Kia Stinger GT Is Looking to Catch Challenger, GT500, and Chevy SS Unprepared

Seeing the midsize liftback sedan on the drag strip certainly qualifies as unexpected, and not just because it’s more prepared for family life. After all, Kia actually envisioned the Stinger GT as something that could be enjoyed both inside and outside the city, or even within the confines of a racetrack.

But, if there’s one thing the Drag Racing and Car Stuff channel on YouTube has taught us, it’s that we shouldn’t dismiss these odd apparitions from afar. After all, we have a raft of examples where the odd mix led to interesting and unexpected results.

This time around, the lessons go both ways for the Kia Stinger GT driver. By the way, it’s not the first time we see the Korean model duke it out with an interesting roster of competitors. However, we really can’t tell for sure if this Stinger is the same one that previously faced a Volvo XC40 Recharge EV and Porsche Macan crossover with less than stellar results.

On this occasion, the Stinger GT seeks a brawl with more traditional drag strip foes – a Dodge Challenger, the Holden Commodore-based Chevrolet SS, and (probably just for bragging rights) a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500.

Judging by all accounts – but above all basing our guesses on the timed results – the Kia Stinger GT owner decided to try and catch these muscle car representatives by surprise. The unexpected did happen during the run against the Challenger T/A, as the Korean liftback delivered a stellar performance that seemed to promise it will punch well above its weight.

Unfortunately for anyone expecting a constant string of successes, the skirmish against the Dodge was also a “one-hit wonder” for the Stinger GT, which finished the first quarter-mile run in 12.131s with a trap speed of 113.37 mph (182.451 kph). Meanwhile, the Challenger T/A didn’t stress itself, taking 13.374 seconds to complete the leg.

The green Dodge then called for a rematch, and a good start almost sent the quarrel towards a tiebreaker. Still, somehow the Stinger GT recovered along the way and snatched the win by a hair (13.046s vs. 13.372s). Steadfastness probably isn’t the strong suit of this Stinger driver, because that low 12-second result emerged again against the GT500, although the latter’s equally low 11-second performance quickly settled the argument.

Then it was time for another jump back into the 13-second bracket for the Stinger GT, though it was low enough to prove its mettle against the still significant Chevrolet SS. Well, hopefully, the former will learn a valuable lesson: steadiness is key to high (drag strip) performance!