Stinger: The EV Kia Should Build
[Jan. 17, 2020]
I test a fair number of new vehicles each year. Over time, I’ve evaluated everything from Ford Mustangs to Toyota Corollas to Chevy Tahoes, and even the occasional supercar. Most recently, I’ve been spending time behind the wheel of a Kia Stinger GT, and you know, I’ll be darned if an EV Stinger isn’t the Tesla Model S competitor we need. Hear me out.
An excellent ICE performance sedan, an EV Stinger could be even more amazing.
To some degree, Kia could be considered the Tesla of the ICE world. Since 2011, the South Korean auto company has become known for disrupting the status quo. That year, Kia shocked the world with its redesigned and massively affordable Optima, and sales shot to the moon.
In 2018, Kia once again put the automotive world on notice with the release of its rear-wheel drive bad-boy Stinger. With eye-popping performance and hidden-hatchback good looks, the sleek Stinger sedan turned heads. And like its Optima sibling, it did so by offering top-dollar accoutrements for mere pennies. If the Optima was the poor man’s Camry, the Stinger was the same to the Panamera.
Look familiar? Turns out, the Stinger and the Model S have a lot in common.
The Stinger GT is equipped with Kia’s 3.3L twin-turbo V6 that produces 365 hp, 376 lb-ft of torque, running the roughly 3,800 lb car to 60 mph in about 4.5 seconds. Sure, it’s not as fast as a Model S Performance, but it’s not far off the Long Range. The Model S and Stinger also sold similarly in the last year. Per GCBC’s sales numbers:
The Stinger and the Model S share other similarities, too:
EXTERIOR
Wheelbase (inches)
Model S: 116.5
Stinger: 114.4
Length (inches)
Model S: 196
Stinger: 190.2
Width (inches)
Model S: 77.3
Stinger: 73.6
Height (inches)
Model S: 56.5
Stinger: 55.1
INTERIOR
Front Head Room (inches)
Model S: 38.8
Stinger: 38.3
Rear Head Room (inches)
Model S: 35.3
Stinger: 37.0
Storage (cu ft)
Model S: 28
Stinger: 23.3
OTHER
Turning Diameter (feet)
Model S: 40.7
Stinger: 36.7
Front Brake Rotors (inches)
Model S: 14
Stinger: 13.8
Wheel Size (inches)
Model S: 19x8
Stinger: 19x8 front/19x8.5 rear
Coefficient of Drag
Model S: 0.23
Stinger: 0.30
Now imagine the Stinger as an EV.
Two areas where the Stinger falls short to the Model S is in storage room and coefficient of drag. The Model S’ “frunk” offers roughly five cubic-feet of space, so assuming an EV Stinger would have its own “frunk,” storage is a wash. Reducing the Stinger’s coefficient of drag would involve work, but probably not much. Sealing up the openings on the nose and rethinking the exterior door handles would make the Stinger more slippery, as would extending the underbody cladding all the way to the rear (it currently stops just aft of the motor, leaving the transmission and exhaust disrupting airflow.)
The Stinger’s exceptional interior is both sporty and comfortable; with clearly defined and easily accessible physical buttons, the Stinger presents itself as a driver’s car. Conversely, the current EV trend is toward a massive center-mounted touchscreen boasting nested menus. Should Kia offer an EV variant of the Stinger, I feel the company should continue its driver-centric design. In fact, I wouldn’t change a thing.
The Kia Stinger’s interior is simple and effective. And should Kia make an EV variant of the Stinger, they shouldn’t change a thing.
The Stinger has ample room to play in the weight department. The Stinger GT tips the scales about 1,000 lbs less than the single-motor Model S Long Range, so Kia would have a lot of wiggle room when it comes to fitting a battery and motor – and that’s not counting the reduction of 500+ pounds from the removal of the aluminum engine, two turbos, and all of the accompanying piping and emissions systems. In all, Kia should easily have 1,500 lbs to work with when outfitting the Stinger as an EV and still stay below the weight of the Model S.
Let’s talk price. A nicely equipped Kia Stinger GT rings up at less than $45,000 while the Model S Long Range starts at $75,000. That’s quite a delta. But to keep to Kia’s business model, the Stinger EV’s MSRP would have to come in well below that of the Tesla.
Is that possible? Well, the Kia Niro EV has an MSRP of $38,500, which is $10,000 more than the Niro plug-in hybrid and $15,000 more than the standard Niro. Meanwhile, Kia’s sister company Hyundai sells its Ioniq EV for a $7,000 premium over the Ioniq Hybrid. Taking into consideration these numbers, plus the fact that the 3.3L twin-turbo motor isn’t inexpensive (used motors sell for $3,500-$8,000), the thought of a $60,000 Stinger EV with a 300-mile range and performance greater than the existing GT seems plausible.
Kia, hear my words: Add an EV drivetrain to the Stinger lineup and you will sell cars.
That said, since SUVs are about to consume the electrified market space, maybe Kia should first convert the Telluride.
(Kia supplied this vehicle for evaluation purposes. Images courtesy Kia.)
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