The Kia Stinger GT, featuring agile handling and a twin-turbo V6 engine, stands out as one of the year’s most eye-catching vehicles. Recently conducted quarter-mile tests suggest that this Korean sports sedan might even surpass the legendary Ford Mustang GT in speed.
However, it’s essential to note some important caveats. This testing was independently organized in Australia by Motoring Australia, which means outcomes can be influenced by factors like weather, track conditions, and the driver’s experience. Moreover, the Mustang used in the test was fitted with a manual six-speed transmission, while the Stinger featured an 8-speed automatic.
Despite these factors, it’s still quite astonishing to see the Kia achieve a first-place finish in this matchup, recording a quarter-mile time of 12.83 seconds, while the Mustang clocked in at 13.32 seconds. Although the Stinger’s engine has two fewer cylinders and about 100 horsepower less than the Mustang’s 5.0-liter Coyote V8, it somehow claims victory.
How did the Stinger achieve such a feat? Uncontrollable variables, such as driver skill and track conditions, certainly played a role here, particularly since Car & Driver testing demonstrated the Mustang GT achieving a quarter-mile time of 12.6 seconds at 115 mph. These figures far exceed the 13.32 seconds and 107 mph logged by Motoring Australia, and they also surpass the 12.9 seconds and 111 mph result recorded by Car & Driver with the rear-wheel-drive Kia Stinger GT.
Regardless of whether one accepts these findings, it is clear that the Kia Stinger is impressively fast, particularly as it can hold its own against a Mustang in stock configuration. This might explain why Australian police are considering the Stinger for high-speed pursuit applications.
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