The updated Kia Stinger will get a bark to match its bite straight from the factory when it launches later this year.
After leading the development of a variable sports exhaust locally to meet customer demand for more noise, Kia Australia has confirmed the facelifted 2021 Stinger 330 GT will get a factory-fitted adaptive system as standard equipment.
The 330 GT will come with a power boost of a “couple of kW”, too.
When it arrives in the fourth quarter of 2020, the updated Kia Stinger liftback will sport subtle exterior design changes, enhanced cabin technology and materials, as well as new tech and safety features – though local specifications are still to be confirmed.
Available powertrains in the Australian market will be carried over, meaning a 182kW/353Nm 2.0-litre turbo four and a 272kW/510Nm 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6.
Markets like South Korea and the US get a new 2.5-litre turbocharged four-cylinder petrol as the base engine, which develops 224kW at 5000rpm and 422Nm between 1650 and 4000rpm – similar to the new Kia K5 GT and Hyundai Sonata N Line.
Key upgrades for global models include new colour and trim options depending on model, including some swish new brown quilted nappa leather and a black leather/suede interior with red stitching.
The Stinger will also pick up a number of new high-tech assistance features, including Safe Exit Warning, Blind Spot View Monitor (projects a live side camera feed into the instrument cluster), Lane Following Assist and Highway Driving Assist for Level 2 autonomous driving capability, as well as Rear Occupant Alert.
Existing features have been upgraded and enhanced, too, including cyclist detection for the AEB system, lane-keep assist that can detect the edge of the road as well as line markings, blind-spot assist that applies differential braking to avoid side collisions, navigation-based intelligent adaptive cruise control, and rear cross-traffic AEB.
The driver attention monitor now works at speeds of up to 210km/h and can alert the driver if they’ve failed to notice the vehicle in front setting off, while European models also gain Speed Limit Assist based on traffic sign recognition.
Australian versions of the 2021 Kia Stinger will go on sale during the fourth quarter of 2020, with full pricing and specifications for our market to be announced closer to the on-sale date. Stay tuned to CarExpert for all the latest.
