To try and boost its slow sales, Kia is preparing to give the Stinger a facelift for the 2021 model year. The upcoming mid-cycle update will give the performance sedan sleeker styling and significant interior upgrades including a larger 10.25-inch infotainment screen, a digital instrument cluster, and a new steering wheel design. Big changes were also expected under the hood.

Currently, the Kia Stinger is powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four producing 255 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque, and a 3.3-liter twin-turbocharged V6 with 365 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque, but the 2021 Stinger was expected to receive a power bump. Sadly, a new report by The Korean Car Blog claims the 2021 Kia Stinger won't be getting any engine upgrades after all - at least not in its home South Korea market.

Reports had previously claimed that the 2021 Kia Stinger would launch with the same 2.5-liter turbo as the Genesis G80, and Genesis GV80 expected to produce around 285 hp. The range-topping GT model, on the other hand, was expected to utilize a 3.5-liter twin-turbo with 380 hp.

However, emissions certification documents show the 2021 Kia Stinger has only been tested with the current model's 2.0-liter turbo and 3.3-liter twin-turbo, suggesting the upcoming facelift won't be offered with new engines. The upcoming Genesis G70 facelift will also suffer the same fate.

There is hope, however that the US version of the 2021 Kia Stinger will still receive some upgrades under the hood. According to the publication's sources, prototypes have been spied in the US with the more powerful 2.5-liter unit. Kia is reportedly focusing on the overseas version of the Stinger, which is more likely to generate higher sales volumes.

We'll have to wait until the 2021 Kia Stinger is revealed to find out. Kia will reportedly unveil the updated Stinger in South Korea next month, so the US version should follow later this year.