Performance sedans used to be much more common than they are today, but they do still exist. Two of the newer ones are the Genesis G70 and the Kia Stinger. Kia’s is a mainstream offering while the Genesis G70 is a luxury car, but both have the same platform and share other parts, including the engines, transmissions, gear ratios, and final drive ratio.

However, they also have plenty of differences. “They’re very different cars,” said MotorTrend’s road test editor and co-judge Chris Walton. “It is remarkable that they can start from the same template and come out the other side so different.” Here’s a look at MotorTrend’s comparison of their performance and speed.

The 2020 Genesis G70

The Genesis G70 won MotorTrend’s 2019 Car of the Year. Its sporty nature appears in the shorter wheelbase and the little body roll it has around corners. Its suspension balances out the sporty abilities, making it a luxury sedan and providing a smoother ride than the Kia Stinger. The G70 doesn’t have the stiff dampers that are in the Stinger, so, while not as sporty, it has a more luxurious feeling ride. It also has a quieter interior.

The 2020 Kia Stinger

The Kia Stinger has been established as a sporty car. MotorTrend felt the car it tested had “plenty of suspension travel and somewhat soft anti-roll bars.” The handling made the Stinger a bit less sporty than it might have been. MotorTrend called it a “cruiser with a distinct sporty edge rather than a full-time sport sedan.”

The Stinger is a heavier car than the G70. The all-wheel-drive components in MotorTrend’s test version added about 140 pounds, but even without that, the car is about 170 pounds heavier than the G70. Much of that difference is from the heavy rear hatch and the roof frame to support it. This weight difference can be felt when the Stinger makes turns. The Stinger has stiffer dampers than the G70, which helps with sporty handling but makes the ride quality worse. 

The performance of the two cars

While the Genesis G70 may be known for being luxurious and the Kia Stinger known for being sporty, the G70 is actually the faster of the two cars. Both the Genesis G70 and the Kia Stinger have the same available 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 engine and eight-speed transmission. This engine generates 365 hp.

Both the Stinger GT-Line and the Genesis G70 have a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Stinger’s engine produces 255 hp, while the G70’s produces 252 hp (or 255 hp on the manual).

MotorTrend tested a limited-edition Stinger GTS model, which has all-wheel drive and a sport package. The G70 has rear-wheel drive instead. Both of MotorTrend’s test cars had the 3.3-liter engine. The Stinger didn’t accelerate as quickly as the G70, although the difference is less than a second. The Genesis G70 with the 3.3-liter V6 is able to jump from 0 to 60 MPH in just 4.5 seconds.

The Kia Stinger is able to accelerate from 0 to 60 MPH in 4.7 seconds, although MotorTrend’s all-wheel-drive model took 5.1 seconds. While it’s just a slight difference in their acceleration abilities, MotorTrend thought the difference made stepping on the gas in the G70 feel “more urgent and unrelenting.” Both cars braked similarly and performed similarly in MotorTrend’s figure-eight test.

According to MotorTrend, trims with similar features even have similar prices. The Stinger does have a lower starting price at $33,090, compared to the Genesis G70’s $35,450. However, the Stinger’s top trim has a higher starting price, at $50,300, than the G70’s top trim, at $46,650.

The two cars have matching infotainment systems, but the Genesis G70 has a higher-quality interior with more features than the Kia Stinger does. Although it’s the “sporty” one of the two, the Stinger might not be the best choice if you’re looking for the faster car.