Kia Stinger vs Jaguar XE

Kia’s large sports sedan—the 2022 Stinger—aims high to challenge the automotive elites from Europe, and almost pulls it off. When confronted with competitors such as the Audi A5 Sportback and the BMW 4-series Gran Coupe, the Stinger gives a very similarly premium appearance and sense as well as lots of driving energy, giving it a fabulous choice for lovers on a budget.

Roomy

It shares its foundations with the awesome Genesis G70 sedan, but the Stinger covers its more spacious interior, more roomy cargo hold, and hatchback liftgate with a sensual fastback roofline. A couple of turbocharged engines are given: a 300-hp turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder is standard and a gutsy 368-hp twin-turbo V-6 is available. Rear-wheel drive is standard but all-wheel drive is also available for those who want it.

The XE beat the market for 2017 with a lot of commitment: Its great appearances and powerful progress had it competing to be our favorite in the small-luxury-sedan section. Nevertheless, it’s an ultra-competitive division, and since the XE’s introduction, there have been two very powerful new competitors—Alfa Romeo’s sweet-driving Giulia and the all-around-excellent Genesis G70—along with a much-improved BMW 3-series. It’s yet a looker, and it handles well, although we miss the XE’s powerful 380-hp V-6 that’s no longer available for 2020.

Turbo

What’s left are two turbo four-cylinders—an entry-level P250 model with 247 horsepower or a P300 with 296 horsepower —that aren’t class-leading in both performance or efficiency, and its little back seat and trunk control the XE on the practicality front. An important update for 2020 appends upgraded interior elements and supplementary characteristics but yet leaves the XE striving for mid-pack status.

In extension to various styling updates, the 2022 Stinger seems to substitute the standard 255-hp turbo 2.0-liter four-cylinder with a more robust 2.5-liter turbo-four. The new engine produces a strong 300 horsepower. Not to be given out, the optional twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6 gets a small power boost from 365 hp to 368 gratitude to a new mutable exhaust system. Styling improvements introduce updated exterior lighting components, new wheel designs, and bigger exhaust tips. Inside, the 2022 Stinger gets improved materials throughout, new metallic trim lines, flexible ambient lighting, and a more extensive voluntary 10.3-inch infotainment display.

GT

Even though the GT-Line has the aspects of the V-6 models, we’d still go with one of the higher-powered models. Of those, the GT1 is the one to get. It retains its price lower but combines a sunroof, navigation, an 8.0-inch infotainment display, Harman/Kardon audio, automatic high-beam headlamps, a power-adjustable steering column, vented front seats, automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane-keeping assist, and a driver attention monitor.

Added in the XE’s notable update for 2020 are front and rear styling tweaks, including a wider front grille and redesigned rear diffuser. The base price falls by about $3000 but begins with a multitude of extra content, including standard leather seats, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility (both of which were options before), as well as standard LED headlights, and improved interior elements. Also recently voluntary this year is Jaguar’s latest InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system; it combines a second touchscreen that manages the climate-control system and other vehicle controls, as well as a digital gauge cluster, digital rearview mirror and a wireless charging pad for phones. The V-6 and diesel engine choices are lowered for 2020.

S Model

We’d hold with the simplicity of the rear-drive S model, and with the recently updated interior elements and standard leather seats, it isn’t essential to pay a lot additional on upgrades. Joining in all the details such as a heated steering wheel the new multi-screen Touch Pro Duo infotainment, and adaptive cruise control put the XE solidly into the area of well-equipped rivals such as the Audi A4, BMW 330i, and Genesis G70, where the XE, regrettably, grows less compelling.

The 2022 Stinger is prepared with two different turbocharged engines, a fresh 300-hp 2.5-liter turbo-four as well as a 368-hp twin-turbo 3.3-liter V-6. We haven’t inquired about the fresh engine, but the V-6 produces a scintillating performance that prepares our enthusiast for blood pumping. Both engines are coupled with an eight-speed automatic transmission, which, in our events, gives swift transfers and is reserved when given to change for itself.

We wish the paddle shifters allowed sharper responses to driver inputs, yet. Still, for drivers in the single-minded race of straight-line speed, the Stinger GT does not fail. The Stinger has ruled straight-line speed and the latest variant we tested delivered firm signs throughout our track testing. It comports itself well in regular driving, but when forced to the boundary, it couldn’t quite meet the balance of its more traditional rival(s).

Brembo Breaks

Moreover, we recognized some protestations from the rear suspension system—an unnerving sidestep when approaching hard on a rough road—while some fore-and-aft pitching brought our all-out acceleration and braking points. All GTs highlight strong Brembo brakes, which presented fast stops by any weight and fit in admirably within this class of high-performing sedans. Without the Brembos and rolling on less grippy all-season tires, the Stinger is less effective—in this class or any other.

With the 380-hp supercharged V-6 and the diesel, four-cylinder went for 2020, the XE can no longer race to 60 mph in fewer than five seconds or reach more than 40 mpg on the highway like it used to. What’s left is a turbo four-cylinder in two power levels, 247 or 296 horsepower. At least it’s honestly peaceful and clean, although the engine doesn’t influence the class in either performance or fuel economy (the BMW 330i beats it on both fronts).

Body Control

The XE gives exceptional body control covering bumps and through turns and presents a comfortable drive quality. An adaptive suspension with various firmness perspectives is given, but it isn’t as completely wonderful as the conventional structure. The electric power steering gives different feedback from the front wheels to the driver’s guidance, which is a significant determination booster when driving hard. We acknowledge the much-improved cornering grip and more active steering responses on XEs wearing optional summer wheels rather than the standard all-season rubber.

The rear-drive, four-cylinder 2022 Stinger has the most leading rated fuel economy, with EPA evaluations of 22 mpg city and 32 highway. Generally, the more strong V-6 engine is less effective, notably with all-wheel drive, which loses its measures to 17 mpg city and 24 highway. While we haven’t examined the new 2.5-liter turbo-four on our 75-mph highway route, which is part of our comprehensive examination regimen, the all-wheel-drive, V-6 model we estimated delivered 26 mpg in that test.

The XE’s entry-level, 247-hp four-cylinder engine is ranked at 34 mpg on the highway, which piles up well against the rival(s). Nevertheless, we couldn’t resemble that in our highway-fuel-economy analysis, where our all-wheel-drive XE only accomplished 31 mpg. That’s way off of the stellar 42 mpg we observed in a rear-drive BMW 330i, and an extension to being more effective, the BMW is also much faster.

The Stinger’s interior is well composed and engaging, but it can’t pretty even the Audi A4 or the BMW 3-series for substantial quality or structure. Then again, the Kia costs considerably less than those two German sedans. The Stinger does, nevertheless, give a significantly more spacious rear seat than several vehicles in this class—and its influence seems more prominent than its numbers would imply. While Stinger’s interior is clear of obvious mistakes and imperfections, the overall effect is less refined than the purposes we’ve experienced from established luxury brands.

Trunk Size

The Stinger’s asserted trunk size would foretell that it has by far the most freight space in this attitude, but it only surpassed its competitors by a little margin in our real-world cargo tests. With its roomy hatchback opening and long wheelbase, we’d assumed the Stinger would do even better in these measures. Its middle console is on the wide side for a vehicle, which accommodates to recompense for the fact that the front-door pockets are the tiniest of this bunch.

Jaguar‘s interior aesthetic is fresh and contemporary, with usually high-quality elements—which made even better with the 2020 updates—and is the ideal equivalent for the XE’s elegant exterior. The driver meets a beautifully formed steering wheel, an analog tachometer and speedometer, and an optional digital gauge cluster. The XE’s dashboard boasts big, easy-to-read climate controllers with stand-alone temperature readouts.

Adjustability

With a broad variety of adjustability for its steering column and front seats, the driver and front-seat passenger have the range to spare. If only Jaguar could have moved some of that additional place to the rear seat, which is closer than most of the competition’s aft sections. On paper, at least, the XE’s trunk capacity is class-competitive, and it has a conventional 60/40 split-folding rear seat to increase that space when required. Our real-world cargo-capacity testing exposed the XE’s trunk to have limited available area than most of its rivals, even those with technically shorter trunks. What’s more, the Jag’s rear seats are hard to fold flat.

Kia’s infotainment system—described UVO—is utilized to immeasurable influence in the Stinger and consists of an 8.0- or 10.3-inch touchscreen incorporated with beneficial physical buttons. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard, as is a six-speaker stereo system. Audiophiles can upgrade to a 15-speaker Harman/Kardon stereo system, and Kia gives a gathering of other tech upgrades as well, such as a wireless smartphone charging pad and in-dash navigation.

All XE arrives with a 10.2-inch infotainment touchscreen and the latest variant of Jaguar’s InControl Touch Pro software. InControl Touch Pro is simple to utilize with navigable menus and a smooth presentation, but we’ve seen some bugs and notable delay time in this system and other Jaguar products. InControl Touch Pro also introduces navigation; Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration are standard for 2020.

Capability

New this year is the capability to upgrade to Jaguar’s latest InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system from the I-Pace EV. It’s a portion of the Technology Pack that incorporates a wireless charging pad for phones, a head-up display, a 12.3-inch digital gauge cluster, and a second touchscreen lower in the middle stack that manages the climate system. In our experience with this system in the I-Pace, we’ve noticed it needs some time to get habitual to its complexities.

The Stinger gives almost every driver assistance that we report on available as an alternative. For more knowledge about the Stinger’s crash-test results, visit the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) websites. 

Essential safety innovations incorporate:

1. Available automated emergency braking with pedestrian detection

 2. Available lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist

 3. Available adaptive cruise control

Almost every contemporary safety technology highlight is available on the XE, with an accent on “available.” Several of the hallmarks are standard, except on upper trim levels. Meantime, neither the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) nor the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has crash-tested the XE, so it’s not possible to say how safe the XE is. 

Essential safety innovations incorporate:

1. Available automated emergency braking

 2. Available lane-keeping assist

 3. Available adaptive cruise control

 4. Standard driver-drowsiness monitoring