The Kia Stinger is probably one of the best performance buys on the market. Where else can you get rear-wheel drive, a choice of two turbocharged engines in a fastback body with a 100,000 mile warranty? Granted sales haven’t always been so hot, but you appreciate things like this while you have them. For 2022 the Stinger receives some updates. A report from Korean Car Blog indicates there’s more power and some lineup changes.
(All images are of the 2021 Stinger. Photos of the 2022 Stinger haven’t been released yet.)
First up, the increased power: The base Stinger will now use a more powerful version of the 2.5-liter turbo four cylinder found in other Hyundai/Kia products. In cars like the Sonata N Line and K5 GT, this engine makes 290 horsepower. The Stinger gets a 10 HP increase to 300 while torque remains the same as the other cars at 311 lb-ft. That’s a pretty big increase over the outgoing 2.0-liter turbo four that made 255 HP in base Stingers.
That power increase won’t come cheap though. The ’22 Stinger will start $3,000 higher than the 2021 model. The base price is up to $36,090; $38,290 if you want all-wheel drive. Keep in mind that all base Stingers are GT Line now. That price increase doesn’t change how Kia packs in the value, though. While other automakers would just increase the price based solely on a new, more powerful engine, Kia threw in some more features. Base Stingers now come standard with things like a 10.25-inch touchscreen, LED headlights and smart cruise control.
*$13 for 48 AA, $12 for 48 AAA, $8 for 20 AAA, $8 for four 9V batteries
At the higher end of the lineup, the GT gets changes as well. For those looking to get into a V6 Stinger for under $40,000, that option is gone, as the base Stinger GT has been discontinued. Now there are just GT1 and GT2 trims. It’s sort of confusing what Kia has done to the GT trims.
Pricing has both simultaneously risen and lowered. The Stinger GT1 now starts at $43,690; $45,890 with AWD. When you compare those prices with the 2020 model you will see that that’s over $4,000 higher than the base GT while being $1,800 lower than the 2021 Stinger GT1. Because of this lower price, Kia has taken some features away from the GT1 and made them GT2 features. The Stinger GT2 now starts at $51,290, or $53,490 with AWD. The Stinger GT also gains a whopping three HP for a total of 368 HP and a new variable exhaust that opens up when the car is placed into sport mode. The 2022 Stinger should arrive on lots later this year.