The Kia Stinger has attracted a lot of attention but
it appears the company won’t capitalize on the momentum by introducing multiple
variants of the rear-wheel drive model.
Wards Auto reports Kia Motors America vice president
of product planning, Orth Hedrick, confirmed the company won’t create a Stinger
sub-brand or any variants of the well-received model. Instead, Hedrick wants
the Stinger to elevate the Kia brand and noted “That was one of the points in
making sure that we feature the Kia logo loud and proud [on the car].”
The Stinger has only been on sale in the United
States for a few months but initial results look positive as Carsalesbase data
shows the company sold 1,021 units in January. That means the model was
significantly more popular than the similarly priced Cadenza but only time will
tell if the model becomes a hit.
Despite the similar pricing, the Cadenza and Stinger
appeal to different people and it appears both models have a place in the
company’s lineup. As Hedrick explained, “There’s spots in the market that still
want a big easy-driving, front-drive sedan.”
Besides talking about the Stinger, Hedrick revealed
the company isn’t planning an A-segment crossover like Hyundai. The product
planner said a small crossover isn’t a “priority at this point” and stated “I
think we would see more opportunity in C-segment [crossovers] then we would in
A- or B- [segment models].”
Hedrick also downplayed the possibility of a pickup
even though Hyundai is working on a production version of the Santa Cruz
concept.
