Official: Kia Stinger dead – Drive


After months of speculation – and in contrast to recent quotes from company executives – Kia head office has confirmed production of the Stinger sedan will come to an end.


Kia has confirmed production of the Kia Stinger sports sedan will come to an end – confirming long-standing overseas reports of its demise, amid a global decline in sedan sales.

While the Stinger has been a relative success in Australia – breaking its monthly sales records on multiple occasions this year – it has failed to meet expectations overseas, including in its main markets of the US and South Korea.

The decision to axe the Stinger was confirmed in a media statement from Kia head office in South Korea, as part of the announcement of a final Tribute Edition model.



“The Tribute Edition … celebrates the Stinger sedan’s significant contribution to the brand since its introduction in 2017, as production of the groundbreaking model comes to an end,” the statement reads.

A timeline is not given for when production of the Stinger will conclude, if order books have closed in Australia or overseas, and how long the 1000 Tribute Editions will take to produce.

Despite the statement from Kia headquarters in South Korea, Kia Australia representatives told Drive this morning there have been “no change in our recent response on Stinger”, and that it is “business as usual” until it is advised otherwise.



This is in reference to comments from Kia Australia chief operating officer Damien Meredith earlier this month, who told Drive “it’s in our business plan for next year. We’ll probably sell as many [in 2023] as we did this year, so it’s business as usual.”

However, this could mean the company is planning to stockpile vehicles ahead of the demise of the car – or it is yet to be informed of the end of production by head office in South Korea.

The end of Stinger production will be marked by a run of Tribute Edition models, limited to 1000 cars globally, and denoted by unique exterior and interior trim – however it is unclear if any will come to Australia.



“Kia’s high-performance spirit will continue through its recognised GT lineups,” Kia head office said in a media release this morning.

Drive will update this story with more information as it comes to hand.

Alex Misoyannis

Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020.

Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family.

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