Adaptive Suspension System

[Steve O]

Hi All. does anyone know how the adaptive suspension works? Is it variable damping or modulated on/off (super stiff/super soft) or multiple position valving???
Im disappointed in the suspension in general.

Here's my lowdown:
Pitch and Squat control are fantastic.
Roll control is fantastic.
Yaw (for those of you who know what it is)... fantastic.
Vertical motion at the front is good.
Vertical motion at the back is bad. Too soft. Motion not balanced with the front. So if I go into a g dip the front comes up and settles in 1 cycle. The back in 1-1/2 cycles. Not good.

Rather than change springs, maybe the software can be changed to stiffen the shocks appropriately. The best ride/handling suspensions are soft springs, firm stabilizers and shocks (unless you're racing).

Any insight to how the adaptive shocks work will help me determine the best course of action. Wait for a software upgrade from Kia, find out my car's shocks are defective, change the springs, or change the springs and shocks...

 

[VegasStinger]

Hi [MENTION=148]Steve O[/MENTION]

The suspension is adaptive, for example if you put it on SMART mode the suspension will continue to make changes to improve ride quality.

 

[stinger1168]

It's not an MRSC system. MRSC is the magnetic shocks that are found in Corvette, Chevy SS, Camaro, some Cadillacs, some Ferrari's, etc... I THINK (but I'm not sure) that the Stingers setup controls valves in the shocks where an mrsc system actually changes the viscosity of the fluid in the shocks with electric current. I would think that if the rear end of the Stinger isn't to your liking in sport mode (the stiffest setting), then I don't think new software will help you. You might need new springs or shocks with more aggressive valves.

 

[Steve O]

Thanks for that. You say sport is the stiffest. The rear end is downright soft no matter the setting. I think my suspension may have something wrong with it. I'm going to take it to the dealer after living with it for a bit.
How about others... Are you happy with the suspension in sport mode? Is anybody else experiencing a super soft rear suspension?

 

[SeoulStinger]

If its the rear that's too soft, I would wait for Eibach to release the rear sway bars to see if that'll help stiffen the rear.

Another option is to go to a coilover setup https://www.kiastinger.org/forum/threads/616-Kia-Stinger-GT-AWD-on-GRBS-Coilovers

 

[ATXStinger]

Thanks for that. You say sport is the stiffest. The rear end is downright soft no matter the setting. I think my suspension may have something wrong with it. I'm going to take it to the dealer after living with it for a bit.
How about others... Are you happy with the suspension in sport mode? Is anybody else experiencing a super soft rear suspension?

You guys in Canada are lucky to have already taken delivery, in the US they are barely making there way onto the dealers.

 

[stinger1168]

Thanks for that. You say sport is the stiffest. The rear end is downright soft no matter the setting. I think my suspension may have something wrong with it. I'm going to take it to the dealer after living with it for a bit.
How about others... Are you happy with the suspension in sport mode? Is anybody else experiencing a super soft rear suspension?

I think sport mode is the stiffest. Also, I think motor trend or car and driver mention the rear suspension being a little too soft as well.

 

[SeoulStinger]

I think sport mode is the stiffest. Also, I think motor trend or car and driver mention the rear suspension being a little too soft as well.

The article said it was soft over bumps but not in the corners. Which makes sense since [MENTION=148]Steve O[/MENTION] said it was vertical motion that is too soft.

Quoted from Motor Trend. http://www.motortrend.com/cars/kia/stinger/2018/2018-kia-stinger-gt-first-test-review/

It?s pretty good to drive away from the test track, too. Out in the mountains, the Stinger GT exhibits a surprising but intriguing combination of vertical compliance and lateral stiffness. Over bumps, the suspension was soft and the ride of luxury-car quality. In the corners, though, it was stiff with excellent body control. Even when pushing hard, the Stinger GT rode well but dug into corners with little body roll.


?The springs and shocks that control vertical motion are quite soft,? Randy said. ?But transitional responses are quite well-controlled, likely by relatively strong anti-roll bars, and the ride is still quite compliant. Think ?older Buick? ride quality. Surprising for a sport sedan like this.?

 

[Steve O]

Great feedback all. I wonder if the suspension stiffens up with lateral loads. Hence the roll, pitch, squat and yaw are all well controlled. I don't mind soft if those things are working. But the back is softer than the front in my car. That is my biggest problem. Now to find a corner with a g dip in it... Don't laugh. I'll know it when I drive over it and I'll report back.

 

[CajunStinger]

I wonder if Kia plans to update the dampers on future models. Doesn't the rear OEM's look so tiny for a 4,000 pound car?

 

[Steve O]

The body size can be misleading on the power a shock has to control the suspension. Shocks are 'puny' relative to struts because they don't have to bear any location loads. These could be monotubes with the valve solenoids controlling rod displacement into the expansion reservoir. If that's the case they don't control rebound which is the problem I have. Rebound (or recoil) control is lacking and the trunk comes up too high after a g dip type of bump. We need a factory tech to chime in. Any Kia Factory guys out there?

 

[VegasStinger]

[MENTION=148]Steve O[/MENTION] have you tested the vertical motion softness issue at higher speeds? From Kia's site it indicates that speed is a factor in controlling the damping force.

The Stinger's electronically controlled suspension controls damping force in real time by monitoring the speed of the car and the road surface. The aim is ultimate stability and high levels of comfort.

 

[Steve O]

[MENTION=87]VegasStinger[/MENTION]. Thank you for the insight. That's what I was looking for and I hope we can find deeper details. Did that quote come from a magazine or from Kia? I took some friends out during lunch, (both are engineers) and they immediately noticed the soft back end.

 

[VegasStinger]

[MENTION=87]VegasStinger[/MENTION]. Thank you for the insight. That's what I was looking for and I hope we can find deeper details. Did that quote come from a magazine or from Kia? I took some friends out during lunch, (both are engineers) and they immediately noticed the soft back end.

From Kia.

 

[treker]

Hi All. does anyone know how the adaptive suspension works? Is it variable damping or modulated on/off (super stiff/super soft) or multiple position valving???
Im disappointed in the suspension in general.

Here's my lowdown:
Pitch and Squat control are fantastic.
Roll control is fantastic.
Yaw (for those of you who know what it is)... fantastic.
Vertical motion at the front is good.
Vertical motion at the back is bad. Too soft. Motion not balanced with the front. So if I go into a g dip the front comes up and settles in 1 cycle. The back in 1-1/2 cycles. Not good.

Rather than change springs, maybe the software can be changed to stiffen the shocks appropriately. The best ride/handling suspensions are soft springs, firm stabilizers and shocks (unless you're racing).

Any insight to how the adaptive shocks work will help me determine the best course of action. Wait for a software upgrade from Kia, find out my car's shocks are defective, change the springs, or change the springs and shocks...

I read (don't recall which review) that in Sport Mode the front shocks are firmer and the rear shocks are softer (don't think I've got this backward, though perhaps the reviewer did). In any case, have you tried going over the same section of road in Comfort Mode and Smart Mode to see if you can detect a (positive) difference in the suspension?s behavior?

Of course, if you do, this would indicate that KIA may need to recalibrate its settings for the Sport Mode/how the suspension handles dips.

BTW, you mentioned a lack of wind noise but what about road noise, as some reviews have complained about the level of road noise? Thanks.

 

[Steve O]

I'm worried I'm going crazy [MENTION=87]VegasStinger[/MENTION]. I started paying better attention to the suspension at speed (thanks to your comments) and it is very deceptive. It is soft. Normally too soft for my liking. But it is controlled. The body is stable, doesn't dip or pitch, and roll, dive, and squat are amazingly controlled. So at speed the computer and the shocks are doing their job so well I have to reprogram my senses to fixate on what the car is actually doing rather than what the car feels like it would do with a soft suspension. Very interesting...
The biggest problem I have is there are 5 speed 'humps' on the street I take to and from work every day. Over those humps the suspension is way too soft. But there aren't any speed 'humps' on the Nurburgring. LOL.
The good news is that the Eibach springs can likely replace the stock with improvement across the board for the 'feel' I prefer. A little stiffer. A little lower. And all the benefits of the adaptive damping system. Thanks for your help. All it took was a change of expectation and perspective to reprogram this ol' dog.

 

[Steve O]

Re the road noise. I have no complaints at all. Tires are quiet. The fastest I've gone is 150K or 93mph. The exhaust settles into a beautiful thrum at that speed and I wish i could do it all day. My license place frame says "I'd rather be... Doin' 200K!" That's 124 mph for you Americans EH.

 

[treker]

Re the road noise. I have no complaints at all. Tires are quiet. The fastest I've gone is 150K or 93mph. The exhaust settles into a beautiful thrum at that speed and I wish i could do it all day. My license place frame says "I'd rather be... Doin' 200K!" That's 124 mph for you Americans EH.

Thanks for the info on the tire noise. Which tires came on your car (thinking it might not be the Michelin Pilot Sport 4 summer tires we get in California because of your winter climate in Toronto)?

Just read that Motor Trend didn't award the Stinger the Car Of The Year Award, saying it's a great first effort, but porpoising, pitching, and road noise on rough surfaces were negatives... .

 

[Steve O]

Let's be thankful Motor Trend did not award the Stinger with Car of the Year. They lack cred and in my opinion the award goes to their major ad revenue generator. Besides, a niche car is best kept a secret.
I have a beef with the softness of the suspension. But there is no porpoising or pitching. My car corners flat as a pancake and handles all lateral forces perfectly. At low speed over speed 'humps' is my problem. But the Nurburgring doesn't have speed humps. They'll issue a software upgrade and fix that soon. If not KIA the aftermarket chippers will.
My car has the Michelin Pilot Sport 4's as well. I'm in a lurch because I an't puttin' no steel wheels with snows on that car! I'll stay home for snow days or do my best to get what I need from the al wheel drive.

 

[Steve O]

Interesting news re suspension:

Quote from a magazine: "To paraphrase him, the spring rates, roll-bars, and damper hardware are ripe to ratchet up to Audi RS or BMW M levels. While he also suggests Biermann could employ a MDM-style angel mode for its ESP system if he wanted.
Biermann will want to up rear mechanical stiffness in the car, with the local model at the firmest available settings but still wanting for lateral grip under load and throttle we found."

Link to a great article: https://www.wheelsmag.com.au/features/1709/kia-stinger-the-perfect-tune

My suspension plan now that I have the info I needed? Swap out the springs for Eibach Pro Kit. Then wait for adaptive suspension software upgrade. With the springs I'll get improved stiffness which is needed asap. I'll suffer the overly soft damping at low speed, and when the damping map upgrades come out from KIA or tuners, I'll do that.