FEW, if any, cars launched in 2017 were quite so eagerly anticipated as the Kia Stinger and even fewer caused as much of a stir.

As an affordably priced powerful rear-drive large car, its launch was impeccably timed for the end of Australian car production – an event that was initially expected to herald the demise of attainably priced, powerful rear-drive large cars.

Beyond Australia, Kia is pitching the Stinger as a more attainable alternative to premium models such as the BMW 4 Series Gran Coupe. It is hard to believe this is the same Kia that sells Picanto and Rio econoboxes.

As such, the brand has gone all out making the Stinger look and feel expensive inside and out. Believe us, photos do not do this car justice.

So is this a performance bargain or low-cost luxury? Spoiler alert: The Stinger is both.