Australia, once the land of big V8 muscle cars but spurned by companies like Ford and General Motors, which shut down manufacturing on the continent, has turned to the Kia Stinger GT as its new go-to sports sedan.
Sadly, gone are the days of the Ford Falcon and Holden Commodore, but that doesn’t mean the nation’s appetite for low, long and sporty cars is gone too, which is why Kia is having a field day selling its Stinger in Australia.
Kia claims its sold around 2,000 Stingers since the car was introduced in Australia, via Car Advice. Compared to the 13,000 Stingers Kia claims it’s sold in the U.S. through September, that may not seem like a lot, but Australia is a smaller market, and the cost of car ownership down there often potentially higher.
Kia is thrilled with sales figures because it’s essentially selling its Stinger inventory as soon as the cars hit the ground. The even better news is most Australian buyers skip the 2.0-liter four-cylinder and go straight for the 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 GT model.
Another big boost, according to Car Advice, is that the Australian Queensland and Western Australian police forces are buying Stingers to replace their Ford Falcons and Holden Commodores, with more police forces looking to do the same.
Kia Europe head designer Gregory Guillaume told Car Advice that the automaker was thrilled with the success of the Stinger in Australia, but that the car would need to be successful in bigger markets like America to keep it alive.
The Stinger is a great car, and every person on the Jalopnik staff who has driven it, including me, has had a great time. As we noted in our review of the V6 GT model, it’s one of the great surprises of the decade and a genuine performance bargain. At least Australia appreciates it.