save for wheel designs, so you lose nothing in terms of style. Inside it is Kia’s new, larger 10.25-inch infotainment system with the latest Kia UI found in Telluride, Carnival, etc… It also has push-button start and proximity entry, heated leather seats, dual-zone automatic climate control and a wireless phone charger. As for driver assistance, it gets Kia’s latest versions of blind-spot monitoring, adaptive cruise control with lane-centering, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic emergency braking. And all of this is included for $37,365. That’s a solid $3,227 increase over last year’s model, but you’re getting significantly more performance. And for reference, the four-cylinder is still $7,600 cheaper than the base V6.
The Stinger GT-Line is definitely a big improvement over the previous base model. It’s faster, more efficient, and much more fun. At the same time, more playful handling, a lower price tag and better fuel economy are the real reasons to choose it over the more expensive, more powerful GT. It’s not just the cheap Stinger, it could easily be considered the better one.
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