Kia Stinger vs Tesla Model Y

What's the difference?

VS
Kia Stinger
Kia Stinger

$30,888 - $63,977

2021 price

Tesla Model Y
Tesla Model Y

$58,900 - $89,400

2026 price

Summary

2021 Kia Stinger
2026 Tesla Model Y
Safety Rating

Engine Type
Turbo 4, 2.0L

Not Applicable, 0.0L
Fuel Type
Unleaded Petrol

Electric
Fuel Efficiency
8.8L/100km (combined)

0.0L/100km (combined)
Seating
5

6
Dislikes
  • Servicing costs
  • Tight rear accommodation
  • A bit pricey for a Kia

  • Ride might be too firm for some
  • Compromised vision from driver's seat
  • Lack of Apple CarPlay a turn-off
2021 Kia Stinger Summary

There is nothing quite like a car company occasionally building a car that could be considered a risk. And there are all kinds of risks in the car business - the market isn't ready for that car, people don't identify your brand with this or that type of vehicle, the list goes on. And it's long. It's very easy for me to sit on the sidelines and say, "Pft, what were they thinking?" Few cars land on your driveway without years of thinking having already gone into their development.

The Kia Stinger is the kind of car that would have caused lots of thinking and plenty of hand-wringing at Kia HQ in Korea. Not because it was a bad idea - it wasn't. Not because it's a bad car - it is, in fact, the opposite. And not because SUVs have already changed the way we look at cars - Kia has done well out of that.

It's just that Kia has never produced a car like the Stinger. A five-door coupe-sedan, rear-wheel drive and with a focus on driver dynamics. Most of us know very well how the Stinger GT burst on to the scene in a blaze of well-deserved glory. It's not all about the GT, though. There's a whole range of Stingers and just below that very accomplished sports sedan is the Stinger GT-Line.

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2026 Tesla Model Y Summary

This is the new Tesla Model Y L, of course, but before we even start I need to ask you a very important question.

How often, honestly, do you use all seven seats in your seven-seater? Or if you only have five seats, how often is there a human in every single one?

Rarely, if ever?

Yep, me too. So stick around, because this is, by far, the best family SUV seating layout. And one where there’ll finally be no fighting over who gets stuck with the dodgy seat.

And as a result, the six-seat Tesla Model Y L might just be among the best all-electric SUV offerings around.

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Deep dive comparison

2021 Kia Stinger 2026 Tesla Model Y

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