Why the KIA Stinger is a premium car at a mass-market price

KIA’s Vice President of Marketing, Artur Martins, is one of the top executives behind the company’s successful current course. In an interview given during the official presentation of the KIA Stinger in Milan, Martins reveals some of the secrets hidden in this popular model.

The styling of the KIA Stinger is based on a prototype that was presented in 2009, the KIA GT Concept. Its development has not followed a specific design line but has enjoyed total freedom from its engineers. “It was born without restrictions. Our head of design, Peter Schreyer, has said that he simply asked and everything was granted to him, which is why it is a car that expresses freedom. With the Stinger we wanted to recover the essence of this type of sports saloon, an essence that has been lost a little, and we are proud to be able to offer something like this to all our customers,” states KIA’s Vice President of Marketing.

The KIA Stinger has been tuned at the legendary Nürburgring circuit, but it is a model that seeks a middle ground between sportiness and comfort, as Artur Martins assures: “The Stinger is not a race car; it is a car that must combine sportiness and comfort very well, and our conclusion is that this has been achieved at the highest level.”

The KIA Stinger will be priced below an Audi A5 or a BMW Gran Coupé. A priori, KIA’s new sports saloon has been designed to compete with premium-segment rivals such as the Audi A5 or the BMW Gran Coupé, though at a more mass-market price.

“This is the first time we are entering the premium segment. We want to launch quality cars, with luxury finishes, materials and equipment, but always at a reasonable price. Our aim is also to popularise this segment so that nobody has to drop down to a lower category when they could access a KIA. We will be priced below an Audi A5 depending on the engine used. That said, KIA’s identity is that of a mass-market brand, not a premium brand,” declares KIA’s Vice President of Marketing.

The KIA Stinger has several strong points, but above all else, its design stands out, according to Martins: “The main selling point is the design. It is a car that captivates, that attracts, that catches the eye. I believe the design will be its greatest strength. Secondly, interior comfort and roominess will be important values, because it is a very spacious and very comfortable car, well thought out for living inside; it is a car you like to look at from outside and love to see from inside.”

The KIA marketing director even ventured to forecast the sales volume the KIA Stinger could achieve in the future. “In a normal year, we expect to sell between 60,000 and 70,000 units worldwide, with a very significant influence from American customers, because in the United States it should sell more than fifty percent,” asserts Artur Martins.