2022 Kia Stinger Coming To The US With 300 Horsepower For Base Model

The original Kia Stinger arrived in early 2018 as the Korean automaker’s offering to the sports car market. Like it or not, The Korean Car Blog recently reported that the latest Stinger – 2022 model year – is coming back to the United States. 

Before we start, we’d be remiss not to mention that TKCB claims that all of this information is 100% true and has been confirmed by a Kia source. Regardless, the latest model of the Stinger is looking to be a genuine contender in the current lineup of U.S. sports cars. So what’s new?

Starting out, one clear focal point of the latest vehicle is sitting under the hood. The base vehicle from the factory will come with a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine putting out 300 horsepower (224 kilowatts) – that translates to 45 more hp (34 kW) than the outgoing 2.0-liter engine used in the previous model. The increase in power does come at an expense with the rear-wheel-drive version starting at $37,135 and $39,335 for all-wheel-drive.

The 2022 lineup does away with the baseline GT model, only featuring the GT1 and GT2 variants – both utilizing an evolution of the previous twin-turbocharged 3.3-liter V6 which now puts out 368 hp (274 kW). While both vehicles are nearly identical from a mechanical standpoint, the step up from GT1 to GT2 includes an upgraded sound system, electronically controlled suspension, ventilated front seats, and memory driver’s seats.

We could talk about mechanical semantics all day, but there’s a lot more to the updated Stinger than what lies under the skin. Other goodies include built-in keyfob remote start, additional interior ambient lighting, new leather, and quilting designs, and new wheels standing at 18-inches or 19-inches in diameter. Also included is a plethora of safety features including but not limited to a blind-spot camera display, junction turning collision avoidance, lane following assist, safe exit assist, highway driving assist, and rear occupant alert.

Many would argue that the sports car niche is already flooded with endless options already even before thinking about the Stinger. And they’d be right, but there’s a new kid on the block and he's clearly here to stay.