KIA, a no-no from brand-snobs

Kia.. It doesn't say too much, is it?

You never hear anyone saying: "I dream of owning a KIA!". You would say that that person isn't sane at all.

They're known as a South-Korean car manufacturer which makes economy cars, and their line up used to be quite boring.. until now. The Stinger is the proof that Kia wants to make a name of itself in the car industry by building a proper luxury saloon. It follows the formula of the traditional saloon: engine in the front, great styling and RWD(it's also got a trim version featuring AWD).

You can find the specs on other websites, but I wanted to mention the engine line-up which is very impressive, starting from the base model 4-cyl developing 244 bhp all the way up to the twin-turbo 365bhp 3.3-litre V6, which is capable of a 0-60mph time of just 4.7 seconds and a top speed of 168mph.

The design certainly is aggressive; it is the work of Kia’s European design studio in Frankfurt. Up front, there’s the brand’s familiar “tiger nose” grille, but behind that, the low stance and muscular proportions effectively distinguish the Stinger from anything else the company has produced. Buyers will be able to have fun by getting their buddies to guess the brand of their new car when seen in profile. There’s something distinctly Alfa Romeo–ish about the rear end’s small, high-mounted taillights as well as the quad tailpipes on the V-6 GT model. LED lighting is standard front and rear.

It was also promised that a generous amount of equipment will be standard, including wireless device charging, navigation, and a 7.0-inch touchscreen. Driver aids will include adaptive cruise control, automated emergency braking, and a head-up display. An optional Harman/Kardon audio system has 15 speakers including subwoofers beneath the front seats and a peak output of 720 watts.

The Stinger GT has some fierce competition, as seen in the image below.

Here's Roadshow's introduction about the car:

What's my opinion on it?

I think it looks great, but it's going to be hard for KIA since they're the underdog in the competition where they entered against Audi, Mercedes-Benz and BMW.

Again, people will motivate their choice by brand name only, as they fear that others will make fun of them for not choosing a better-known brand and instead go for something more expensive.

However, as a budget-friendly car, I think it will succeed and help KIA get noticed in the automotive industry. What do you think about the new Stinger?

Would you drive one?

Let me know!