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2022 Kia Stinger updates make the heart grow fonder

With more power, more style and more tech, the excellent Kia Stinger has even more appeal.

Steven Ewing Former managing editor
Steven Ewing spent his childhood reading car magazines, making his career as an automotive journalist an absolute dream job. After getting his foot in the door at Automobile while he was still a teenager, Ewing found homes on the mastheads at Winding Road magazine, Autoblog and Motor1.com before joining the CNET team in 2018. He has also served on the World Car Awards jury. Ewing grew up ingrained in the car culture of Detroit -- the Motor City -- before eventually moving to Los Angeles. In his free time, Ewing loves to cook, binge trash TV and play the drums.
Steven Ewing
3 min read
2022 Kia Stinger
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2022 Kia Stinger

Redesigned lights and new wheels make an already attractive car even better.

Kia

As if the wasn't already a Roadshow favorite, announced a number of updates for its chef's-kiss hatchback on Tuesday, all of which make this car even easier to love.

The base Stinger ditches the 2.0-liter I4 engine in favor of a new, 2.5-liter turbo engine -- the same one you'll find in a number of other Hyundai Motor Group products. In the Stinger, the 2.5T is tuned to produce 300 horsepower and 311 pound-feet of torque, which are healthy increases over the smaller engine's 255 hp and 260 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic is the only transmission available, though buyers can choose between rear- and all-wheel drive.

Happily, this bump in power doesn't come at the expense of fuel economy. The Stinger 2.5T is EPA-estimated to return 22 miles per gallon in the city, 32 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined in its standard rear-wheel-drive configuration. Adding all-wheel drive reduces those figures to 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. All of these numbers either match or exceed the fuel economy ratings of a 2021 Stinger 2.0T.

2022 Kia Stinger is even easier to love

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The 2.5T engine will likely be fine for the majority of buyers, but Kia will continue to offer the Stinger with a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6, bringing 368 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque to the party. Once again, an eight-speed automatic transmission is standard and this engine can be paired with either rear- or all-wheel drive. One neat update, though: There's a new electronic variable exhaust system, which is great, since one of our only complaints about the V6-powered Stinger thus far is that it could stand to speak with a bit more authority.

The Stinger doesn't look all that different for the 2022 model year and that's fine by us -- this car was already a stunner. Still, you'll notice new LED headlights and taillights, as well as a redesigned exhaust tip and updated 18- and 19-inch wheel designs. Inside, you'll find more black gloss and chrome details, LED ambient lighting and new stitch patterns on the optional Nappa leather seats.

There's a larger 10.3-inch touchscreen atop the dash, running Kia's most up-to-date infotainment system. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard and there's an optional wireless charging pad to keep your phone full of juice. The Stinger still doesn't offer a fully digital instrument cluster, but there's an available 7-inch display that can show you views from the Stinger's blind-spot and 360-degree cameras.

2022 Kia Stinger
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2022 Kia Stinger

We're thrilled to see a larger infotainment screen here.

Kia

All the usual driver-assistance systems are on offer -- things like blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision warning and more. For 2022, the Stinger adds the Highway Driving Assist available in other Hyundai/Kia/Genesis products, which combines adaptive cruise control and lane-keeping tech for effortless freeway drives.

Kia will also offer a Stinger Scorpion special edition. We don't have any photos of this version just yet, but Kia says it'll have white, black and silver paint options, a rear spoiler, blacked-out exterior elements and carbon fiber trim inside. Sounds neat.

The more powerful base engine and higher level of standard equipment means the 2022 Stinger is slightly more expensive than its predecessor, but this is still one hell of a bargain. The base 2022 Stinger GT-Line with rear-wheel drive will cost $37,135, including a $1,045 destination charge. You can't get into the V6-powered GT for anything less than $44,735, and fully loaded GT2 AWD costs $54,535. Look for the updated Stingers to hit Kia dealers this spring.