This Is The Full Story Of The Kia Stinger And What It Is Worth Today

Only built for a handful of years, fast, sporty-looking, and well-priced, the Kia Stinger hit the market in the late 2010s and took the athletic competition straight to the doors of expensive and exclusive German and American everyday sports cars. We were sad to see it leave the market in 2023, but what a huge mark the Stinger left in its short time with us.

We are looking into the complete story of the Kia Stinger, what engine options were originally available under its hood, its performance additions, what you get outside its performance guts, and how much it will cost you to buy a Kia Stinger in 2025.

The Kia Stinger Was Only For Sale For Six Years, But What A Mark It Made

When you think of performance sedans of the last few years, you may think of the BMW M lineups, Audi models, the Dodge Charger, or the Cadillac CTS-V. However, the Kia Stinger is the most underrated used performance sedan there is and should be getting a lot more attention than some of the usual suspects. In its short model year lineage here in the U.S.A., between 2018 and 2023, the Kia Stinger proved that the South Korean automaker could turn out a proper performance machine blended with a useful build alongside their safe-bet models.

Born from Kia’s 2011 GT concept and the 2014 GT4 Stinger race car, the 2018–2023 Stinger was a deliberate snipe at German premium marques. Designed and engineered in Frankfurt by a very exclusive team, Kia created a long-wheelbase, potent, spicy-looking sedan/GT that brought affordable grit to the mass market. Brutal torture testing was undertaken at the Nürburgring and the Korea International Circuit; it is packed full of GT poise, it can sprint, and it is practical.

Each Kia Stinger model year boasts several trims, which are as follows:

• 2018 Kia Stinger. Base, Premium, GT, GT1, GT2.
• 2019 Kia Stinger. Base, Premium, GT, GTS, GT1, GT2.
• 2020 Kia Stinger. GT-Line, GT, GT1, GT2.
• 2021 Kia Stinger. GT-Line, GT, GT1, GT2.
• 2022 Kia Stinger. GT-Line, GT1, GT2.
• 2023 Kia Stinger. GT-Line, GT2.

Unfortunately, thanks to declining sales and Kia’s shift toward EVs, the Kia Stinger was pulled from the market after the 2023 MY. However, not before it showed the auto world what Kia could really do.

The Kia Stinger Engine Options Over The Years

Between 2018 and 2023, the Kia Stinger had several engine configurations with different outputs under its hood. The thing to note, though, is that they are all turbocharged and all kick out over 250 horsepower, even from the base trims.

Between 2018 and 2021, the two engine options originally available were a 2.0-liter turbocharged Theta II inline-four and a 3.3-liter bi-turbocharged Lambda II V6.

Between 2022 and 2023, the Stinger’s base engine choice was swapped out for a more powerful Smartstream FR G2.5 T-GDi turbo-four, while the beefier Lambda II V6 option also gained slightly more power, courtesy of a new exhaust system, to finish off its lineage.

In its most potent form, as the latter years Stinger GT equipped with the most powerful engine, this Korean performance sedan can hit 60 mph in as little as 4.7 seconds and tops out at 168 mph. And that is just the start.

Front-Engine & Rear-Wheel Drive On A Short Platform

Kia did not leave things to half measure when they rolled out the Stinger; they built it with a long hood, short deck, and on a compact CK platform, based on the Genesis G70’s undercarriage, that behaves far above its pay grade. It is stiff, low-slung, and rear-biased. The body is built from roughly 55% advanced high-strength steel for torsional rigidity, while MacPherson front struts and a five-link rear keep the back fun and very precise when you are flooring it.

Included chassis tech reads like a gentle jab in the side of more expensive rides. Available Dynamic Stability Damping Control with five drive modes (Comfort, Sport, Smart, Eco, and Personal) lets you cruise comfortably or push it to the limits. Higher GT trims are available with a mechanical, limited-slip differential and large ventilated discs, while Brembo brakes are available for the V6-toting GT models.

To top it off, Kia broke from their norm and offered a car that wasn’t FWD. The Stinger was sold with either RWD or AWD. Both are fun to blast about in, but if you look for an AWD model, you also gain Dynamic Torque-Vectoring Control, which handles power and brake application for a neutral turn-in and traction across slippery surfaces. Add in hefty anti-roll bars, staggered and 18- and 19-inch wheels, and a precise rack-mounted electric steering, and you’ve got yourself a compact GT that can truly hit the corners.

The Stinger rides on a 190.2-inch wheelbase, measures in at 114.4 inches (L) x 73.6 inches (W) x 55.1 inches (H), and weighs in at between 3,792 pounds and 4,176 pounds, so it is not the smallest or lightest performance sedan/GT ever created, but that does not stop it being a very fun car to own and blast about in. Its size also makes it a very convenient car.

“Handling is great for such a heavy car. We took the car to the canyon, and the steering, suspension, and engine feel extremely in-tune with each other.”

2022 Kia Stinger GT2 Review by Bassem Girgis – Hot Cars

The Kia Stinger Shows Off Both Inside And Out

Despite the potent engine options and track-worthy DNA, the Stinger is also very useful for everyday use; it boasts four doors, a maximum cargo capacity of 40.9 cubic feet with the rear seats folded down, 42.6 inches of front legroom, 36.4 inches of rear legroom, and 60/40 split seats. We think Kia was showing off, and we are glad they were. What a heck of a car they created; it is both fun and functional.

Why You Might Recognize Some Of The Design Cues

We mentioned that the Kia Stinger was designed and engineered by a premium German team, and it doesn’t get much better than those who had their hand in its design: Peter Schreyer (former Audi/VW chief designer who had a lot to do with the Audi TT and the Kia ‘Tiger Nose’), Albert Biermann (former head of vehicle and high-performance development at BMW M), and Gregory Guillaume (chief director at Kia’s European studio in Frankfurt). That is why the Stinger may feel like a well-known performance sedan at first glance.

Up front, the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille is wider and fatter than on any other Kia; it is framed by functional air curtains that channel airflow around the front wheels to reduce drag; the slim LED headlights with quad DRL elements give it an air of aggression, and the vented hood on the GT models backs up the engine and tech underneath.

From the side, clean, flowing lines run from the wheel arches to the taillights, exaggerated by the muscular haunches over the staggered alloys. The chrome window lines kink aggressively into the C-pillar as a nod to vintage Italian and German fastbacks, and the rear completes the Stinger’s GT ambitions.

A full-width LED light bar takes aim at what Porsche turns out; the integrated ducktail spoiler helps the rear stick down, and for the V6-equipped Stinger GT models, quad exhaust outlets flank a diffuser-style bumper. We don’t think there is much denying that the Kia Stinger looks the part and should make more expensive models squirm.

Premium Cabin Design And Tech For Less

What is different about the Stinger compared to other Kia models, outside of everything we have already mentioned, is that the interior is more than just the usual ‘good-for-a-Kia’ interior; it is a proper GT cockpit. From the first MY, the cabin borrowed from aviation design, with three turbine-style center vents, a leather-wrapped dash, and a low seating position that puts you in the center of the action.

Even the base trims come equipped with heated seats, leather trim, and a 7-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto; something that, for the Kia Stinger’s original price, is quite impressive. Kia didn’t stop at the early model years’ interior rig.

Higher trims of the 2021 MY onward, like the GT1 and GT2, are fitted with ambient LED lighting, a 15-speaker Harman Kardon audio setup, wireless charging, and Nappa leather upholstery with contrast stitching. You also get a 12-way power driver’s seat with extendable thigh support, a heated steering wheel is included, dual-zone climate control is featured, and optional ventilated rear and front seats were originally available to complement the impressive legroom for long slogs.

In 2022, Kia refreshed the Stinger with a larger 10.25-inch infotainment screen, sleeker metallic finishes, and more premium materials. 2022 and 2023 Stinger GT2 models are also available with a HUD and surround-view monitor. Somehow, ‘ affordable luxury‘ seems a bit light for what the Stinger brought to the market, even though that is exactly what it was.

Taking On The Germans At Their Own Game In Affordable Style

When the Kia Stinger hit the market here in the U.S.A., it had a very low starting price for its caliber and a still reasonably high-end price. The 2018 Stinger base trim originally cost $32,800; the Premium trim cost $38,000; the GT costs just over $39,000; the GT1 cost $44,150, and the most kitted-out Stinger GT2 cost $50,100. In fact, throughout its short lineage, the top-end price never exceeded $54,000.

In contrast, the 2018 BMW M4 coupe would have originally cost you just over $76,000, while the convertible flavor would have cost you just over $82,000. Yes, you do get a 425-horsepower turbo-six, which can be bumped to 454 horsepower for the M4 CS, a luxe interior trimmed in leather, and all the M-Division performance guts, but it is over $40,000 more than the base trim Stinger. Prices for the 2023 MY top out at $141,000 for the CSL coupe, and while the M4 CSL Coupe is a weapon, that is a lot of money.

The same goes for the Audi S5. In 2018, it would have cost you at least $59,000 for the base Premium Plus trim and just under $68,000 for the top-tier Prestige convertible. This kind of money gets you massaging front seats, leather and Alacanta seating, an optional Virtual Cockpit, an optional Bang & Olufsen audio rig, a 354-horsepower turbocharged V6, and of course, Quattro AWD. But, with fewer horsepower than the V6-toting Stinger and available AWD for some Stinger models for $6,000 to $10,000 less, is the four rings really worth the extra?

What Is The 2018–2023 Kia Stinger Worth Today?

With a crib sheet like the Stinger’s, you’d expect that it would have held its value well. Especially because all Kia Stinger model years boast a 4.8 out of 5-star owner rating on Kelley Blue Book, J.D. Power overall owner ratings of between 73 and 86 out of 100, with the 2019 MY garnering the best feedback, and, according to RepairPal, a low annual maintenance bill of $474.

But no. Despite everything that the Kia Stinger has going for it, the cheapest models are arguably some of the best used sedans you can buy for under $20,000.

The cheapest Kia Stinger model year you can buy in 2025 is the 2018 model. Average used prices start at $13,413 for the base trim; the Premium has an average used price of $14,120; the GT will cost you $16,635 today, and the GT1 and GT2 models will set you back $16,244 and $17,855, respectively. The 2019 MY boasts average used prices of between $15,867 and $20,490, and the 2020 Stinger boasts average used prices between $19,000 for the GT-Line and just under $25,000 for the top-end Stinger GT2.

For the final three model years of the Kia Stinger, prices are higher, but they are still relatively new. The 2021 Stinger GT-Line has an average used price of $22,200; the GT has an average used price of just shy of $25,000; the GT1 will cost you just under $25,300, and the Stinger GT2 has an average used price of $28,900. Even the refreshed 2022 MY onward are still relatively affordable, with the 2022 GT-Line boasting an average used price of $25,891; the GT1 now costing $28,869, and the GT2 just shy of $32,000.

For the final model year of the Kia Stinger, prices are very reasonable considering it is only approaching three years old. The 2023 Kia Stinger GT-Line boasts an average used price of $29,249, and the 2023 Kia Stinger GT2 has an average used price of $35,528. It may not have the prestigious reputation of its German rivals, but for what is available at a low price for its caliber, luxe interior, and athletic prowess, we think the Stinger is too underrated. However, we are glad that prices are reasonably low; we can now get our hands on a beast of a performance sedan/GT for not a huge amount of money.

Sources: J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, and RepairPal.