2018 Kia Stinger

Two years ago, Hyundai motors hired Albert Biermman, BMW’s Chief Engineer for the German marquee’s M division. Now, three years later, it is becoming much more clear why the South Korean automaker picked up the ‘Ultimate Driving Machine’ executive. They’re taking aim at the luxury car market, and they are calling their first volley in the coming battle the 2018 Kia Stinger.

Just look at the stats on this thing. Buyers will have the chance to pick up the Stinger with two types of power plants; either a 4 cylinder 255 horsepower V6 turbo, or twin turbo V6 that puts out 360 horses and 376 pound feet of torque through the 8 speed automatic directly to the rear wheels. When it comes to performance on the road – the 5 second sprint time and 167 mile per hour top speed won’t disappoint either. All of this is really intriguing (especially when you consider the included Brembo quad piston brakes, dynamic stability damping control, and the attractive look of the thing), but can it really compete? We’re willing to bet that people will go for it – provided they can get high performance quality for a Kia price-tag, not a BMW. Keep an eye out for the release date. [Purchase]