Updated Kia Stinger is safer but that’s about it…

The updated Kia Stinger has been updated for Australia with more safety equipment and a new bi-modal exhaust for the 3.3L V6 variant.

The Kia Stinger arrived back in 2017 just as the market for rear-drive sedans was breathing its last. The motoring media heralded it as a revival of go-fast affordable rear-drive machinery.

But, sadly, the Falcon and Commodore faithful stayed away from it. Despite that, Kia Australia is optimistic that its updated model will capture anyone looking for “sports performance in a family-friendly package”. Maybe.

So what’s the updated machine all about? Well, as if the headline didn’t already give it away, Kia has beefed up the active safety features to include, Blind Spot View Monitor and AEB Junction Assist.

Styling updates are very subtle and include a new rear LED combination tail-light that runs right across the back of the vehicle, mimicking the boot lid spoiler. And the indicator lights are now 10 LEDs arranged in a grid pattern to represent a chequered flag.

Probably the coolest feature to be added to the updated Stinger for those of us with petrol in our veins is the bi-modal exhaust which liberates an extra 2kW but should, more importantly, improve the sound. There are also new 19-inch alloy wheel designs.

There’s a new 10.25-inch infotainment screen on the inside and you can now connect more than one smartphone via Bluetooth. The original 3.5-inch mono-TFT cluster has been replaced by a colour 4.2-inch unit for the 200S and 330S variants while the GT and GT-line models get a 7.0-inch unit. And the powered boot lid can now be set at four different heights.

Has Kia done enough with the Stinger to help it gain attention in our SUV and dual-cab 4×4 obsessed market?

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