The Kia Stinger exited production last year without a replacement, but one is reportedly coming – and with electric power.
The Korean Car Blog reports a high-performance electric sedan codenamed GT1 will enter production in Korea in 2026, according to a leaked union production schedule.
This model will replace not only the Kia Stinger but also the K8, a large, front-wheel drive sedan slotting between the Optima-replacing K5 and the flagship, rear/all-wheel drive K9 sedans.
The GT1 will reportedly be Kia’s first vehicle on the next-generation, electric-only eM architecture, set to debut in 2025 on the flagship Genesis GV90 crossover.
In range-topping guise, it will reportedly combine 200kW front and 250kW rear electric motors for a total system output of 450kW, just pipping the EV6 GT’s 430kW output.
These will be powered by Kia’s largest battery yet, a 113.2kWh unit.
The GT1 will also reportedly be offered in a less powerful dual-motor all-wheel drive configuration with two 160kW electric motors for a total of 320kW, and a single-motor rear-wheel drive configuration with 160kW.
For reference, the defunct Stinger produced 182kW of power with its entry-level turbocharged 2.0-litre four-cylinder engine, 224kW with the 2.5-litre turbo four not offered here, and 274kW with its twin-turbocharged 3.3-litre V6.
The documents also note expected range of between 700 and 800km for the GT1, though it’s unclear what test cycle these figures are based on.
That the GT1 will replace both the Stinger and K8 is interesting as these vehicles are quite different beyond their drivetrain configurations.
Kia K8
The Stinger was positioned as a performance model within the Kia lineup with aggressive styling, while the K8 is a larger, plusher sedan to rival the Hyundai Grandeur. Think of it more as a Lexus ES equivalent, while the Stinger was more in the vein of a Lexus IS.
The K8 has been selling better than its K7 (aka Cadenza) predecessor in Korea, a market still hungry for conventional sedans – the Hyundai Grandeur was the best-selling vehicle there last year.
The Stinger, in contrast, wasn’t a strong seller in Korea, and failed to fire in markets like Europe and the US though it was a consistent seller here. It also enjoyed a sales spike in its last full year on the Australian market.
MORE: Everything Kia Stinger
