The Kia Stinger's arrival two years ago vaulted the South Korean automaker into the performance realm with its potent turbocharged engine and capable chassis partly developed at the Nürburgring Nodrschleife.
The 2020 Kia Stinger GTS that arrived Wednesday at the 2019 New York International Auto Show promises to cement the automaker's status as a competitor to high-minded German performance stalwarts.
With the Stinger GTS, Kia adds heady driveline hardware to challenge super sedans from across the globe. The 2020 Stinger GTS will offer an all-wheel-drive system developed by Albert Biermann, the former guru of BMW M division, to mash or slice through corners—depending on the driver's mood mood. Only 800 Stinger GTS models will be produced.
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The Stinger GTS will be powered exclusively by Kia's 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6 that makes 365 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, and it will send that power through the same 8-speed automatic transmission offered in other models. Rear-wheel drive will be standard and the new all-wheel-drive system will be optional. The all-wheel-drive system uses a mechanical limited-slip differential at its rear axle and adds drive selection modes that can channel up to 100 percent of the Stinger GTS' power to the rear wheels.
2020 Kia Stinger GTS
With all-wheel drive and Sport mode selected, the Stinger GTS will send 80 percent of its power to the rear wheels. Flip it to Drift mode and the Stinger will direct all power to the rear wheels and hold lower gears for smoky corner exits on the track—or parking lot exhibitions. The drive control software has been updated for generous slip angles and counter-steer detection for all things oversteer.
From the outside, the Stinger GTS will feature an exclusive orange paint color, carbon-fiber vents and mirror caps, and Stinger badges subbed in for Kia badges on the nose and tail. Inside, the GTS will be treated to a steering wheel, headliner, and dash wrapped in synthetic suede, plus a sunroof and a Harman Kardon audio system.
The rear-drive 2020 Stinger GTS will cost $44,000, before mandatory destination charges, and the all-wheel-drive model will cost $46,500. The Stinger GTS should arrive sometime this spring.
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