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2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack vs. 2018 Kia Stinger GT Comparison | Big bargain bruisers

The Kia Stinger GT is a sporty midsize sedan with a sleek hatchback roof and a luxurious interior, so it makes sense that it's frequently been compared to high-end German cars of a similar description. While it has generally faired quite well against the likes of the Audi A5 Sportback and BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe despite its commoner badge, it's unclear how many potential Audi and BMW buyers are going to also consider a Kia. So, what else can be thrown at it? Well, the Stinger has a bold, brash exterior the Germans can’t match, while boasting loads of space, features and performance at a discount price. You know what that sounds like? The Dodge Charger, which we recently had in the Autoblog garage. It's not exactly an apples-to-apples choice – bigger, no hatch, a pair of extra cylinders – but the two sedans are close on price, especially the 2019 Dodge Charger R/T Scat Pack that arrived at our office with an MSRP of $46,075. ThatÂ’s just a few hundred less than our long-term StingerÂ’s price of $46,620. So I decided to try them back-to-back to see which is the better bargain bruiser. 2018 Kia Stinger View 11 Photos The Charger takes an early lead with its 6.4-liter naturally aspirated V8, which generates 485 horsepower and 470 pound-feet of torque – a big advantage over the StingerÂ’s 365 horses and 376 pound-feet. But itÂ’s not just the power that gives it the edge, itÂ’s that it makes all the right sounds, and itÂ’s so smooth and responsive. Any amount of throttle yields a charmingly round, mellow sound, with just a hint of grit. ItÂ’s vintage American rumble in a modern(ish) wrapper. Additionally, power is so smooth and progressive that itÂ’s easy to dial in the right amount. ThereÂ’s one minor exception in its controllability at launch, as it takes a moment for the torque converter to spin up, and a lazy foot can get the tires to yelp (yours truly and a couple other editors ran into this). The ZF eight-speed automatic shifts seamlessly, whether youÂ’re in automatic or manual mode. The Kia Stinger GTÂ’s twin-turbo 3.3-liter V6 is also a great engine, but it lacks the character and the finesse of the Charger's V8. While that giant 6.4-liter lets out a hearty roar, the Stinger keeps its mouth tightly shut. Only a low, generic mumble from the intake comes from under the hood. And as weÂ’ve talked about before, the throttle response is sluggish, and it takes a moment for boost to build.

Stellantis won't race to split electric vehicles from fossil fuel cars

MILAN - Stellantis is not considering splitting its electric vehicle (EV) business from its legacy combustion engine operation, its finance chief said on Thursday, as the carmaker presented above-expectation revenue data for the first quarter. Chief Financial Officer Richard Palmer told analysts he did not see huge benefits in the kind of separations pursued by rivals such as France's Renault and U.S. Ford. "We need to manage the company and the assets we have through this transition," he said. "There are benefits to having the cash flow being generated by the internal combustion business for the investments we need to make." Palmer said the group, formed by a merger last year of Fiat Chrysler and Peugeot maker PSA, was not averse to considering adjusting its structure "but we aren't anticipating any big changes." Palmer's comments came after the world's fourth largest carmaker said its net revenue rose 12% to 41.5 billion euros ($44.1 billion) in the January-March period, as strong pricing and the type of vehicles sold helped offset the impact of the semiconductor shortage on volumes. That topped analyst expectations of 36.9 billion euros, according to a Reuters poll. Milan-listed shares were up 0.5% by 1415 GMT, in line with Italy's blue-chip index. The impact of the chip crunch was evident in the decline in shipment figures which fell 12% in the quarter to 1.374 million vehicles. It was a similar story for Germany's BMW which posted higher revenues on Thursday and a decline in car sales. Riding the Recovery Stellantis, whose brands also include Citroen, Jeep and Maserati, confirmed its 2022 forecasts for a double-digit adjusted operating income margin, after 11.8% last year, and a positive cash-flow despite supply and inflationary headwinds. Morgan Stanley analysts said after the results that Stellantis had better management than many peers and benefited from its significant exposure to a stronger U.S. economy and a European recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic. They also said it was less affected by a slowing Chinese economy. Palmer said it was important for the group to maintain double-digit margins and keep delivering positive cash flows. "A 12% increase in revenue with a 12% decrease in volumes indicates a very strong performance on price and mix, which augurs well for our margin performance," he said. He said semiconductor supply problems were expected to ease this year with continued improvements in 2023.

Will the Dodge Charger keep a gas engine? It's always been a possibility

The automotive rumormill has been working at a frenetic pace ever since images of what's thought to be the upcoming Dodge Charger Daytona body-in-white hit the internet a week or so ago. When we initially posted the pictures, which had been uploaded to various social media channels and web forums, we took immediate note of the presence of an unmistakable transmission tunnel. We wondered out loud (virtually, at least) "if there have been some changes to battery and component layout, or if this is to allow for an internal-combustion powertrain option early on." Well, if you believe a report from "a source connected to a supplier with firsthand information of Dodge's production plans" who reportedly "agreed to speak about the next-gen Charger program in exchange for anonymity" to The Drive, that transmission tunnel is for — you guessed it! — a transmission. An upcoming and updated version of the eight-speed automatic currently in use in any number of Chrysler, Dodge, Jeep and Ram vehicles, to be specific, hooked up to the Hurricane-branded inline-six-cylinder engine that debuted under the hood of the Jeep Wagoneer. That engine is destined to replace the Hemi-branded V8 engines that have admirably served across the Stellantis portfolio for just about as long as anyone can remember. Here's where things get tricky. There's actually zero reason to be surprised that there's a transmission tunnel buried inside the Dodge Charger Daytona. Dodge boss Tim Kuniskis basically said there would be a transmission tunnel a year ago. "I've been very transparent that our next cars are built on the STLA Large platform, and the STLA Large is a multi-energy platform," he said. He further reinforced the point, adding, "I can put an ICE engine in there. Doesn't mean we're going to. We're certainly not launching with anything like that." Removing all further doubt about the matter, Kuniskis concluded, "We're launching with full battery-electric and we think that by the time we get to that point the offering we're going to have is going to be really attractive in the marketplace. If some day we want to add ICE to that car, could we? It's totally [possible], but maybe we'll never get there." Is there any way to reconcile the information anonymously provided to The Drive with the statements made earlier by Dodge honchos? Sure. It's entirely possible that we don't know all the vehicles, or the names of those vehicles, that will be built atop the STLA Large platform.