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Report: Kia Stinger May Get a V8 Instead of a V6 For The U.S. Market

With the Stinger, volume-oriented Kia proved that it knows how to do sporty and premium despite the fact its vehicles are better known for value and reliability. Available with three engines (2.0-liter turbo, 2.2-liter turbo diesel, and 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6), the Stinger will allegedly welcome a 5.0-liter V8.
Kia Stinger 25 photos
Photo: Guido ten Brink/SB-Medien
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Car Advice dropped the news, but there’s no official confirmation the Stinger V8 is actually happening. Speaking to Kia of Australia’s Kevin Hepworth, the general manager of media and corporate communications said: “I believe they’re developing one. There may be a possibility the U.S. could pick it up.”

The million dollar question is, does it make sense for Kia to re-engineer the Stinger to fit a naturally aspirated V8 under the hood? The mid-size liftback brother of the Genesis G70 would sound a lot better with the Tau V8 driving the rear axle, but for a couple of reason, it doesn’t actually make sense.

First of all, there’s not a lot of difference in terms of performance compared to the Lambda II T-GDI twin-turbo V6, which is currently used by all Genesis models and the Stinger. As for the 5.0-liter V8, which can be found in the full-size Kia K900, you’re looking at 420 horsepower and 376 pound-feet (510 Nm). That represents 65 more ponies and the exact same amount of torque.

As for the second reason why Kia would shoot itself in the foot by going N/A V8 to the detriment of TT V6, think about the weight distribution between the front and the rear. A nose-heavy car doesn’t handle well because of innate understeer, and with all due respect, the Tau V8 isn’t potent enough to outperform equivalent cars from light to light or on the drag strip.

Kia customers in the United States and Land Down Under could be left wanting, but all things considered, the Stinger with the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 mill is the better choice. Too bad the six-cylinder doesn't sound too good.
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About the author: Mircea Panait
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After a 1:43 scale model of a Ferrari 250 GTO sparked Mircea's interest for cars when he was a kid, an early internship at Top Gear sealed his career path. He's most interested in muscle cars and American trucks, but he takes a passing interest in quirky kei cars as well.
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