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2018 Kia Stinger GT long-term wrap-up | Putting the grand in grand tourer

One of our latest long-term tester departures is our 2018 Kia Stinger GT, and it's one we're sad to see leave. Our really red example was optioned ideally for this group of enthusiasts in southeast Michigan with the twin-turbo 365-horsepower V6, a few extra comfort features with the GT1 package such as a sunroof and heated steering wheel, and of course, all-wheel drive. And after over 18,000 miles of driving the Stinger, we were thoroughly impressed. The engine felt impressively powerful, delivering a big ol' shove to the back with every stab of the throttle. The handling was confident and quick. While it wasn't our exact long-term car, one of our editors took a Stinger to the track and had a good time with it. The styling never grew old, looking just as low, lean and aggressive as when it first arrived. And it was even comfortable and practical, just look at all the stuff we could stuff in it! Looking at everyone's final thoughts, the Stinger made a near-perfect daily driver. There were a few snags during our custody, though. A few creaks and rattles appeared, including an issue with a door hinge that had to be fixed by the dealer. We also ended up with a warped brake rotor that needed changing. Something that couldn't be fixed was the Stinger's thirst. We averaged between 19 and 23 mpg in mixed driving plus the occasional long highway slog. That's actually slightly better than the EPA's combined estimate of 20 mpg, but it's still not stellar. The four-cylinder is the way to go if you'll be racking up a lot of miles. Gripes aside, the Stinger GT was a welcome part of the Autoblog fleet. See what we all had to say about it in more detail below. 2018 Kia Stinger GT View 10 Photos Editor-in-Chief, Greg Migliore: I really enjoyed our long-term Stinger. It had guts. It had plenty of power. It was fun to drive. It had emotion in a way only a few non-luxury sedans have. Frankly, it's this and the Dodge Charger as far as large sedans go for enthusiasts. I loved how the Stinger sounded; guttural and deep. It looked the part, too, though some of the accents weren't to my taste. The steering was excellent, the right balance of precision and pliability. It offered confidence to push the car in corners and the necessary feedback to do so with skill. I really liked the Stinger. It offered a great value, though the interior did start to show some aging after a year in our fleet.

Kia's Super Bowl ad parks the Optima in a Walken closet

Kia has a weird marketing strategy to sell the Optima in its Super Bowl commercial titled Walken Closet. The humorous spot stars actor Christopher Walken who appears to live in a closet, and he describes the South Korean brand's midsize sedan as "as the world's most exciting pair of socks." Walken is famous for his unique voice, and he enunciates Kia Optima in this ad like no one else can. The ad markets the Optima as the midsize sedan for customers who want something more exciting from the segment. According to Walken, other vehicles are like beige socks, but the Kia has "pizzazz." Comparing a vehicle to a pair of socks still doesn't get the heart racing, though. You can watch a 90-second version of Walken Closet above. Kia will premiere the 60-second cut during the four quarter of the Super Bowl. CHRISTOPHER WALKEN ADDS "PIZZAZZ" TO KIA MOTORS' SUPER BOWL COMMERCIAL FOR THE ALL-NEW OPTIMA MIDSIZE SEDAN Kia is the First Brand to Utilize a New Technology Solution from Influential That Taps IBM Watson for Influencer Identification as Part of Multifaceted Marketing Campaign Extended cut of "Walken Closet" can be viewed now at YouTube.com/Kia; 60-second broadcast version will debut during the fourth quarter of Super Bowl 50 #AddPizzazz social media campaign includes partnerships with Mobile First influencer platform Influential, social media creator network Niche, and lifestyle apparel brand Stance, to engage creators and generate content across a variety of channels IRVINE, Calif., February 2, 2016 – There's no one quite like Christopher Walken – he is an original. And in Kia Motors America's (KMA) 2016 Super Bowl commercial, the Academy Award-winner employs a colorfully stylish sock to demonstrate how the next generation Optima stands out in the midsize sedan segment filled with entries that look and drive the same. Premiering today on YouTube.com/Kia – and set to air in the fourth quarter of the big game – "Walken Closet" is the centerpiece of Kia's multiplatform campaign spotlighting the all-new 2016 Optima as the vibrant alternative for those searching for more in a vehicle segment whose hallmarks are basic, boring and uninspired. As Walken explains in the spot, "There are two kinds of people in this world. Those who are content to blend in ... then there are those who expect more. They're exciting.

Kia previews next-gen infotainment systems at CES

While improving its quality, appeal and market share in recent years, Kia has made tremendous strides in transportation technology as well, and aims to further that at the upcoming Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas with new telematics and infotainment systems.
Among the new tech Kia will be displaying at CES this year will be several future advancements to its UVO system. The User-Centered Driver (UCD) concept centers around a widescreen head-up display that projects vital data such as speed, navigation directions and traffic information across 18 inches above the instrument cluster, joined by a 12.3-inch TFT display that presents the information in a 3D view, wireless mobile charging and hand-gesture recognition.
The In-Vehicle Information (IVI) concept uses a multi-display system (based around a 20-inch multi-touch center-console display) that synchronizes with a tablet or smartphone to interface with the concierge service, social networking, parking assist and smart radio functions. The system also enables vehicle-to-vehicle and vehicle-to-infrastructure communication and HD wireless connectivity.