Report: Kia Planning to Replace Stinger with an EV in 2026
The Kia Stinger lived a bright but shockingly brief life, but it appears the automaker may have a replacement lined up with its move to electric vehicles. A recent report from Korea claims that Kia is working on the Stinger’s replacement, noting that the car will move to electrification with its new form.
Though it’s not a “direct” successor to the Stinger, the EV8 should offer better performance from various electric powertrain options. The car is expected to be called the Kia EV8, though its internal code name for now is “GT1.” Kia’s current release timeline should put the EV8’s release sometime in 2026, and it’s expected to offer range estimates that rival the Lucid Air, up to 500 miles in some configurations.
Kia is expected to offer a few propulsion options, ranging from a 215-horsepower rear-drive base model to a performance model with two motors and a combined 603 horsepower. Like the EV6 and Hyundai Ioniq models, the EV8 will likely offer an advanced electrical architecture with super-fast charging.
Joining the EV8 in 2026 will be the Genesis GV90. Both models will ride on Kia’s new eM platform, and the EV8 is expected to arrive with a starting price somewhere in the mid-to-high $40,000 range. While it’s a bummer to see the Stinger name going away, any non-SUV electric vehicle with reasonable performance should be celebrated.
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Chris grew up in, under, and around cars, but took the long way around to becoming an automotive writer. After a career in technology consulting and a trip through business school, Chris began writing about the automotive industry as a way to reconnect with his passion and get behind the wheel of a new car every week. He focuses on taking complex industry stories and making them digestible by any reader. Just don’t expect him to stay away from high-mileage Porsches.
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From Stinger to ED?
seems like a bad move.
I actually bought a Stinger GT in late 2018 (FWIW at the time I was 32, never married, no children, and had my house all to myself). The number of RWD sedan/5dr vehicles with an engine configuration I liked and available for about $40K was 3 things. It was the Stinger, Charger/300, or a Q50 3.0t. Other than those it meant going used, going 4-cylinder, going FWD, or blowing up the budget.
I was getting out of a basket case 2014 Charger RT so at the time I wasn't looking for another Mopar and the Kia seemed to do everything better than the Infiniti. I anticipated that quality among the three would be a wash at worst. Maybe a used GS350 or LS460 would have been the most pragmatic option but the ones available at the time didn't seem like good examples.
Overall, the Stinger was fine. The brakes were my biggest issue and it required the aftermarket to get them feeling acceptable. However, I also learned that I vastly preferred a V8 over a turbo 6-cylinder. So I only had it 4 years before going back to a Charger.
This is over a year old news.