Kia bids farewell to the Stinger with a Tribute Edition

Kia proved to the world in 2017 that they could make something fast, sporty, and loud. They took on the likes of Mercedes, Acura, and Lexus with their unexpected entry into the sport sedan market, and consequently pinned them against the masters of sporty sedans, BMW.

The Stinger came to the Philippine shores in 2019 and was offered with the throaty, yet muscular-sounding Lambda II V6 engine. Kia refreshed the Stinger in 2020, giving it new LED lights at the front and back, adding newer tech in the interior, and revising the exhaust of its V6 twin-turbo engine. 

In 2022, with Kia declaring their commitment to carbon neutrality by 2045, the Kia Stinger doesn’t seem to line up with Kia’s Sustainable Energy, Sustainable Mobility, and Sustainable Planet principles. Kia however, will not let the Stinger die with a whimper, instead, they revealed a limited edition of the Stinger and allow it to go down swinging.

Kia named this limited edition run the Stinger Tribute Edition, restricted to only 1,000 models worldwide, the Tribute Edition is based on the GT variant with the twin-turbo V6 engine. 

Aesthetically, the Tribute Edition differs from the normal Stinger with the addition of the Moonscape Matte Gray paint, Brembo brake calipers, blacked-out side mirrors, and 19-inch gloss black alloys. If gray doesn’t suit the customer's fancy, the equally spectacular Ascot green hue is also an option. 

Inside the Stinger Tribute Edition are design and material changes carefully selected to refresh the look of the Stinger, as well as make it stand out in the lineup. Terracotta Brown leather was the chosen finish for the seats, door handles, and door trims. The dashboard was also treated to a carbon-effect finish along with the door trim to complement the color of the brown leather and give it an understated yet sporty look.

Another easter-egg that Kia provides for customers in the interior is the inclusion of a wasp-shaped emblem embedded in the seat’s headrest. Kia says that the wasp is a call back to the car’s name and brisk acceleration of the V6 twin-turbo which now produces 371 horsepower and 510 Nm of torque.

To top it all off, the Tribute Edition carries a number plate on its doorsill to authenticate that it belongs to the limited run of 1,000 models worldwide.

The Kia Stinger will end its five-year run with a bang, by giving it a second wind, Kia is honoring the life of their first car in the performance category. Now, Kia is celebrating the Stinger’s contribution to putting them on the world stage and its immense impact on the car industry. The soul of the Stinger will live on among the 1,000 Stinger Tribute Editions.

If you’re still on the fence about buying a Kia Stinger, it's better to visit your local dealer soon as there are only a few months to go before Kia Philippines officially removes the sports sedan from their catalog here.