Kia Stinger

Kia is about to enter the Indian market with a newly developed compact SUV as its first product. However, its flagship model from the international lineup is a sporty sedan  - the Stinger. While there are no immediate plans to launch the car in India, Kia had showcased it at the 2018 Delhi Auto Expo and also at the inauguration of its first-ever Indian dealership in February 2019.

Engines: Globally, the Stinger is available with a choice of petrol and diesel engines. The standard petrol unit on offer is a 2.0-litre engine that produces 247PS and 353Nm. Alternatively, it also gets a 2.2-litre diesel engine that is tuned to produce 200PS and 440Nm of torque. Meanwhile, the performance-oriented GT variant has a 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6 petrol engine under the bonnet which produces 370PS and 510Nm.

Transmission: All the petrol and diesel engine options are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters. While the models are RWD as standard, there is an AWD option too.

Features: From the Stinger GT that Kia uses as a showcase model, we’ve only seen a certain set of features. These include a luxurious interior with Nappa leather on the seats, a free-standing 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, flat-bottom steering wheel and a 7-inch TFT screen in the instrument cluster.

Price and rivals: If Kia does decide to bring the Stinger in any iteration to India, it would almost certainly be through the CBU route which would make it quite expensive. The top-end GT variant could be priced as high as Rs 60 lakh. Kia had built the Stinger to take on the likes of the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 and Mercedes C-Class in terms of both style and performance. But it can also compete with the Volvo S60 and Lexus ES300.