The Kia Stinger was named 2018 Midsize Car of the Year during the 2018 Auto123.com Awards ceremony, held this past November 22nd in Toronto. It beat out the two other finalists in the category, the Toyota Camry and the Honda Accord.

In our view, the Stinger is a genuinely exciting new addition to the market, one focused on performance and immediately a force to be reckoned within its segment. Its main rivals, in fact, are more the luxury sedans of the world. It’s distinguished first off by its exceptional silhouette that is nonetheless practical thanks to the hatchback in the rear, and secondly by its remarkabke powertrains.

More specifically, lurking under the hood of the fastest Kia ever produced is a powerful 3.3L twin-turbo V6 engine that delivers up to 365 hp, 376 lb-ft of torque and a highly pleasing roar. A 252-hp 4-cylinder turbo engine will be added to the roster in the near-future. All Stinger models come with an all-wheel drive system that uses torque vectoring control to modulate power transmitted to each wheel, and the Stinger GT also gets high-performance Brembo brakes with distinctive red calipers.

Inside, the driver-focused dashboard and available head up display make for a wholly enjoyable driving experience. Behind, the fastback-style trunk opens remotely, revealing a 660-litre cargo space (1,158 litres with the back seats folded). Owners also benefit from the new UVO Intelligence application, which gives access via their smartphone to a host of drive-assist, vehicle-management and other remote functions.

To give an idea of how serious Kia was about perfecting its Stinger’s performance and road handling, the car underwent some 10,000 km of testing on the Nürburgring circuit in Germany, as well as on a frozen lake in the Arctic Circle in Sweden’s far north for two months.

What Kia has to say about its Stinger…

"Dreams have now become a reality for Canadians that want a car brimming with style and technology, with the performance to match its looks in any conditions. Backed by Kia's industry-leading quality, Stinger will give consumers an attainable, no-compromise choice in the hyper-competitive sports sedan market."

To learn more about the award-winning new 2018 Kia Stinger, we invite you to consult its specifications, read our review and check out the photo gallery and video below.