2018 Kia Stinger vs 2020

What's the difference?

The Kia Stinger was the most anticipated vehicle the Korean brand had ever launched - and less than a year since it first landed in Australia, the big rear-wheel drive five-door liftback is still one of those cars that, when you spot it on the road, you’ll find yourself exclaiming “ooh, Stinger!”.

This wasn’t the sort of car people expected from a brand like Kia. And it launched at a time when we were wiping away tears spilled over the loss of the Falcon and Commodore (yes, the latter is still on sale, but no, it’s not what it used to be). 

It hasn’t sold in huge numbers since it launched, but that’s not what this car was developed for. It was made to change perceptions of the brand, and it has done exactly that. Bulk sales are left to models like the Cerato, Sportage and Rio - but the Stinger is what draws you to the showroom, if only for a bit of a sneaky look.

So, the Stinger is still stylish enough to make you turn your head when you drive past one… and it could be enough to cause you to consider a Kia, even if you can’t afford a Stinger. But should you be taking a closer look? Let’s find out.

Is the Kia Stinger a flash in the pan? The truth is it hasn’t set the automotive world on fire since its reveal in January 2017. Pre-launch hype suggested it would, but it’s yet to live up to it… at least on the sales chart.

As we all know, large sedans are going out of fashion as the SUV phenomenon grows ever stronger. But the thing the Stinger has over the rest of the mainstream pack is it’s rear-wheel drive.

But is that traditional drive set-up still desirable in 2020? Especially when you only have four cylinders and one turbo to play with? We've parked the twin-turbo V6 version, and put the Stinger’s GT-Line variant to the test to find out.