Kia 0 to 60 Times

Red 2022 Kia Stinger Driving Fast in the Snow

Nothing tells of a car’s acceleration better than it’s 0 to 60 mph times. If you’re a Kia owner or a prospective owner and you love the thrill that comes with pushing your car to the max, this is for you. Since 0 to 60 time is the gold standard as far as car performance is concerned, the car experts at Kia of Streetsboro took a look at how select Kia cars perform.

If you’re a performance junkie, we hope this review helps you choose a car that suits your needs when you come shopping for a Kia at our dealership. We’ll first look at what determines a car’s 0 to 60 mph times, how to optimize your Kia’s 0 to 60 times, and how each Kia performs in that regard. What’s the fastest Kia? Let’s find out.

The Science Behind 0 to 60 Times

With car manufacturers looking to reduce their 0-60 mph times, one question comes to mind: What’s the figure all about? Well, a lot goes into determining the 0-60 times of a car. Here are some key determinants of 0-60 mph times.

Power and Aerodynamics

A car needs to produce enough power to work against the weight it carries. Therefore, aerodynamics also play an essential role. Typically, aero drag increases with velocity. So, the faster a car goes, the higher its drag. Thus, a sleek and streamlined vehicle is more likely to reach 60 mph more quickly than a block on wheels.

Car Mass

Another essential determinant of a car’s 0-60 mph time is its weight. In this regard, weight is a simple idea that we often encounter — reducing a car’s weight effectively increases its power. Therefore, it’s no surprise that race cars or even performance Kia models such as the Stinger GT are often lighter than other vehicles in their class.

Often, non-essentials get stripped off to save weight because the less weight there is, the faster a car will reach 60 mph. Even so, it’s best to keep in mind that weight isn’t the only defining factor as far as a car’s 0-60 mph numbers are concerned.

Power to Weight Ratio

A car’s power to weight ratio also comes into play in determining its 0-60 times. It’s never just about a car’s low weight, but it also needs to have lots of power to boot. So the lower a car’s power to weight ratio, the faster it will reach 60 mph. That’s why Kia has constantly been taking out weight while increasing the power of its performance cars.

Tires

No matter how much power your Kia has, that won’t matter if the power can’t get transferred to the ground. That’s where tires come in. Whether you’re driving on the Ohio State Route 14 or decide to go for a spin around Trail Lake Park, grippy tires are essential in reducing wheel spin.

If your 2020 Kia Forte GT boasts 201 horsepower, but all it does is spin the wheels when accelerating from a standstill, the wheels don’t do the car any justice. Hence, accessorizing your Kia with proper tires that offer a good grip is essential.

Driver-Assistance Tech

This is arguably the latest improvement as far as 0-60 mph times are concerned. Nonetheless, manufacturers are increasingly leveraging driver-assistance tech to boost their cars’ performance. Sitting behind the wheel of the fastest Kia at our dealership, you’ll notice that features such as launch control are standard and not a preserve of elite supercars as it previously was.

To improve launch control, cars come with features such as ideally located computer dials to minimize tire spin. You had to find the sweet spots yourself in the past, which meant a slow start or struggling to reduce tire spin.

Kia 0-60 Times

Here’s a look at the 0-60 mph times of select Kia car models:

  • 2020 Kia Optima — All trims of the 2020 Optima reach 60 mph in 6.8 seconds. Of course, it takes more time for older Optimas to reach the speed, but their performance is still impressive.
  • Kia Stinger GT — The Stinger GT is the ultimate performance vehicle in Kia’s lineup and comes equipped with launch control and an eight-speed auto transmission system. This helps to give the car a 0-60 mph time of 4.7 seconds.
  • Kia Cadenza — The 2014 Kia Cadenza sedan hits the 60 mph mark in an impressive 6.1 seconds. Of course, this isn’t surprising given that the car boasts 293 horsepower.
  • Kia Forte — With a horsepower of 173, the Kia Forte sedan has a 0-60 mph time of 7.2 seconds.
  • Kia Sorento — The Sorento is among the most outstanding SUVs in Kia’s lineup and boasts 290 horsepower. The SUV reaches the 60 mph mark in 6.8 seconds.
  • Kia K900 V6 — This luxury sedan reaches the 60 mph mark in an impressive 5.1 seconds. Thus, it’s one of the fastest cars in the Kia lineup. However, this isn’t surprising, given that it features a V-6 engine and a host of tech and driver assistance features that help boost its performance.
  • Kia Sportage — Arguably, the Sportage is among the most iconic cars to emerge from Kia’s production line. Nevertheless, it’s still edged out by its siblings when it comes to 0-60 times. The 2021 Kia Sportage reaches 60 mph in 7.4 seconds, which pales in comparison to its rivals in the Kia lineup, including the 2021 Telluride (7.1 seconds) and the Kia Soul (6.4 seconds).
  • Kia Rio — The 2018 Kia Rio has a 0-60 time of 8.6 seconds, which makes it one of the slow starters in Kia’s production model. Even so, the Rio’s performance is impressive compared to that of rivals such as the Honda Fit and Hyundai Accent.

Key Takeaways

There’s no better way to earn a few bragging rights than driving the fastest Kia. So, if you drive a slow car, you can always come to Kia of Streetsboro for an upgrade. We’ll sort you out with a fast-accelerating Kia with a good design and unmatched performance. Check out our pre-owned and new Kia inventory, or contact our sales team to learn more.