Kia is known for making cars that are as reliable as they are uninspiring, but it’s hoping the new Stinger, and World Touring Car Champion Robert Huff, will help it ditch that reputation.
On paper, the first sports car to wear a Kia badge, with its 355- horsepower V-6, looks like it could be capable of taking on its rivals from Germany. But numbers can only do so much to convince people.
Enter Huff.
Kia first had the British racer take a group of “Top Gear” readers for a drive in the rear-wheel-drive Stinger to find out what it’s like on country roads. Afterward, the Korean automaker let Huff loose at Cadwell Park in Lincolnshire, England, to show them what the Stinger can do when there are no speed limits.
It will be interesting to see how the Stinger stacks up against the new Genesis G70, which is the new sports sedan from Hyundai’s luxury brand. The two have similar power outputs and rear-drive layouts, so its anybody’s guess which will be the superior Korean performance vehicle.
