Kia’s Vision Meta Turismo Could Become an Electric-Powered Stinger Successor

Unveiled during Kia’s 80th anniversary celebration, the wild, angular Vision Meta Turismo concept looked less like a future EV production car and more like something ripped from a Cyberpunk video game. Billed as part sedan, part minivan, the edgy Kia concept seemed too outrageous for the real world. But according to a report from Autocar, that may be exactly the kind of thinking behind a possible revival of the Kia Stinger. But there’s just one problem, and it may be serious enough to keep the car from ever reaching production.

The report draws from an interview with Kia design chief Karim Habib and explores the chances of turning the Vision Meta Turismo into something real. The concept is tied to Kia’s “Opposites United: Evolution” design language, a philosophy that helped shape the Kia EV6 and has influenced every Kia EV through the upcoming EV2. The idea was to imagine a new kind of sport sedan for Kia’s electric future, one that could finally deliver the Stinger successor enthusiasts were promised after the original car was discontinued.

So, what’s standing in the way of a production version of this futuristic machine? Cost. EVs remain expensive to build, and a sporty sedan is hardly a guaranteed volume seller in today’s market. Still, Kia appears interested in looking beyond the usual sea of SUVs and crossovers. Habib told Autocar: “We do produce and sell a lot of SUVs, which is good, but we also believe that there’s more than that.” He added that Kia has a history with cars like the Stinger and has no interest in abandoning sporty sedans altogether.

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The Kia Stinger was a solid sport sedan with a short production run.

Remember the Stinger?

You could be excused if you forgot about it given its short run, but Stinger itself was a genuinely good sport sedan with a hatchback twist. It launched for the 2018 model year with a choice of a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four or a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V-6, both paired with an eight-speed automatic. Rear-wheel drive came standard, while all-wheel drive was available with torque-vectoring. Most importantly, the Stinger was genuinely fun to drive. Even without a manual transmission, it stayed compelling right up to the end.

And that end came quickly. Despite strong reviews and a loyal fan base, Kia killed the Stinger after the 2023 model year and hinted that an EV would eventually take its place. If the Vision Meta Turismo becomes that replacement in some form, it will have big expectations to meet. Not only because it could inherit the Stinger name in spirit, but because the electric sport sedan segment is finally starting to get interesting, with cars like the 2027 BMW i3 raising the stakes.