WOW! WOW!! WOW!!!. KIA STINGER COMBINES VALUE AND PERFORMANCE

Our tester, a Kia Stinger GT V6, is equipped with a 3.3-liter, twin turbo-charged engine that makes 365 horsepower and catapults the Stinger from zero-to-60 mph in just 4.4 seconds. Power pours through the rear wheels on most models, although an all-wheel-drive option is available.

With an aggressive stance, a pair of faux air intake nostrils on the hood, and a flaming red paint job, our factory tester turned lots of heads during our week behind the wheel. People seemed drawn to the Peter Schreyer-inspired styling, which Kia says is designed to blend elegance and athleticism. Schreyer is Kia's head designer who is credited with branding the company as a leader in automotive styling.

Kia of Chattanooga on Chapman Road had two 255-horsepower, four-cylinder Stingers in its digital inventory this week. Our Stinger GT V6 tester has an MSRP of $39,250, while base, four-cylinder models start at $32,800. All Kias, including the Stinger models, come with a class-leading 100,000-mile limited powertrain warranty.

STYLING AND FEATURES

The Optima, Kia's bread-and-butter sedan, has gained plaudits for its handsome exterior styling. The Stinger builds on the Optima's smart lines. The car's fastback proportions (yes, it has a hatch) cut a pleasing profile.

Up front, a split grille and island hood contribute to the car's clean aesthetics. LED lights at all four corners add a jewel-like quality. Sporty touches, such as dark-chrome outside mirrors and quad exhaust tips, hint that the Stinger is a serious driving machine.

Overall, the Stinger is said to be longer than the BMW 4-series and he Lexus GS. It has attractive 19-inch, five-spoke alloy wheels shod with low-profile Michelin summer tires. Besides Hi-Chroma Red, other bold color choices are Micro Blue and Sunset Yellow.

Inside, there are echoes of Mercedes-Benz design in the dash-mounted, seven-inch touch screen and circular heat-and-air vents. The cockpit is oriented toward the driver, and a beefy, flat-bottom steering wheel provides just the right leverage to toss the Stinger around our Chattanooga-area mountain roads.

Some of the interior materials, such as the center stack cover, are a little harder than we'd like. The perforated leather seats provide deep contours and a high level of comfort. Analog gauges are easy to read.

Standard features on our test car include leather-clad seating surfaces, Android Auto and Apple Carplay smartphone integration, SiriusXM satellite radio, rear-seat climate vents and push-button start. An acoustic windshield and side glass panels contributed to a hushed interior. An electric parking brake is also standard on the Stinger GT V6.

A limited edition package is included in the price of our tester and includes such safety tech features as forward collision avoidance, smart cruise control, lane-keep assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert.

DRIVING IMPRESSIONS

Since we drove the spiciest version of the Stinger — with the 3.3-liter, turbocharged, V-6 engine — we got to experience Stinger performance at its best. Once the turbos spool up, the car loves to sprint. We did notice a one-beat hesitation, sometimes called turbo-lag, before the car follows your orders to launch full-speed-ahead.

Still, with a 4.4-second time in the zero-to-60 mph sprint, the Stinger is obviously engineered to be driven hard. The trick — which the Stinger pulls off — is to deliver performance in a luxury package. Kia imagines you taking a long vacation drive with the occasional impulse to effortlessly pass slower moving traffic, or the need to outrun an 18-wheeler on a merge ramp.

The V6 is mated to an 8-speed automatic transmission; but there are paddle shifters, too, if you feel a whim to manually control the shift points. The Stinger has four drive modes: eco, smart, comfort, sport and custom.

Visibility through the back window is pinched. Fade-resistant Brembo brakes inspire confidence.

BOTTOM LINE

In order to compete in a niche with more-established rivals, the Kia Stinger has too make a good first impression — and it does. It's visual magnetism draws people close enough for them to see some of its other virtues, such as build quality and high-value content.

At the end of the day, shoppers in this segment want to be congratulated for their good taste, and the Stinger is the kind of conversation-starter that guarantees that result.