A car loved by Aussies for its performance and affordable price has been cut and it'll leave a big gap in several police Highway Patrol fleets.
“The Stinger Tribute Edition denotes an important chapter in the story of Kia’s high-performance ethos. It undercut premium sedans and offered luxury features no one else could match for the price. Large sedans made up just 0.5 per cent of all sales this year, or less than 5000.
Based on the V-6-powered GT model, the Tribute Edition brings unique paint and a revised interior as a send-off before the Stinger gets discontinued.
There’s no word yet on price or how many Stinger Tribute Editions will be available in the U.S., but we imagine there will be a decent jump over the GT model’s $52,935 starting price. The special Stinger is mechanically unchanged, with the motor pumping out 368 horsepower and 376 pound-feet of torque, good enough for a But Kia is celebrating the Stinger as it bows out after the 2023 model year with a commemorative sendoff called the Stinger Tribute Edition, with only 1000 units set to be produced worldwide.
Kia's excellent GT car will end production after 1000 units of this, the Tribute Edition, are built.
Too bad the Stinger couldn't just live a few years longer on its own. Kia says that the spirit of the Stinger will live on in other cars it builds with a GT badge. Kia will build a final trim, dubbed the Tribute Edition, before the Stinger goes out of production.
A global statement from Kia, announcing a limited-edition version of the Kia Stinger, has also confirmed the end of the line for the sports sedan, ...
Inside, a wasp-shaped emblem is stitched into the seat headrests as a reference to the Stinger name, while the driver’s door sill plate will feature a numbered plate from 1 to 1000. Either way, the 2023 Kia Stinger Tribute Edition will be limited to 1000 units worldwide, with no indication yet as to how the limited-edition allocations will be distributed. “As we enter a new age of mobility, Kia will satisfy the needs of customers who seek to enjoy elevated levels of dynamic driving pleasure through high-performance electrified models such as the EV6 GT.
Only 1000 individually numbered Stinger Tribute Editions will be built.
We’ve been big fans of the Stinger over the years, and we’re sad to see it go. They provide up to 12 hours of heat on a single charge and you can control the specific heat levels they are outputting. Then again, the EV6 GT has 576 hp and 545 lb-ft of torque and can hit 60 mph in 3.4 seconds, which does make the announcement sting a little less. And the brand’s strategy to continue accelerating the development of innovative electrification technologies will ensure that sustainability and strong performance combine effortlessly under the Kia badge. But it did make sure to explain that the emblem “simultaneously denotes the car’s name and signifies the razor-sharp response of its potent 3.3-litre twin-turbocharged V6 gasoline engine.” To differentiate the Tribute Edition from the regular Stinger GT, Kia introduced a new color called Moonscape matte gray, but it can also be ordered in Ascot Green.
Kia announced the Stinger sport sedan will officially depart the lineup in 2023, and is sending it off with a limited run Tribute Edition.
[the Telluride SUV](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a633311/2020-kia-telluride-review-a-three-row-family-suv-to-pamper-you/). And anyone looking to spend around $50,000 on a sporty Kia can [buy an AWD EV6](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/g38915075/2022-kia-ev6-review/) or upgrade to a 577 hp EV6 GT — two cars now possible because of the Stinger. [nearly took home North American Car of the Year](https://northamericancaroftheyear.org/category/2018/). But in GT form, it matches the power output and delivers the general vibes for about half the price, making it one of [the best sports car deals on the market](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/a621436/alfa-romeo-giulia-quadrifoglio-too-expensive-buy-a-kia-stinger-gt/). [Once a punchline](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-bBj9Zynug) known for producing cheap, unreliable cars, Kia can now [show up at the Quail with a flashy new EV](https://www.gearpatrol.com/cars/g42261748/2023-kia-ev6-gt-review/) and have everyone excited rather than wondering who let the riff-raff in. [Kia](https://www.kia.com/us/en) has undergone a metamorphosis as a brand since 2017.
The Kia Stinger first made its debut way back in January 2017 before being given a mild facelift in August 2020. Billed as a performance liftback sedan, ...
“The Stinger Tribute Edition denotes an important chapter in the story of Kia’s high-performance ethos. [sales of the Stinger were lacklustre](https://paultan.org/2019/09/23/kia-stinger-sales-below-expectations-sequel-affected/), which casted doubts on whether there will be a sequel in the works. Billed as a performance liftback sedan, the Korean model was considered a competitive alternative to comparable cars from German marques like Audi, BMW and Mercedes-Benz.