Head to head: 2017 Kia Stinger vs Holden Commodore SS-V Redline
The asteroid is on our horizon.
Australia’s car manufacturing industry will plunge into darkness when Holden builds its last car on October 20, closing the doors on an important chapter in automotive history.
Local car-making operations run by Toyota and Ford are already extinct, leaving Holden’s Commodore family as the final Aussie models.
Just as Tyrannosaurus Rex was one of the final dinosaurs to walk the earth, Holden’s thunderous 6.2-litre V8-powered models are the last to leave its production line.
Holden’s home grown muscle cars leave a hole in the car market that Kia is keen to fill. Kia Motors Australia executive Damien Meredith says the brand will “do everything” it can to fill that void, and that the new Stinger sedan is a “logical fit” for Australia.
Like its heat-seeking namesake, the Stinger has locked-on to Australian enthusiasts. This eagerly-anticipated model represents uncharted territory for Kia, venturing away from affordable hatchbacks and SUVs to bring a pseudo-premium sedan with a powerful front-mounted engine driving the rear wheels.
Available with a choice of turbocharged four or six-cylinder engines, the latter has captured the attention of enthusiasts as a gutsy performer to rival Australian sports sedans.
Priced from $45,990 as a 2.0-litre four-cylinder proposition with 182kW and 353Nm or $48,990 for the 3.3-litre V6’s 272kW and 510Nm potency, the Stinger is available in three model grades for each power plant. We tested the more powerful V6 in mid-range Si form that brings plenty of features while leaving a few luxuries for the range-topping GT.
Available from $55,990 plus on-road costs, the Stinger Si features loads of gear including an 8-inch touch screen with sat nav and a reversing camera, leather-trimmed seats with eight-way electric adjustment and a nine-speaker stereo with twin subwoofers under the front seats.
Keen drivers will be happy to find sports-tuned suspension with 19-inch wheels, an eight-speed paddle-shift automatic transmission, limited-slip differential, powerful Brembo brakes and quality Continental tyres that signal a further shift away from Kia’s usual cut-price approach. The tech crowd will welcome Apple CarPlay, adaptive cruise control and autonomous emergency braking among features you won’t find on any Commodore.
Holden’s SS-V Redline has been around in its current form since 2015, when the brand revitalised its performance hero with a final push intended to make it Australia’s best home-grown drivers’ car. Swapping a 270kW V8 for a larger 6.2-litre version with 304kW and 575Nm outputs, the range-topping Redline also gets beefed-up suspension, four-wheel Brembo brakes and a shorter final-drive ratio that transforms it into something truly special.
Priced from $54,990 plus on-road costs in six-speed manual form, or $57,190 plus on-roads for the six-speed auto, the Redline sits toward the top of the Commodore hierarchy - just below the limited-edition Magnum, Motorsport and Director trio.
You get a reasonable amount of gear for the money, including leather trim, a head-up display system, 19-inch wheels and an 8-inch touch screen paired to a nine-speaker Bose stereo.
Settling into the Commodore’s familiar cabin, you’re greeted by large and comfortable sports seats with a squared-off steering wheel that feels a little bigger than it ought to. The Kia has a much sportier driving position, allowing you to lower in the car, enjoying a wider range of adjustment for its circular wheel.
The Stinger’s interior makes an excellent first impression, where genuine metal buttons and shift paddles join carbon fibre veneers in a cabin that feels more European than Korean. The design is something approaching a facsimile of Mercedes-Benz’ current C-Class coupe, with three circular chrome-ringed air vents tucked under a tablet-like display framed by a black and chrome bezel. A neat row of metallic buttons controls the air conditioning, and metal grilles protect the Stinger’s speakers.
Kia’s Maserati-inspired exterior styling drew praise from passers-by. If you’re going to borrow design ideas, you might as well take them from the best in the biz.
Some design elements don’t work as well as they should; The touchscreen is a fair reach away, which is why Mercedes uses more convenient remote control systems; A sloping roofline cuts into rear headroom; And exterior elements such as fake bonnet vents try a little too hard to impress.
Prod the Stinger’s starter button and it rouses with a hushed whirr. That initially underwhelming impression remains when you drop it in drive and cruise down the road – there’s no beat or rumble to the Kia’s distant, Camry-like hum. Sport and custom driving modes offer synthetic engine sounds broadcast through the speakers in an admission that the Stinger’s engine lacks the fire and brio some customers expect from a performance car.
The Redline couldn’t be more different.
Holden’s Chevrolet-sourced V8 wakes with a growl and pop, settling into an idle that injects a mild hum through the cabin – this car feels alive.
Select drive – or first gear, as the Commodore still offers a manual option – and you are rewarded with a rich soundscape as the motor drops below idle speed, reaches its torque sweet spot and lets loose an audible pop as you pluck the next ratio, by gear lever or paddle. Roll out of the gas and it lets fly a finely-tuned crackle from the tailpipes.
Holden’s team put serious hours into tuning the last V8 Commodore’s exhaust note. It’s better-than-ever, eclipsing most HSV models thanks to the use of a mechanical intake resonator and clever “Baillie tips” on the exhaust that divert sonic energy into the car’s body, immersing the cabin in a distinctive V8 roar. The result is one of the best-sounding cars on sale at any price.
Kia is working on an aftermarket exhaust option for the Stinger, but it won’t sound like this.
One area Kia does not need to improve is the Stinger’s straight-line performance. Serving up peak torque from just 1300rpm, the twin-turbocharged V6 has shove to spare in every one of its eight gears, sending the sedan surging forward every time you stand on the go pedal.
With similar outputs to Ford’s discontinued Falcon XR6 Turbo, there’s little doubt this is a properly quick car. But it doesn’t go about its business in a particularly exciting way. Feeling mighty at low revs and a little breathless toward the top of the tacho, the Stinger’s flat torque curve will be familiar to drivers who have experienced something like Volkswagen’s Golf GTI. It can’t match the Commodore for adrenaline, with the deep-chested V8 ramping up the pace in a more evocative manner before reaching its red line crescendo.
That said, the Kia can match Holden’s hero for straight-line pace. Real-world 0-100km/h tests revealed the Stinger is capable of reaching 100kmh in 5.1 seconds – exactly the same time we achieved in an automatic SS-V Redline on the same day.
A touch more road noise on the highway is alleviated somewhat by the Stinger’s superior tech and infotainment offerings – adaptive cruise control is a welcome addition for long journeys. We spent plenty of time with the Kia, driving it back-to-back with the Commodore on motorways, country back roads and Sydney’s Royal National Park as well as a solo jaunt to Bathurst – a trip I’ve done twice in the Redline.
Driven with determination, it’s clear these cars have different personalities. The Commodore is the boy-racer, egging you on harder and harder, smearing its fat 275mm-wide Bridgestones across the road as you revel in its beautifully-weighted steering and outstanding body control. A driver’s car to its core, the Redline revels in being pushed hard, giving mortals a chance to live out their Lowndes, Skaife or Brock fantasies without suiting up for the Bathurst 1000.
We’ve said it before and we will say it again, Holden is going out on a high with the VF Series II Commodore – the best car it has ever made.
The Kia isn’t as convincing in the corners. Heavier, with comparatively narrow 225mm front and 255mm rear Continental rubber that does not stand up to abuse, the Kia struggles to get its power to the ground. Even with stability control turned on, the Stinger’s tail will slew out of line as that mighty motor overpowers its rubber. Light steering with less feedback than the Holden makes it a little trickier to judge the Kia’s intentions, and it feels somewhat loose and floaty over tricky crests and roadside imperfections. Worse still, the eight-speed auto over-rides driver input, and is less-than-telepathic in its gear selection.
With brakes that feel spongy compared to the Commodore and inconsistent traction and stability control systems that can leave you guessing, the Stinger doesn’t match the Redline for driver engagement.
In a way, that should be expected. This is Kia’s first crack at this type of car, while Holden has been building high-performance V8 sedans for decades. The Stinger is a great car, one that feels as though it has a different set of priorities in life to the SS-V Redline.
Kia’s contender isn’t a track car or Sunday morning special, but a well-rounded family model with plenty of mumbo.
Like the fuzzy little mammals who survived the Ice Age to rule our planet, who could have thought cheap’n’cheerful Kia could walk with the giants of local car culture?
The Stinger is a breath of fresh air. In a word of increasingly autonomous cars, electric motors and SUVs, it’s positive to see car companies will continue to offer driver-focused machines.
In a way, the Stinger is a little like the Toyota 86 - a passion project where brand-building might be more important than sales numbers.
Both cars have plenty going for them. There’s no winner or loser here – the Kia makes more sense with its superior tech and strong seven-year, unlimited kilometre warranty. It’s the car you choose with your head.
But as an Australian car-lover, the V8 Commodore tugs at the heartstrings in a way the Kia just can’t match. Yes it’s a dinosaur on the verge of extinction. But the last Aussie V8 is a much more memorable car that should live in local folklore long after the Stinger is forgotten.
After all, none of us have met a dinosaur. But every kid can tell you all about T. Rex.
Mountain Men
We took the Stinger to the Bathurst 1000 to see how the V8 faithful would react. Most people we spoke with were happy to see the Korean brand cater to car lovers with an affordable performance sedan.
One bloke told us that he “wouldn’t admit to owning a Kia” in years gone by, but that the brand was now “better than Holden”.
Jim Bolkinghorne drives an HSV Clubsport in Alice Springs, where years of (now-defunct) open speed limits fostered a culture of powerful cars.
“When you are a V8 driver you get a bit sceptical of fours and sixes,” he said. “But this is good – it’s a bit different.”
Darren Brennan didn’t realise the Stinger was built by a value-oriented brand.
“From the side I thought it might have been something else - maybe a Jag,” he said. “It looks schmick, but I'd probably buy a Mustang or Camaro first.”
Three-time Mercedes-AMG customer Daryl Haase said the Stinger makes an excellent first impression.
“It's a nice shape - very aerodynamic. This is a good family car for blokes that want a bit of power, and the interior is nice,” he said.
“In theory this car could work in V8 Supercars. Have Kia got the balls to turn it into a race car? We’ll see.”
Kia Stinger Si pricing and specifications
Price: From $55,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 3.3-litre twin-turbo V6
Power:272kW at 6000rpm
Torque: 510Nm at 1300-4500rpm
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic, rear-wheel-drive
Fuel use: 10.2L/100km
Holden Commodore SS-V redline pricing and specifications
Price: From $54,990 plus on-road costs
Engine: 6.2-litre V8 petrol
Power: 304kW at 5750rpm
Torque: 575Nm at 2220-6250rpm
Transmission: Six-speed manual or auto, rear-wheel drive
Fuel use: 12.9L/100km