Key Takeaways
- Kia has filed a new trademark and script for the Stinger name, potentially hinting at a comeback.
- Previous reports had pointed to an electric successor called EV8, but EV enthusiasm has cooled.
- If the Stinger name returns, a hybrid powertrain would be most likely.
Anyone who has experienced the Kia Stinger will readily admit that it was akin to the Lexus LFA as arguably the brand’s most exciting car to date, and as such, it helped elevate public opinion of the marque, showing a more luxurious, stylish, and athletic side to its persona. We sincerely miss the Kia Stinger, and the latest news from Australasia suggests that the Korean automaker may miss it, too (although we’ve heard that one before).
According to Australian outlet Drive, a new Kia trademark has been discovered for the wordmark Stinger, and there are a couple of interesting features to note. The publication does not name the trademark filing number but claims that the accompanying imagery shows the current Kia logo, although a Stinger is where the new identity was first seen after it was formally revealed in 2021. However, the publication also says that the typeface of the Stinger script is new, and that piques interest.
Hope, With A Catch
In June last year, the Stinger was reported to be returning as an electric vehicle internally codenamed GT1, and then in February of this year, a report from Korea claimed that the GT1 EV project would become known as the Kia EV8 once it debuted in 2025 with 612 horsepower, helping it fit in line with the automaker’s contemporary naming strategy. Since then, however, it’s become increasingly clear that the majority of the market demands hybrids, not electric vehicles. Not yet, anyway.
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Unfortunately, as detailed and as comprehensive as this EV report seemed at the time, we were barely two weeks into the second quarter of the year when Kia reportedly canceled its Stinger replacement. The news seemed doubly believable because it was broken by the same outlet that dropped the original EV8 scoop. As for this new trademark, we have two possible potentially feasible theories. It was reportedly filed in December 2023 and is valid for a full decade, so it could be part of old plans or new.
An Electric Stinger Is Off The Cards
If a new electric sedan is still pinned to a project board somewhere at Seoul HQ, it won’t carry the Stinger name unless it’s meant to stand apart from the revolutionary EV5, the award-winning EV6, and the cutting-edge EV9 in some way. EV8 still seems like a logical name for such a vehicle, which could mean that Kia is instead maintaining its hold on the Stinger name so that it doesn’t fall into the hands of another entity. Automakers understand the nostalgic marketing value of a retrospective name, even if they don’t see an immediate use for it. As for the new badge design, that may just have been something that was first meant to appear alongside the new Kia badge, and perhaps the automaker decided that using this would be seen as a “reinvestment,” of sorts, in a model that it knew was about to be discontinued. That’s the pessimistic guess.
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On the other side of the coin, perhaps Kia really is working on a new sports sedan, and because hybrids are popular, an EV8 in name or concept does not yet make sense. Put two and two together, and there’s a chance Kia will capitalize on the appeal of reviving its most engaging (and attractive) car with a new 3.5-liter V6 hybrid. Such a V6 could be a perfect fit for luxury counterpart Genesis and its G90. Of note, Genesis confirmed yesterday that hybrids are coming to its American lineup. As eternal optimists, we’d like to think that this spark of hope will soon become a flame. CarBuzz has reached out to Kia for comment and will update this article with the response.
Trademark filings do not guarantee the use of such names for future vehicles and are often used exclusively as a means of protecting intellectual property to prevent rival OEMs from capitalizing on similar naming strategies. Such a filing cannot be construed as production intent.
Source:
Drive
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