Porsche Macan Goes Up Against its Fellow Germans

Which mid-size premium German crossover ranks supreme?

It seems as if this segment just popped up overnight. Not so long ago, premium crossovers tended to be full-size vehicles. Today, however, small to mid-size CUVs are dominating, and many people are willing to pay serious cash to have one built by the likes of Porsche, Audi, and Mercedes-Benz. The all-new Porsche Macan may have been a bit late to the party, but it’s arrived fully armed and ready to take on its countrymen, the Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLK.

The Q5 isn’t quite so new anymore, nor is the GLK. Does that mean neither one is good enough to take on the Macan? After all, the latter has been designed to be just as much a performance vehicle as a rich soccer mom mobile. Germany’s Auto Bild (dubbed into English, of course) drives all three to see which is superior.

Kia Wants You To Test Drive A Stinger GT Against A Porsche Panamera

As well as an Audi A5 and BMW 640i Gran Coupe. Welcome to the "Stinger Experience" test drive.

Kia is feeling very confident about its new Stinger GT sports sedan. So confident, in fact, it has created the “Stinger Experience”, a series of test drive events coming to select cities across the US. Along with professional driving instructors on hand, these events will also include the Audi A5, BMW 640i Gran Coupe and the Porsche Panamera. Attendees will be given the chance to pilot the 365 hp V6 Stinger in 0-60mph acceleration runs, cornering tests and even a slalom course.

They will also have the chance to drive those aforementioned German rivals – the very same cars Kia benchmarked when developing the Stinger GT. “With a faster top-speed and 0-60 time than a six-cylinder Porsche Panamera, the Stinger GT is like nothing anyone has ever seen from Kia before and must be driven to be fully appreciated and understood,” said Saad Chehab, Kia’s vice president of marketing communications. “The Stinger Experience gives people an opportunity to see and feel for themselves just how far Kia has come, and that the Stinger can hold its head high against some of the best that Germany has to offer.”

The Stinger Experience will be making stops in Boston, Charlotte, Chicago, Dallas, Houston, Los Angeles, New York, Phoenix, and Washington, D.C. throughout 2018. However, no direct sales opportunities will be provided on site. But there will be specialists on-site who can refer interested buyers to one of the automaker’s 800 US dealerships. Remember, the Stinger GT was designed in Frankfurt and developed on the Nurburgring under the watchful eye of Albert Biermann, former BMW M VP of engineering. He’s now in charge of giving certain Hyundais and Kias an entirely new image. If you’re interested in attending any of these Stinger Experience events, head over to the official website to register, though space is limited.