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JUST how exciting is Kia’s new gran turismo - the Stinger?

No one is better placed to describe the sensation of driving the Stinger than Spanish tennis star and world number one Rafael Nadal.

He knows what it is like to send his heart rate soaring when he is on court and playing for the match.

Now Kia have challenged him to drive the Stinger and feel the same emotion.

While at the wheel of the stunning new Stinger, Nadal’s heart rate soared to 175 bpm – almost three times a second, and only 11 bpm short of his on­-court peak.

He said: “The Stinger is a totally different car compared to previous Kia vehicles.

“You feel the emotion of driving such a powerful car. You feel the power and, when you accelerate, you perceive the energy the car has. It’s a spectacular vehicle.”

The Stinger is powered by a 3.3­litre twin­turbo V6 engine and is the fastest­ accelerating and most powerful production Kia ever.

It was recently shortlisted in the 2018 European and World Car of the Year and has picked up the ‘Best Performance Car’ at the 2018 UK Car of the Year Awards.

It is now on­ sale in the UK and is available in rear­ wheel drive with a range of petrol and diesel engines. All engines are paired with an eight­speed automatic transmission.

Like every Kia model, the Stinger is backed by Kia’s seven­-year/100,000-mile warranty.

Nadal is a brand ambassador for Kia, a position he has held since 2004 in the early stages of his professional tennis career.

His winning streak began at age 15 in 2001 and by his 20th birthday he had already won 10 professional Association of Tennis Professionals (ATP) titles.

Today, Nadal has 16 Grand Slam titles, two Olympic medals, four Davis Cup wins and 75 ATP titles to his name, among a host of other awards and prizes.

Kia supports the Rafa Nadal Foundation on a range of projects and has an agreement with the Rafa Nadal Academy by Movistar as official vehicle supplier. Kia has supported the ‘Rafa Nadal Tour’ tennis tournament for children for a number of years.