The Updated 2022 Kia Stinger Is Packing A Lot Under Its Belt

Pushing boundaries and will come rolling with a ton of upgrades inside and out, is the newly evolved Kia Stinger.

Kia Motors will be unveiling the Kia Stinger in the United States of America, this coming spring and will only be made available on the road in 2022.

It will be offered in three variants the GT-Line, the GT1 and the GT2. Also, a special edition ‘Scorpion’ model will be released as well but at a later date.

Kia Motors North American and Kia Motors America’s president and chief executive officer Sean Yoon said, “The Stinger confidently shows Kia’s ability to build a sports sedan that can compete and beat the best the world has to offer. It is definitive proof of our proud and evolving engineering prowess. We continue to push Stinger to new heights as it is the catalyst behind our dynamic model line-up, from the award-winning Telluride to the highly praised K5. The Kia Stinger is world-class, and the refreshed 2022 model continues to evolve expectations.”

The upgraded Stinger will boast a new exterior design which offers a more upscale appearance, enhanced performance with a more powerful standard engine, and a better driving experience with several of the advanced driver assistance systems, which now come as standard.

Exterior wise, aside from adorning the company’s new emblem on the front hood and wheel caps, the new Kia Stinger GT-Line will be featuring new upgrades such as a pair of new LED headlamps with a new DRL signature. This comes with an optional “Stinger-signature” set of LED DRLs and headlamps.

On the back, the Stinger is fitted with standard rear LED tail lights that will be portraying a new futuristic design. It can be seen bridging and spanning the full width of the liftgate from left to right. The tail lights will come in full LED along with LED turn signals.

Sportiness of the Stinger doesn’t end there, the car’s lower rear is also seen equipped with a black slim diffuser, and a set of air inlet on the edges of the bumper. The diffuser is integrated with a quad exhaust system, which has a more aggressive exhaust tip design for enhanced visual appeal.

To enhance the sporty silhouette of the refreshed Stinger, it can be seen fitted with a new set of 18-inch and 19-inch dual-toned alloy wheels. In which the rims have a futuristic looking design that is defined by thinly and geometrically-shaped spokes.

Now diving into the Stinger’s interior, the upgrades given has sharpened the renowned driver-centric experience even further. It gets black gloss and chrome detailing on the panel and paired with ambient LED lighting with vibrant selection of colours that adds a touch of luxury to the sportiness.

As for the upholstery, it can be seen with a modern stitching pattern on the inside door trims which emphasizes the sportiness of the GT. Other than that, for the Nappa leather coating, it has gained a new ‘chain link’ design which is inspired by the wristbands found on high-end watches.

However, for the ‘Scorpion’ special edition, the interior and exterior are slightly different but both accelerate the Stinger’s appeal nonetheless. The Stinger Scorpion comes in shades of Snow White, Aurora Black, and Ceramic Silver. 

Furthering the athletic essence is a rear spoiler which is minimalist design but still boasting a commanding outlook. Paired with a set of blacked out fender garnish, side mirror caps, and darkened exhaust tips. 

Wrapping it up is a set of wheels that are blacked out and are specifically significant to the Stinger Scorpion. Inside, the interior ‘s upholstery and panels are finished in a coat of carbon fibre, which compliments the overall sportiness of the Kia Stinger Scorpion.

Performance side of things, the 2022 Stinger GT-Line variant flexes with more power under its hood while still sporting the standard mill.

It is powered by a 2.5-litre turbocharged 4-cylinder engine which is paired along with an 8-speed automatic gearbox that comes with paddle shifters. 

The engine is able to produce a maximum power of 300 hp and 422 Nm of torque. Launching from a standstill to 100 km/h, the Stinger can make it in just 5.2 seconds. The drivetrain is available in two modes, rear-wheel drive (RWD) and the optional torque vectoring all-wheel drive (AWD).

For the Stinger GT1 and GT2 variants, their standard mill is also upgraded, offering higher performance ratings as the pistons are pumped up and pounding a little harder with slightly more power input.

Resting inside the chassis, is a 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 engine. It is also paired with an 8-speed automatic gearbox that comes with paddle shifters. The output values are at 368 hp of maximum power and 510 Nm of torque. All that power can accelerate from 0-100km/h in just 4.7 seconds. 

A newly added aspect to the performance, is the electronic variable exhaust system. In which it enhances the Stinger’s audible calling card, that is the throaty growl coming from the beasts’ belly. 

Other than that, Brembo brakes and launch control function are a given with the GT’s, as they fall under the performance car category. Just like the GT-Line, the drivetrain offered are either rear-wheel drive (RWD) or the optional torque vectoring all-wheel drive (AWD). 

Following in the footsteps of the K5 and Sorento, the Stinger pampers its passengers with the latest in infotainment and technology. Inside the interior, it is installed with a 10.25-inch touchscreen display that supports Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. 

Plus, on top of all that it also supports multi-connection Bluetooth, wireless connectivity and a split-screen functionality. Also installed for conveniences, a wireless charger that is compatible with all smartphones.

Its instrument cluster is made up of a larger 4.2-inch colour TFT display. However, an option for an even larger 7-inch centre cluster is also available and it provides drivers with a Blind Spot View Monitor with a live video feed of adjacent lanes activated via the turn signal. 

This screen also projects the available Surround View Monitor, in which it utilizes four cameras to provide a 360-degree, birds eye-view of the vehicle perspective.

Moving onto the technological aspects, the Stinger’s suite of Advanced Driver Assistance Systems (ADAS) has also gotten an upgrade and is now the class-leader in its segment. The suite consists of the following systems.

Forward Collision-Avoidance Assist with Junction Turning, it assists the driver in braking to help prevent a collision or lessen the effects in certain conditions when turning left and when an oncoming vehicle is approaching.

Safe Exit Warning, it alerts the driver or passengers when opening their door, to not exit the vehicle when the system detects approaching traffic. When detected, an alert with a chiming sound can be heard.

Blind Spot Collision-Avoidance Assist, under certain conditions, it helps to detect vehicles traveling in the next lane. When a vehicle is detected in the blind spot, the Stinger applies the brakes on the outer wheel under certain conditions to help return the vehicle to its intended lane.

Rear Cross Traffic Avoidance Assist, will help detect the closest approaching cross-traffic when in reverse. Also, when approaching cross traffic is detected, the system alerts the driver and applies the brakes instantaneously. 

Navigation-based Smart Cruise Control, which leverages the navigation system to lower the vehicle’s speed proactively before upcoming curves.

Lane Following Assist, which follows lane markings that the system detects and provides steering inputs to help maintain the vehicle in the centre of the lane. 

Highway Driving Assist, it uses federal highway speed limit information from the navigation system and, under certain conditions, will automatically adjust speed to be within the posted speed limit and maintain distance with the vehicle detected in front.

On the entertainment side of things, the Stingers are still installed with the current impressive Harman/Kardon premium audio system. However, the upgraded UVO link telematics offers an array of advanced connected vehicle features, such as. 

Connected Routing, it is a new cloud-based route calculation system that uses UVO cloud to calculate the optimal route using real-time maps, predicted upcoming traffic info based on historical information and an AI to learn the preferred routes of users.

Connected Weather, which provides weather information for more than 25,000 cities. And an Enhanced UVO voice assist feature that allows voice control of the vehicle’s climate, seat and steering-wheel heating, audio system, and other functions. 

Connected User Profiles, it allows customers to add an additional driver to their vehicle. The drivers can have their individual UVO accounts linked to the vehicle and access to the remote features using the Kia Access App.

UVO & Smart Speaker Integration, which lets customers use Amazon, Alexa or Google-Assistant enabled smart speakers or devices to remotely control some functions such as the remote start for the vehicle. 

The new ADAS systems also feature some advanced notifications. It includes Engine Idle Notification and Automatic Engine Shut Off that notifies the driver via the UVO link app if the engine is left idling and, after a preselected time, turns off the engine. 

Rear Occupancy Alert, in which it can send push notification alerts via the UVO link app if movement is detected inside the vehicle. 

911 Connect and Roadside Assistance feature will automatically attempt to call 911 via the built-in UVO modem if an airbag deploys. For non-emergencies, it can connect with 24/7 roadside assistance and share the vehicle’s location.

On-demand Find My Car, just like the ‘Find my iPhone’ app it is available with a Surround View Monitor which uses the vehicle cameras to capture images of the vehicle’s surroundings and then share them via the Kia Access UVO app. 

Last Mile Navigation feature on the other hand, provides walking directions to the driver’s final destination if the vehicle is parked between 0.1 and 1.2 miles away.

Calendar Integration, it syncs with the owner’s cloud-based calendar and displays calendar events on the touchscreen. Also, it provides navigation to the event destination if an address has been entered into the calendar event. 

Valet Mode, it will lock the Stinger’s touchscreen, therefore keeping personal information such as call history, address book, and navigation destinations private when the vehicle is left with the valet or other unknown people.

All in all, the 2022 Stinger really is Kia’s proven sport machine. As it will be unleashed with a new soul in terms of the design, safety, technology and performance upgrades.