Although the Kia Stinger debuted to much fanfare with its quirky exterior design and impressive performance, it has fallen short. That would be where it matters: At showrooms.
Surprisingly, this was confirmed by one of Kia's executives at the 2019 Frankfurt Motor Show (IAA). In the automotive sector, this is pretty uncharacteristic.
So, now what?
According to the same exec, the Stinger may not live on after its first generation. Or, Kia may take a page from other automakers' and steer the Stinger towards an electrified future. It's too early to tell at this point, however, one thing is clear: A change is required.
While the Stinger soldiers on facing a tougher hill to climb, the Telluride on the other hand, is doing good business for the marque. Perhaps that's where Kia should be focusing its efforts in light of other manufacturers moving away from sedans and sports cars?
What say you, Spies?
...One of the creators of the Kia Stinger concept, Gregory Guillaume, vice president, senior chief designer of Kia’s styling studio in Germany, told Australian media in Frankfurt: “At the moment I’m not sure it’s doing as good as we hoped.”
“We never really expected to do massive volumes,” said Mr Guillaume. “It was a halo car. We did want to be successful at least in America, the market where we thought there is a chance that it works. We had very high expectations for that market and it’s very difficult to start in such segments..."
...When asked when a decision on the next generation Stinger will be made, Mr Guillaume said: “We have to see if Stinger continues – first of all if it will be continuing, which I really hope so – and if we think this is the format to continue in the future..."
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