The 2021 Kia Stinger GT S has been given a slight spruce up inside and out while maintaining its V6 engine and rear-wheel drive layout.
Having been around for a couple of years now, it was time for Kia to give the humble Stinger GT S a little spruce up both on the inside and out. Unfortunately that doesn’t translate to anymore power, in fact it actually has slightly fewer horses, but it does bring the Kia bang up to date with improved quality and tech.
Starting outside, the front end has received a redesigned LED headlight cluster, while the rear gets a new diffuser with enlarged quad exhaust tips. Like Audi, Kia has adopted a light bar than spans the entire width of the car at the rear, connecting the two rear light clusters (which have also been redesigned) rather than illuminating just the outer edges.
More choice for customers was the order of the day, with new design packages and new interior and exterior colour options. Those wanting to stylise the exterior further can opt for a newly designed 19-inch set of wheels over the standard 18s.
Inside, the infotainment screen is now a larger 10.25 inches with more ambient lighting alongside a more premium steering wheel and updated instrument cluster.
Safety tech hasn’t been forgotten about and now includes a new Blind-Spot View Monitor that displays a live video feed of blind spots in certain situations. You can also now connect multiple Bluetooth devices and an optional 7-inch instrument cluster, presumably needed for that Blind-Spot tech.
On the subject of power, it comes from a 3.3-litre turbocharged engine, which now features a freer flowing, valved exhaust. Power is slightly down on earlier models, now at 361bhp with an unchanged 376lb ft of torque. Official specification has it at 0-62mph in 4.7 seconds with a 167mph top speed. Power is sent through the rear wheels via an eight-speed torque convertor automatic.
While some might argue £42,595 is a lot of money for the 2021 Kia Stinger GT S when German counterparts are of a similar price, it’s worth noting that to get the same performance from Mercedes, BMW and Audi, you’ll be paying around the £50,000 mark and up, depending on options.