Today, Kia New Zealand announced in an official press release that “the recently arrived shipment of the flagship Stinger model will be the last.”
This communication effectively kills the Kia Stinger for the New Zealand market, and further predicts the impending cancellation of the brand’s sport-sedan-on-a-budget for other holdout markets for the Stinger.
The official cancellation of the Stinger in New Zealand comes as part of “Plan S,” a New Zealand-specific marketing campaign focused around electrifying the Kia brand in the island nation. As in other countries which have similar marketing plans, the launch of the all-electric EV6 compact crossover electric car is the first highlight of Plan S, but the press release also announced that all Sorento models sold in New Zealand in the future will be hybrid models.
Todd McDonald, Managing Director of Kia New Zealand, said “We have an eye on a fast-start to 2022, one which has the introduction of Kia’s Plan S in the local market followed shortly after by the launch of the incredible all-new EV6.”
While the Stinger will be cancelled, all hope is not lost for performance models from Kia. The EV6 GT will have Tesla-rivaling electric vehicle performance. However, for those looking for a low-slung, high-performance luxury sports sedan at an affordable price point, Kia won’t be an option for much longer.
Source: Kia New Zealand
