More Power, Better Tech for the 2022 Kia Stinger

• Base Stinger's baseline output is now 300 horsepower
• New styling and infotainment system
• Scorpion Special Edition adds sporty blacked-out accents

The 2022 Kia Stinger is getting some added venom. A more potent base engine, updated styling and minor interior updates are all part of the Stinger's first significant update since it debuted for the 2018 model year. Look for the new Stinger to arrive at Kia dealerships in the spring of 2021 and have a starting price of around $34,500.

More powerful four-cylinder engine

How many sedans can you think of that come with a 300-horsepower engine as standard? Not many, probably. That alone gives the 2022 Stinger some decent bragging rights. The base Stinger GT-Line trim gets a revised turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine good for 300 hp. That's a 45-hp increase over last year's turbo-four engine. Torque output also rises to 311 lb-ft this year, a 51 lb-ft boost.

The Stinger GT is back for 2022 as well. Its turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 is unchanged, but there is a new variable exhaust for a sportier sound. The new exhaust also helps liberate a few more ponies for a total of 368 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque.

As before, both engines are paired to an eight-speed automatic transmission. Rear-wheel drive is standard and all-wheel drive (with a torque-vectoring feature to enhance cornering agility) is optional.

Kia is quoting 0-60 mph acceleration as 5.2 seconds for the GT-Line and 4.7 seconds for the GT.

Go for the Scorpion

Did you like the way the Stinger looks? Good, because it's pretty much the same for 2022. Kia updated the design style of the front running lights, bolted on some new wheels and fiddled with the rear of the car. But otherwise it's the same, vaguely Porsche Panamera-ish look we've grown accustomed to since 2018.

There is one minor interesting development, however: the new Kia Stinger Scorpion Special Edition. It has black-painted wheels, a rear spoiler, some blacked-out exterior trim and carbon fiber-like interior trim. The Scorpion Special Edition is what to get if you thought the Stinger previously looked a little too blingy with its shiny fender vents.

New infotainment screen, more safety

Just about all of the 2022 Stringer's displayed information should be easier to see. The infotainment system now comes standard with a 10.25-inch touchscreen, which is bigger than the previous standard 7-inch touchscreen and optional 8-inch touchscreen. The Stinger's standard and optional driver information screens are bigger this year, too. Yet we're pleased to see that Kia is keeping the classic tachometer and speedometer dials instead of going fully digital for the gauge cluster like on some other cars.

Kia has also made the Stinger's collection of advanced driver safety features standard equipment for 2022. Previously, it wasn't standard until you ponied up for the more expensive GT 1 or GT 2 trim.

Edmunds says

There's nothing going on with the 2022 Stinger that will dramatically alter your shopping decision. If you liked the Stinger before, you're going to like this updated model, too. All the same, Kia's updates have undeniably increased the car's appeal as a legitimate sport sedan that's cooler than mainstream midsizers and less expensive than full-on luxury sedans. Keep it locked on our 2022 Kia Stinger page for all the latest news and developments.