The Stinger, which elevated the automaker's reputation among car enthusiasts, once served as the brand's halo car in what is perhaps one of the greatest automotive turnarounds of the new millennium.

LOS ANGELES, CA: At last January’s auto show in Detroit, Kia’s global president, Peter Schreyer, described the Stinger GT, that had just been unveiled there, as not a “halo” car but a “statement.” I ...