American automotive indstry is shaken up 2018 KIA STINGER

“A true gran turismo — a car for spirited long-distance driving — is not about outright power, hard-edged dynamics and brutal styling, all at the expense of luxury, comfort and grace,” said Gregory Guillaume, chief designer, Kia Motors Europe.

      “The Stinger has nothing to do with being the first to arrive at the destination. This car is all about the journey. It’s about passion.”

          It's also about the best-looking car Kia has ever produced — and, in the wake of the Optima and K900, that's saying something.

          Stinger, unveiled earlier this month at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, is a rear- or all-wheel drive four-door that seats five while offering a reconfigurable luggage bay under its hatchback cargo lid.

            Kia will offer two engines options. A 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder unit produces 255 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque, and will be standard equipment. Buyers can also spec a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6, good for 365 hp and 376 lb-ft. Kia anticipates 0 to 62 mph in 5.1 seconds and a top speed of 167 mph with the V6.

            The 2018 Kia Stinger goes on sale later this year. Pricing will be announced closer to the launch date, but if the carmaker can keep the cost of entry down, the Stinger could turn out to be a cut-price alternative to luxury sports sedans like the BMW 3 Series, or a more practical alternative to traditional sports cars like the Subaru BRZ/Toyota 86 twins, Mazda MX-5 Miata, or the American Ford Mustang/Chevrolet Camaro/Dodge Challenger trio.