Kia Announces New EV8 to Revive the Stinger Sports Car

The Kia Corp is on the fast track to becoming an all-electric automaker. Releasing the Kia EV6 in 2022, followed by the Kia EV9 in 2023, the automaker has also unveiled several other battery-electric vehicle (BEV) concepts, such as the Kia EV5, Kia EV4, and Kia EV3. Kia is also known to electrify some crowd favorites, such as the new 2024 Carnival Hybrid and the Kia Sportage plug-in hybrid. Some consumers may be thinking, “EV6 and EV9? What about the EV7 and EV8?” They would be right on the money, and Kia just revealed its plans for the high-performance EV8 electric sedan.

Squee! Sorry, just had to get that out. Personally, I’ve been waiting for Kia to make an all-electric sedan, and there have been plenty of rumors about Kia reinventing the Kia Stinger as a BEV. The fancy Kia sports car, the Kia Stinger, was beloved by consumers and fans everywhere. It had been a long time since Kia produced anything that wasn’t an SUV or hatchback, but sadly, the Stinger burned too bright and fizzled out within only a few years. The final models were sold off as the Kia Stinger Tribute Edition, and that was it for the Kia sports car.

When the Kia EV5 was announced, there was hope. A lot of heavy speculation surrounded the EV5 as the possible resurrection of the Kia Stinger as a BEV. The exterior design followed the current styling as recent Kia BEVs, such as the “Tiger Face” front fascia and Star Map signature lighting system. We also saw the aerodynamic-enhancing roof spoiler and sculpted lines for unimpeded movement and performance. Inside, the EV5 Concept would offer a lounge mode, a full-length panoramic sunroof that doubles as a solar panel, and all kinds of modern tech. It was definitely a strong contender for the new Stinger nameplate.

This new announcement by Kia makes the resurrection of the Stinger official. The first BEV to be built on a new electric platform, Hyundai’s next-gen “eM” platform, the popular Electric-Global Modular Platform (E-GMP) used on many Hyundai and Kia BEVs is already retiring, being replaced by two new platforms for the new Integrated Modular Architecture (IMA) by the Hyundai Motor Group. Said to improve all-electric range (AER) by 50-percent, that’s already good news for a high-performance BEV.

So far, not a lot of information about the EV8 has been shared. The automaker states a new, massive 113.2 kWh battery pack will be powering the electric motors, making it the largest ever from a Korean automaker (the Kia EV9 comes with a 99.8 kWh battery). Like most Kia BEVs, the powertrain will be made of a dual-motor system, with an electric motor in the front and one in the back. Up front, the EV8 is expected to generate 200 kW (268 horsepower), plus 250 kW (225 horsepower) at the rear for a total of 450 kW (603 horsepower) output. This makes the EV8 the most powerful model by Kia yet – remember, the EV6 goes as high as 576 horsepower, although still impressive.

Want to learn more about upcoming BEVs by Kia and the new Kia EV8? Follow along with us on Miami Lakes Automall social media. Consumers can also find a new Kia BEV at Miami Lakes Automall to learn what all the fuss is about.

Photo Source/Copyright: Kia Media