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The Kia Stinger has always been a capable fastback, with its actual performance somewhat exceeding its sales performance. The 2024 model year will be the last for the performance sedan, and Kia is sending it off with a final tribute model.
Just 1,000 examples of the Tribute Edition will be built. 440 of those cars have been allocated to the US market. It’s based on the Stinger GT2, with its 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 engine good for 368 horsepower and 376 lb-ft of torque. It will be available in Ascot Green or the new Steel Matte Gray color.
Other visual touches include black trim and exhaust tips, Brembo brake calipers, and unique 19-inch wheels. Inside, it gets Terracotta Nappa leather seats with a unique Tribute Edition logo. There’s also a synthetic suede headliner, and “simulated carbon fiber” interior trim. The Tribute Edition cars will also receive custom-numbered sill plates.
MSRP for the special edition starts at $54,565 for the rear-wheel-drive model, or $56,675 for the all-wheel-drive version. In the automaker’s own words, “existing Kia customers and hand raisers” will be the first to know when the car hits dealers. “We want to give our loyal customers a jump on the opportunity to own this ultra-exclusive Stinger Tribute Edition,” said Eric Watson, Vice President of Sales at Kia America. In other words, if you want to secure one for yourself, pick up the phone to get in line.
The Stinger was well-reviewed on launch. Industry pundits appreciated the available rear-wheel-drive and its potent handling. However, it was launched at a time when the broader public had largely abandoned sedans, save for the luxury market. The model’s strongest year was in 2018, when Kia shifted 16,806 units in the US. It did steady business in the low teens until 2022, when numbers trickled down to 7,809 cars sold.
Despite warnings from years ago that the Stinger would be dead by 2022, it has nonetheless lived on. Kia’s plan was always to build it until 2024, and it will achieve that milestone. It’s by no means a failure, but it sadly wasn’t the sales success that some of us hoped it would be.
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If you’ve always thought about buying a Stinger, this is your chance to get a particularly exclusive one. But if you can’t get your hands on one of the limited-edition tribute models, you’re sure to have plenty of fun in a regular 2024 Stinger GT2 nonetheless.
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