Photo: Kia / edited
Kia's product planners probably knew that rolling out the Stinger was a bit of a gamble. Enthusiast cars aren't selling well due to the rising popularity of crossovers and pickups. Be that as it may, the South Korean automaker had access to a rear-wheel-drive platform developed for the Genesis luxury brand. Kia couldn't pass the opportunity to bring the Stinger to market, especially in 2017, when there was talk – albeit not as much as today – of the industry's all-electric transition.
Hyundai was already developing the E-GMP platform back then, an electric vehicle architecture that Kia used for the Stinger GT-replacing EV6 GT. Since 2017, sedan sales have taken a tremendous nosedive pretty much everywhere in the Western world. The opposite applies to EV sales, which are slowly but steadily chipping away at purely internal combustion and hybridized vehicles.
Given this background, does it come as a surprise the Stinger never sold in large numbers? Not home in South Korea, and not in the United States market either. The best year for the Stinger in the US of A was 2018, when it moved 16,806 units. In 2022, deliveries contracted to 7,809 in this part of the world. Alas, the time has come for Kia to bid farewell to the sporty yet roomy sedan.
For the 2024 model year, the Stinger received a Tribute Edition limited to 1,000 examples of the breed. The US will get 440 of them at $53,390 apiece sans destination charge. That kind of money is a bit uncanny for a Kia, but then again, you're getting a lot of car as well. The special edition is based on the range-topping GT2 trim level, which means that you're getting a twin-turbocharged V6 engine rather than a turbo'd four-pot.
All-wheel drive remains an optional extra, and the Tribute Edition-exclusive Steel Matte Gray paint finish is an option as well. It's pretty weird to send off a sporty car like this, but then again, Kia doesn't even care at this point. The EV6 is doing great, and there's more to come from Kia on the E-GMP platform, including a Telluride-sized crossover utility vehicle with three-row seating.
Painted as standard in Ascot Green, the Tribute Edition flaunts contrasting black paint on the side mirrors, exhaust finishers, 19-inch alloy wheels, and Brembo-supplied brake calipers. Inside, you'll find Terracotta Nappa leather upholstery on the seats, faux carbon-fiber trim, and a synthetic suede headliner. The final noteworthy addition is the numbered door sill plate.
Priced at $55,590 excluding the $1,175 destination fee in all-wheel-drive guise, the Tribute Edition packs 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm) of torque. The only transmission available is an eight-speed automatic supplied by Hyundai's transmission division, Transys.
Hidden at the very end of the attached release, Kia America confirms that over 65,000 units of the Stinger have been sold in the US since the 2019 model year.
Given this background, does it come as a surprise the Stinger never sold in large numbers? Not home in South Korea, and not in the United States market either. The best year for the Stinger in the US of A was 2018, when it moved 16,806 units. In 2022, deliveries contracted to 7,809 in this part of the world. Alas, the time has come for Kia to bid farewell to the sporty yet roomy sedan.
For the 2024 model year, the Stinger received a Tribute Edition limited to 1,000 examples of the breed. The US will get 440 of them at $53,390 apiece sans destination charge. That kind of money is a bit uncanny for a Kia, but then again, you're getting a lot of car as well. The special edition is based on the range-topping GT2 trim level, which means that you're getting a twin-turbocharged V6 engine rather than a turbo'd four-pot.
All-wheel drive remains an optional extra, and the Tribute Edition-exclusive Steel Matte Gray paint finish is an option as well. It's pretty weird to send off a sporty car like this, but then again, Kia doesn't even care at this point. The EV6 is doing great, and there's more to come from Kia on the E-GMP platform, including a Telluride-sized crossover utility vehicle with three-row seating.
Painted as standard in Ascot Green, the Tribute Edition flaunts contrasting black paint on the side mirrors, exhaust finishers, 19-inch alloy wheels, and Brembo-supplied brake calipers. Inside, you'll find Terracotta Nappa leather upholstery on the seats, faux carbon-fiber trim, and a synthetic suede headliner. The final noteworthy addition is the numbered door sill plate.
Priced at $55,590 excluding the $1,175 destination fee in all-wheel-drive guise, the Tribute Edition packs 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm) of torque. The only transmission available is an eight-speed automatic supplied by Hyundai's transmission division, Transys.
Hidden at the very end of the attached release, Kia America confirms that over 65,000 units of the Stinger have been sold in the US since the 2019 model year.
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