That's assuming sales for the GT car pick up the pace.
There’s certainly plenty of buzz around the Kia Stinger since it debuted last year. That hasn’t yet translated to stellar sales though – according to the latest figures from the automaker only 3,920 Stingers found new homes so far in 2018. That’s less than the BMW 4 Series to which we compared the car, though it's light years behind the 5 Series which is a better match in size and performance. Perhaps that’s partly why Kia is already talking about its commitment to keeping the Stinger fresh and exciting though interesting color options and more trim levels.
AutoGuide had occasion to speak with Kia’s North American Product Planner Orth Hendrick at the recent New York Auto Show. In that discussion, Hendrick said reaction to the Stinger “had been phenomenal” and that the car was enjoying a high mix of buyers. He also said it was still early in the Stinger’s lifespan and that waiting for more data on the car would be a good idea. The interview steered clear of sales success, however, and only referred to public reaction, which has certainly been positive.
“We’re going to be very aggressive for the lifecycle of this vehicle, we’re going to be very aggressive with the colors,” he told AutoGuide. “It’s a fashion statement. You have to keep the car going with powertrain variants and other stuff coming down the road. I think this is something that we have to keep fresh.”
Hendrick also alluded to the possibility of additional trim levels. That could range from higher-end luxury models to a dedicated performance variant. You can imagine which of those possibilities catches our eye more, considering the Stinger already offers a biturbo mill with 365 horsepower and all-wheel drive. Something north of 400 hp with a tighter suspension could certainly inject the already-fun car with a hardcore dose of adrenalin, though that would almost certainly have a negative impact on the Stinger’s grand touring chops, which are pretty darned good.
Of course, future development will depend on whether or not Kia can sell more Stingers. The hype might be strong, but from our vantage point the sales seem rather soft so far.
