Top 10 Fastest Kia Models Ever Produced

In the grand scheme of the history of the automobile, Kia has only been a real player in the western market for a very short time, but what a time it has been. The Korean automaker has gone from strength to strength with every vehicle it makes, proving its capabilities when it comes to design, interior, and production. While it started out making high-value and practical city cars like the Kia Soul, or Seltos SUV, the marque has branched out to more performance-oriented models. Some are more well-known than others, and simply asking which Kia Stinger is the fastest won’t give you a clear picture of the brand’s range.

There are quite a few models that now show off a GT trim, or at the very least a GT-line package for the looks of one. So, if you are already a fan of the brand, or want something a little different from a run-of-the-mill German speedster, some of the fast cars from Kia might be right up your alley. Whether you are looking for the fastest Kia sedan or SUV, we have you covered, with the specs, pricing, and anything else worth knowing about this dynamic brand’s vehicles.

This is a list of the fastest Kias, not the quickest, so the focus is on top speed and not acceleration. If two models have the same top speed, then the model with the quicker 0-60 mph time will be ranked higher.

9

2025 Kia K4 GT-Line Turbo

130 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

The newest Kia on our list is also the slowest. The K4 debuted for the 2025 model year and pitches itself as a Honda Civic fighter that comes in both sedan and hatchback configurations. The base model makes a fairly lethargic 147 hp, but the GT-Line Turbo takes this compact to a respectable 190 hp and on to 130 mph thanks to the engine it inherits from the Kia Forte. Sadly, it’s not quite as strong, but it feels more than capable, especially since it ditches the base model’s CVT in favor of a smoother eight-speed auto. The Turbo comes in slightly under $30k, making it one of the more affordable sports sedans out there, and it qualifies as a hot hatch, too, if you prefer the alternate body style. This level of choice is welcome in an age where we are losing bodystyles like hatchbacks and wagons.

8

2025 Kia Telluride

132 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

Speaking of losing bodystyles, one of the biggest reasons is encroachment by ever more SUVs. The Telluride is one such culprit, but it is also a surprising entrant on this list, seeing as it is a very hefty eight-seater SUV. Typically built for family use, the Telluride has been wildly popular in the USA, where bigger is better is more a way of life than a catchphrase. This midsize vehicle is powered by a high-displacement V6 engine that can eventually propel it down the highway at 132 mph. Luckily, the family-hauler comes outfitted with a wide variety of comfort and safety features, so even when hurtling around at top speed, you never have to worry about your family, as pre-collision assist should stop an accident before it happens, while nine airbags will prevent any serious injuries if there really is no avoided the worst outcome. To unlock the best performance, you don’t even have to move beyond the base-level trim, which sells for just $36,390 MSRP.

7

Kia Amanti 3.8

133 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

Known globally as the Opirus, this classic sedan was marketed in the USA as the Amanti. It had a far more serious and premium air to it, as this was a time when Kia was trying to break into the luxury market. This was not an endeavor that the automaker had much success with, and it seems to have learned its lesson since then, opting to make cars with more mainstream appeal. Nevertheless, the Amanti manages to earn a spot on our list thanks to the top speed enabled by its strong V6 engine. Worth noting is that is was Kia’s model to feature electronic stability control, though this didn’t do much to improve the driving experience.

6

2020 Kia Optima 2.0 T-GDi

135 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

The fourth-generation Kia Optima was critical in helping Kia gain the reputation for being the great builder of commuter cars that it now has. It was presented with a choice of four powertrains, including a mild hybrid and a plug-in hybrid, but it is the turbocharged 2.0-liter in the SX trim that delivers the most power and the best top speed of 135 mph. However, it would be hard to call it a sporty sedan, since it takes almost seven seconds to hit 60 mph. Spanning only four years of production in the US, it would wn International Car of the Year twice and received a Top Safety Pick+ award from the IIHAS in 2017. Production eventually came to an end in 2020, as it would be replaced by the Kia K5 in 2021. Nevertheless, you will see many still on the road today, as Kia, like many of its Korean and Japanese compatriots, builds cars that seem to last a lifetime, and a used model with several tens of thousands of miles is still considered a good purchase.

5

2020 Kia Cadenza

148 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

While we did say Kia had mostly learned its lesson, that doesn’t mean it never dabbled in more premium vehicles ever again. The Cadenza is a more modern example, and a rather large one at that. Classified as a full-size sedan, this front-wheel-driven executive used a 3.3-liter V6 from the Lambda II series to accelerate with moderate ease and hit a respectable top speed of 149 mph. It definitely wasn’t designed to be a sports car, though, leaning far more towards comfort than athleticism. However, the ability to keep up with the Bimmers and Mercs on a straight highway was a compelling selling point. The premium Korean sedan was actually designed to mimic the Hyundai Azera, which stopped sales in the USA in 2018, and it sold for around $38k-$43k at the time. A secondhand model could probably be picked up for half the price now, based on the devaluation of luxury cars over five years.

4

2019 Kia K900

149 MPH

While it originally started out with a throaty V8 engine, the Kia K900 switched over to a smoother turbo V6 in its second generation. Despite the drop in power output, it retained the same top speed of 149 mph, which was limited by a governor, but it cut the acceleration time down from 5.7 seconds to a flat five seconds. Thus, it earns a spot on our in its second generational guise. Sadly, even though this brought additional refinements, it still wasn’t enough to compete with the Mercedes-Benz S-Class or E-Class, especially when you consider what Kia was asking for the K900 – around $60,000 at the time. This seems to have been the final nail in the coffin for Kia in the luxury segment, leaving things to its sister company, Hyundai, and their quasi-co-owned luxury brand, Genesis.

3

2021 Kia K5 GT

155 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

As stated earlier, the K5 replaced the Optima, and it came out the gates swinging with the option of a GT trim powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder that makes 290 hp. Not just fast, it is a legitimately quick sporty sedan with a 0-60 mph time of just 5.2 seconds. More often than not, it is Europe that gets some models we don’t get here in the USA, but the K5 is the exception that proves the rule, as it wasn’t available across the pond. When you consider its good looks, tight handling, and appealing price tag, we should be quite thankful we got this sexy little number. It proved that sports sedans are still very much alive and well, and we’ll even be getting a brand-new version in 2025. This one is dropping the old base engine in favor of a 191-hp 2.5L nat-asp block, but the GT will continue with turbo-four. We are thankful for this, since the Stinger, which we’ll talk about it a moment, is no longer around to deliver the best thrills Kia has to offer

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2

2022 Kia EV6 GT

162 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

The EV6 made a splash as the first fully-electric car built from the ground up by Kia, and largely because the automaker didn’t hold back one iota. The base model is moderately affordable for an EV, at around $45k, while a little extra investment gets buyers the best range of 319 miles, which is quite good. But for buyers who care less about saving a buck or getting every possible mile from their battery, there is also the GT trim, which easily qualifies as a very fast Kia vehicle. With dual motors and close to 600 hp on tap, this sporty SUV races from 0-60 mph in just over three seconds, which might not sound overly impressive in the current EV landscape where sub-two-second times are possible. However, when you remember that this is a more affordable, consumer-friendly alternative to the likes of those Porsche Taycans and Tesla Model S Plaids, it is nothing to scoff at. Many EVs get their top speed limited to around 124 mph, but the EV6 GT can go as fast as 162 mph.

1

2023 Kia Stinger GT2

167 MPH

*According to real-world testing by Car & Driver

Of course, a list of the fastest Kia models would not be complete without the Stinger, and it manages to steal the top spot, too, if only just barely. Sold in two trim levels from 2017 to 2023, the trim level we are interested in is the GT2. This version got the far more powerful 3.3-liter turbocharged V6 that makes 368 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. Even more impressive are the rivals that Kia pitted this speedster against, including the BMW M340i, Mercedes C43 and Audi S4/S5. Before then, Kia had made some exciting sports sedans, but the Stinger really put them on the radar for enthusiasts, which is why so many, including ourselves, were crushed when the model was discontinued in 2023. It seems that despite how excellent the car was, buyers were more interested in a premium badge on the hood than great-value performance. But not all hope is lost, as there is a possibility that the Korean sports sedan will be making a return in the coming years.

Needless to say, after all this evidence, Kia seems to have learned a few things over the years about making some seriously fast cars. Not all were successes, with most luxury models failing to impress despite their powerful engines. And others were extremely impressive, but didn’t manage to garner enough interest outside their niche fanbases. Now that the brand has branched out into the world of electric vehicles, it seems determined to show buyers what it can do, and there is hope that some of its earlier successes might see a revival now that consumer confidence is stronger. Already hailed as one of the most dependable brands in the automotive industry, and a seller of great-value cars, Kia is setting its sights even higher, and we are very interested to see where it goes next and report on the inevitable successes it will achieve.

Sources: Kia, CarAnd Driver