Kia is killing it. The Kia EV6 is hailed as one of the best EVs out there, while the Kia Telluride is winning all kinds of awards in the SUV space. But every car company needs a sports sedan, and Kia has that on lock too. The Kia Stinger was first introduced a few years ago, and since then has grown in popularity as an incredible sports sedan that looks great and performs better. The Kia Stinger GT2 is at the top of the Stinger line, offering the same 3.3L V6 twin-turbocharged engine, with electronic suspension and other premium features.
The Stinger in general is aimed at taking on the big European sports sedans, like the Audi A5 and BMW 4-series. And it pulls it off. The Kia Stinger is sporty, fast, and a whole lot of fun. It’s a solid family car too — it’s got plenty of room in the back, and a hatchback trunk that can easily store a few suitcases.
Here’s what makes the 2022 Kia Stinger GT2 such an awesome option — and whether you should go for the GT2 or one of the lower-end trims.
Pros
- Sporty design
- Super fun
- Very responsive
- Practical
Cons
- CarPlay wired
Kia Stinger GT2 exterior design
The 2022 Kia Stinger retains many of the design elements that drivers knew and loved in previous generations, but also adds a few touches that make its design even cooler. It’s got sleek lines, a mean look, and a sporty feel.
On the front, you’ll find a simple yet excellent-looking collection of grilles. There are two main grilles, flanked by two side vents. It’s an ensemble that looks great together, made even better by the sloped LED headlights. Front the front, you’ll also see a slightly sculpted hood with two air vents. These vents aren’t there for functionality, but they certainly add to the overall look.
The car looks great from the back too. It’s got a wide light bar across the back for the brake lights, which split off into the rear taillights. It’s super sleek-looking, and I love the overall feel of it. Couple that with the quad exhaust tips, and you have a very handsome rear. Both the GT2 and the GT1 also offer the 19-inch alloy wheels, and they look great here.
Kia Stinger GT2 interior design
The interior isn’t quite as sporty as the exterior, but it still looks and feels premium. You’ll get nice stitched leather seats and high-end construction, but it doesn’t quite reach the heights of the likes of the Audi or BMW equivalents. It’s not a huge deal though — to be fair, nothing about the interior feels cheap or badly built, and the seats are still comfortable in both the driver and passenger seats. And, there are some premium touches like accent lighting.
There’s a solid amount of space too. The car may not offer as much room as a true family sedan, but there’s still enough for the whole family, and more than you might expect from a sports sedan. At the front, you’ll nice leather finishes, along with features like a wireless charger.
The trunk space is good too. The car is pretty large for a sports sedan, and the result is that you’ll get 23.3 cu-ft of space with the rear seats upright, or 40.9 cu-ft with them down. That’s enough to stow a few suitcases, the groceries, and so on. And, I really appreciate the inclusion of a premium cargo cover that’s easy to remove as needed.
Kia Stinger GT2 infotainment
At the front of the Stinger GT2, you’ll get a 10.3-inch display with the same infotainment system as Kia’s other modern cars. As I’ve noted in my review of the Kia EV6, I quite like the system. It’s responsive, and relatively easy to navigate, and it supports both CarPlay and Android Auto.
Unfortunately, like in Kia’s other cars, it only supports CarPlay and Android Auto through a wired connection. This is a huge miss from Kia. Every modern car should support these technologies wirelessly — especially those that come with a wireless charger.
The instrument display is well-designed too. It changes a little depending on the drive mode that you’re in, and you can cycle between different types of information to display. And, it has one of my favorite features of modern Kia’s — a blind spot camera when you turn on your turn signal. It works great in this car.
Kia Stinger GT2 safety and driver-assist
As you might expect from a modern car, the Kia Stinger GT2 offers a number of driver-assist features that could help in day-to-day use. You’ll get things like adaptive cruise control and a lane-keeping assistant, and combined these features can make the car feel self-driving in many situations. And, of course, you’ll get the aforementioned blind-spot camera, which can be very useful.
Other useful features are here too. You’ll get a backup camera, of course, but you’ll also get a 360-degree camera, which I really appreciate. It can definitely help when parallel parking.
Kia Stinger GT2 performance
Then there’s the main event — actually driving the thing. Driving the Kia Stinger GT2 is an absolute blast. The car is quick, responsive, and nimble. The GT2 offers the 3.3L twin-turbocharged V6 engine, which is an upgrade over the GT-Line’s 2.5L V4 engine. It’s got some serious grunt to it, and you’ll feel it in sports mode.
The Stinger feels great in straight-line driving, accelerating from 0-60 in an impressive 4.6 seconds. Around the bends, it feels pretty good too. You’ll get some slight body lean around hard corners at speed, but I actually don’t mind that in this case.
The car is available in both rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations. We’re reviewing the RWD model, and can’t imagine that the AWD model would be more fun than what’s on offer here. Unless you live in a climate that demands AWD, I recommend sticking with the RWD variant.
The car comes with an 8-speed automatic transmission the deliver smooth shifts overall, and the paddle shifters were pretty responsive too. It’s no substitute for a real manual transmission car, but it does help offer a little more control, and it definitely adds to the fun.
You’ll get a few different drive modes in the Stinger, including Sport, Smart, Eco, and Comfort. For most day-to-day use Comfort made for a smooth ride and decent fuel efficiency, but I’d be lying if I said I didn’t use Sport mode regularly.
Conclusions
The Kia Stinger GT2 is an excellent sports sedan in its price range. It’s stylish and sleek, super powerful, and a whole lot of fun. It’s a crowning achievement for Kia, which has had a stellar few years with options like the EV6 and Kia Carnival. And, if you’re looking for a sports sedan at around $50,000, you can’t do much better.
That said, the GT2 is overkill for many. You’ll get the fun driving and the stylish look from the GT1, at a lower price. Most should opt for the Kia Stinger GT1.
The competition
The biggest competition comes from companies like Audi and BMW. While the Audi A4 and the BMW 4-series. While both of these options have a lot to offer, including a nicer interior, they don’t look quite as sporty as the Kia Stinger, and with options, will likely end up costing more.
Should I buy the Kia Stinger GT2 2022?
Yes. The Kia Stinger GT2 is a killer sports sedan that anyone can enjoy.
