Kia made a splash at SEMA this week by rolling out three modified vehicles aimed at giving attendees a thrill and a new perspective on the South Korean brand.
The unveiled two Stinger concepts and a Cadenza that revealed just what one can do with the new model – the Stinger was just introduced for 2018 – and the faithful standby, the Cadenza.
The company’s Stinger GT Federation is outfitted with parts and accessories from leading aftermarket suppliers, and marks Kia’s foray into making high-performance aftermarket parts available for purchase after a vehicle has been launched.
The exterior custom color, creamy orange, is perfect for highlighting the performance-inspired exterior body accent kits by Air Design USA, which include a rear spoiler, rear diffuser and redesigned hood vents in black providing an aggressive-looking contrast color for the Stinger.
(To check out TDB’s first drive in the 2018 Kia Stinger GT, Click Here.)
The Federation’s show is enhanced by more go with a K&N cold-air intake and a low-restriction quad-tipped Borla exhaust help the Stinger breathe more freely and adds 15 horsepower to the twin-turbo 3.3-liter engine, pushing it to 380 horsepower, and likely pushing down that estimated 0-to-60 time of 4.7 seconds down by a few tenths of a second.
Eibach springs, thicker antiroll bars and a reduced ride height aim to offer a more spirited driving experience, while aggressive staggered 20-inch TSW wheels shod with Falken tires round out the Stinger GT Federation’s visual and technical achievements.
Kia turned over another Stinger and a Cadenza over to one of the country’s premier customizers, West Coast Customs and the group rolled in with the Stinger GT Wide Body and the Cadenza Obsidian.
The Stinger GT Wide Body is coated in a layers of pearl blue metallic paint, and the team drew inspiration from the racing GT cars of the 1970s for the exterior design for the wide fenders that give the Stinger a beefier look.
(Click Here for a review of the 2018 Kia Rio.)
West Coast Customers lowered the suspension 1.4 inches up front and 1.2 inches in the rear, the Stinger GT Wide Body rides on 21-inch Keen forged wheels wrapped with high-performance tires. A lightweight carbon fiber aero kit and rear diffuser means the Stinger will grip the road tightly at high speeds.
On the inside, custom blue leather seat piping, a distinct hand-stitched gray leather dash panel, alcantara-wrapped steering wheel as well as gloss black center console trim round out the Stinger’s racing feel.
The Cadenza Obsidian is what its name suggests: black. Deep, dark, get-lost-in-it black. It’s highlighted with copper accents inside and out. Like its Stinger sibling, it rides lower than standard with stiffened sport springs on custom 20-inch gloss-black Keen wheels with Cosmic Copper trim and is veiled in custom metallic black paint with ultra-dark ceramic window tint.
(Kia’s new Stonic ready for prime time. For the story, Click Here.)
Inside, the Obsidian features a hand-stitched suede dashboard top panel, butter-soft brown leather seats with suede inserts as well as custom brown suede door panels. Complementing the Harmon Kardon 630-watt premium sound system is a booming integrated subwoofer.
