The humble car key is an often underrated thing, only it's the thing you carry around with you all the time.
It's often your first impression of a new car.
And the new Kia Stinger GTS's key is rather a nice thing really, slim, but hefty.
And the buttons are in an interesting place.
We've had the flick knife type ones in the past.
And this one looks a bit like a Lighter or perhaps a film detonator.
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Talking of clearly fake things something that really annoys me about this.
Kia Stinger, and we'll get to the good bits in there.
Cuz there is an awful lot to like about this car.
The fake accoutrements on the exterior of this car, I mean fake center lock wheels, no, fake bonnet [UNKNOWN].
It doesn't need it.
It's a good looking car.
And I think these peripheral try to make it look more sporty, combined with the name Stinger give the wrong impression about this car because it's not a ten tenths car.
This is a car that is much more relaxing than that.
The GT part of it's name is what makes this car really rather likeable.
Let's just rewind a second to the basics.
This top of the range Stinger GTS has a 3.3 liter turbo charged V6, sending 365 break horsepower and 376 pounds foot solely to the rear wheels.
Naught to 62 miles an hour takes 4.9 seconds, and its top speed is 168 miles an hour.
The spec sheet is also impressive for the huge amount of kit you get as standard.
Things like 360 degree cameras, a Harmon Kardon audio system, and seats that can either heat or cool your backside depending on whether you have a hot bot, or a frigid rump.
In some areas then it feels very premium, a car to take the fight Linked to Audi and Mercedes.
But in other ways, there is still work to do.
I'm curious, sort of juxtaposition of material from the soft, lovely dapper leather to this scratchy plastic cover here.
And the waitings.
you've got that, lift, beautifully done.
This, flimsy as you like Carry on.
A mixed bag, I think it's fair to say.
But over all, kinda nice.
But what about the dynamics.
Well, like the excellent Hyundai I30N, the KIA Stinger has Albert Biermann behind it, the man that developed so many iconic BMWs before he switched to the Korean companies a few years ago.
Even more promisingly, right-hand drive cars are, apparently, being set out, specifically, for British roads like this one.
First impressions are that it has a lovely distinctive rear-wheel drive balance with clean uncorrupted steering.
You can also feel the significant distance between the front and rear wheels which hit nearly three meters.
Is as much as a Volvo V-90 or a Range Rover.
A long wheel base means that it flows through corners and it's nor hard on the wind.
It gives a nice, relaxed feeling.
[UNKNOWN] no, there's no manual setting for it.
You can use the pedals, but they only remain active for 10 seconds after that.
This is not a car that wants to be driven Aggressively.
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That long wheel base actually makes it feel like some Jags I can recall.
The Stinger GTS has three different driving modes.
First up is comfort, then sport which adds weight to the steering and firms up the suspension and then Sport Plus which also relaxes the stability control.
The comfort mode is actually more than adequate most of the time.
The steering is a touch light but the slightly more relaxed suspension just seems to suit the GT nature of the car.
If you do decide to push on the sport mode, it can cope but it all gets a bit shaky.
A bit like it's been pushed beyond its comfort zone.
The chassis underneath can handle it and it still feels Nice to drive but it doesn't like the bumps there very much.
The good thing is that it does feel small and wildy and narrow though and out on these sorts of roads, it fits.
It doesn't feel too big for them.
You can feel the weights because it's over 1800 kilos but they brakes stand up relatively well.
The engine doesn't Sound wildly interesting but it's effective.
The HB gear box is not shabby shift.
But again, it does enough.
Overall, the Kia Stinger isn't perhaps the aggressive sports loon that's named in some of the advertising would like to suggest that it is but it's not necessairly a bad thing.
You should be a car that is pleasant and easy to be around in everyday life.
Just with some underpinnings that mean you can enjoy the way it accelerates onto a motor way, or tackles those two decent bends on the way to work every morning.
And then there's the price.
40,000 pounds.
It feels like a bit of a bargain in comparison to, I suppose th equivalent.
BMW or Audi S5 which it would be compared to.
But then 40,000 pounds still feels like an awful lot for a Kia.
But then again, Kia's not really expecting to sell that many, I think 1,800 in the UK in 2018.
So it's still gonna be a pretty rare car, which then actually makes it more intriguing again More appealing.
I think it will be one of those cars in years to come that you go, [SOUND], Kia Stinger, it's the GTS model, the V6 one.
A bit like those MGZT V8s, which I always look at and think I'm glad they made that.
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