Kia Could Electrify Its New Sports Sedan
The 2018 Kia Stinger made a surprising debut at the 2017 Detroit Auto Show, and already the automaker is talking about electrifying it.
Billed as the company’s sporty luxury sedan, the Kia Stinger stunned many in Detroit with its aggressive design and promising 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 powertrain with 365 horsepower. In Europe, Kia will offer the Stinger with a diesel engine but the automaker has no plans of bringing the oil burner to the U.S. Instead, the U.S. could benefit from electrified versions of the Kia Stinger, including the possibility of a fully electric model.
SEE ALSO: 2018 Kia Stinger Debuts as RWD Sports Sedan-Shaped Middle Finger to German Rivals
Kia’s overseas product marketing boss, Spencer Cho, confirmed the Stinger could use the electrified powertrain options found in the Optima sedan, despite the Stinger’s longitudinal powertrain layout. “We can utilize the currently available hybrid, plug-in hybrid and EV technology,” he said. He admitted that packaging a fully electric powertrain in the Stinger has different requirements, but hinted that the development team has considered it, such as incorporating the batteries in the transmission tunnel. “I have full confidence in our engineers, and if we need the EV Stinger to come to light, our engineers can come up with ideas for putting the batteries into this vehicle.”
For now, Kia doesn’t have plans for a Stinger EV and will keep an eye on demand to see if it’s warranted.
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Jason Siu began his career in automotive journalism in 2003 with Modified Magazine, a property previously held by VerticalScope. As the West Coast Editor, he played a pivotal role while also extending his expertise to Modified Luxury & Exotics and Modified Mustangs. Beyond his editorial work, Jason authored two notable Cartech books. His tenure at AutoGuide.com saw him immersed in the daily news cycle, yet his passion for hands-on evaluation led him to focus on testing and product reviews, offering well-rounded recommendations to AutoGuide readers. Currently, as the Content Director for VerticalScope, Jason spearheads the content strategy for an array of online publications, a role that has him at the helm of ensuring quality and consistency across the board.
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