Kia Reveals Broader Range of Stinger Flavors, New Engine

The unlikely Kia Stinger enters the coming year with mild design and content changes in tow, but one thing that isn’t disappearing is choice. Come 2021, there’ll be more of it, at least as far as powertrains are concerned.

Rather than swap out the model’s base engine for a more potent — but pricier — mill, Kia decided to leave well enough alone and slot something hotter between the entry-level 2.0-liter four-cylinder and twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6.

Details about the refreshed sedan’s reworked front- and rear-end lighting, as well as molded plasticky bits, can be found here. When the new car appeared in Korea earlier this month, we speculated that Kia might make use of new Hyundai Motor Group engines found in the Genesis stable. Sure enough, it did, though not at the expense of the model’s base MSRP.

Keeping the 255 horsepower, 260-lb-ft entry-level mill is key to generating sales for this value-laden sports sedan. Rather, Kia added a stepping stone — a happy medium in the form of the turbocharged 2.5-liter four-banger found as standard kit in the Genesis G70 and new-for-2021 G80, as well as the Hyundai Sonata N Line

Making 300 hp and 311 lb-ft (and mated to an eight-speed automatic), the 2.5L nicely splits the difference between the 2.0L and the 3.3L, the latter of which sees a slight power boost for the coming year. Ponies are up by 3 thanks to a rejigged exhaust system, meaning an output of 368 hp and a unchanged 376 lb-ft.

Pricing and all-wheel drive availability are things we can’t share with you yet, as Kia’s keeping those details under wraps until closer to the car’s on-sale date. Global sales are said to begin this quarter.

[Images: Kia Motors]