Kia Stinger Vs Volkswagen Arteon Vs BMW 4 Series
The four-door Kia Stinger coupe has already proven its worth, having beaten the Audi S5 Sportback in a twin test back at the start of the year. However, that was in sporty GT S guise. Here we鈥檙e testing the Korean car in more affordable and arguably more relevant diesel form, which means it鈥檒l have to face off against some German giants. For years BMW was king of this class, offering a sportier brand image and cars that backed this up with their driving experience. But at nearly 拢40,000, is this a bridge too far for the Korean brand, or does Kia鈥檚 traditional value for money still shine through even at this end of the market? Read on to find out. We鈥檙e testing Kia鈥檚 2.2-litre diesel Stinger in top-spec GT-Line S spec, which costs a not insignificant 拢37,425, but comes loaded with equipment. Given how competitive this class is, the Kia will have to deliver all-round appeal.
We find out if it succeeds against some talented opposition. The Kia acquits itself fairly well once you鈥檙e under way, too. That heavier kerbweight did hamper the on-paper performance advantage at our test track, but the Stinger still sprinted from 0-60mph in 7.6 seconds, which was a tenth faster than the Arteon, but one tenth behind the 4 Series. The 440Nm of torque and eight ratios in its box meant it was flexible enough in gear, too. It lagged a little behind the eight-speed BMW, but only by a few tenths in each of the taller gears from 50 to 70mph, and not so much that you鈥檇 notice on the road. What鈥檚 more important is the quality of the shift. While the box is smooth in auto, it鈥檚 not as quick to swap ratios as the BMW鈥檚, or quite as snappy as the VW鈥檚 DSG set-up. At a canter the Kia is refined, but push it harder and acceleration is hampered more noticeably by the jerkier gearchanges, while the engine gets a little coarse, too, although both of its rivals suffer this as well.
Combined with the sweet chassis set-up, the weight and long wheelbase mean the Kia rides smoothly. Only at the edge of its envelope does the ride feel brittle, because the dampers have to dissipate the energy more quickly. At a relaxed pace the Stinger feels, well, relaxed. The steering is a nice weight but doesn鈥檛 have the BMW鈥檚 more incisive, communicative feel or the VW鈥檚 precision. This partly stems from the fact the Stinger rolls when you up the pace. It feels all of that 1,810kg, too, as it lacks its lighter rivals鈥?agility, while the longer wheelbase means it doesn鈥檛 turn as quickly, either. However, as a road car for munching motorway miles and making swift progress on twistier tarmac, the Stinger is adept. The engine and transmission package is refined enough as long as you keep a lid on your enthusiasm, while the ride quality means all but the worst bumps and imperfections are smothered sufficiently. It鈥檚 a safe rather than scintillating package. Testers鈥?notes: 鈥淭here鈥檚 no permanent manual mode for the box. The Volkswagen Arteon has already proven its credentials against the Audi A5 Sportback, which is why that rival isn鈥檛 part of this test.
But can the VW beat the Stinger鈥檚 value for money and the BMW鈥檚 dynamism? We test the Arteon in 拢36,835 2.0 TDI 190 DSG R-Line form to find out. The DSG-equipped Arteon鈥檚 launch control helped in the 0-60mph sprint, but the VWs front-wheel-drive layout meant traction wasn鈥檛 as good as its rivals鈥? Some wheel spin off the line resulted in the slowest time of 7.7 seconds, although it wasn鈥檛 by much. It doesn鈥檛 have the in-gear performance of its rivals due to having one ratio fewer, but if you leave the box to its own devices then acceleration is good. And it takes a prod of the throttle to make the box kick down; even then there鈥檚 a delay before it lurches forward in the right gear. Still, if you cruise gently then the DSG slices between ratios sweetly. It鈥檚 even better in manual mode, with precise changes. That precision is replicated in the VW鈥檚 steering. There鈥檚 more grip than with the Kia, and while you get very little information from the front wheels, you鈥檒l be surprised at the Arteon鈥檚 performance.
