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<\/p>\n<\/div>Like the publication of the annual Sports Illustrated Swimsuit edition in the dead of winter, Kia Motors warmed up the frigid Detroit auto show Sunday with the introduction of a gorgeous, four-door sedan coupe called the Stinger.<\/p>\n
Realizing the promise of Kia\u2019s acclaimed GT concept first shown in Geneva in 2011, the Stinger\u2019s long wheelbase and fast back is modeled after $80,000 sedan coupes like the Audi A7 and Porsche Panamera \u2013 but priced much closer to the $40,000 Audi A4 compact sedan.<\/p>\n
The sleek Stinger marks another bold move by the Korean automaker to expand beyond its mainstream, affordable roots to compete in the world of performance luxury. While sister automaker Hyundai has created a separate luxury automaker called Genesis, Kia is exploring luxury under its same nameplate \u2013 first with the K900 large luxury sedan and now with the Stinger coupe.<\/p>\n
Not uncoincidentally, the Stinger\u2019s design comes at the hand of Kia design chief Peter Schreyer, a former Audi draftsman. While Kia says that the Stinger aims to \u201credefine a segment currently populated by European automakers\u201d – like the Audi A4, Infiniti Q50 and BMW 4 Gran Coupe – the car\u2019s 114.4-inch long wheelbase is considerably bigger than those compact sedans. It’s similar to the midsize Audi A7 and Panamera.<\/p>\n
The Kia takes its performance cues from those bigger sedans, sporting a rear-wheel architecture that underwent athletic training at the world-renowned Nurburgring race track in Germany. But performance does not come at the expense of comfort.<\/p>\n
\u201cA true gran turismo, a car for spirited long-distance driving, is not about outright power, hard-edged dynamics and brutal styling, all at the expense of luxury, comfort and grace,\u201d said Gregory Guillaume, the European designer who penned the Stinger from the company\u2019s Frankfurt studio.\u00a0 \u201cThe Stinger has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination \u2013 this car is all about the journey. It\u2019s about passion.\u201d<\/p>\n
That passion is evident in the Stinger\u2019s dramatic styling, from Kia\u2019s signature\u00a0\u201cTiger Nose\u201d grille to the front fender gills to the swept roofline to the dual exhaust pipes. The Stinger\u2019s silhouette mimics the Audi A7 but features a unique, ovoid rear fascia.<\/p>\n
The Stinger\u2019s long wheelbase offers roomy interior quarters despite its low,\u00a0swept\u00a0roofline. The car comes loaded with the latest safety technology, including a driver alert system to combat drowsy driving, forward collision assistance, a heads-up display, rear-cross traffic alert, and so on. State-of-the-art audio systems are also available, including a Harmon\/Kardon music hall with 15 speakers.<\/p>\n
True to its performance DNA, bolstered Nappa leather seats with air-cell bladders are available along with a TFT screen between the instrument gauges that displays performance data such as cornering G-forces, oil temperature and even lap times for the truly adventurous.<\/p>\n
Under the long front hood, engine choices are more in line with the compact luxury segment with 2.0-liter four and twin-turbo, 3.3-liter V-6 offerings. Both mules, however, will provide plenty of kick \u2013 most notably, the V-6 which puts out 365 horsepower; more than the six-cylinder engines in the BMW 4-series GT, Audi A7, or Porsche Panamera.<\/p>\n
The engines will be mated to an eight-speed automatic familiar to drivers of the K900 sedan as well as Genesis luxury models like the G90. The Stinger will be offered with a sophisticated, torque-vectoring all-wheel drive system for wintry climates like Michigan. According to Kia\u2019s press release, the system \u201cautomatically applies power and braking force to the appropriate wheels to maintain course in adverse conditions.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Stinger rides on 18- or 19-inch tires with 10 inches of rubber in the rear to accommodate the aggressive engine and chassis. With 55-percent, high-strength steel and MacPherson front and multi-link rear suspension, the sleek Kia is ready to rumble when the thermometer climbs above freezing.<\/p>\n