Kia Stonic



Kia wants a slice of the small SUV pie, and it's betting (safely) that the Rio-based Stonic will be a sales success. It's a good-looking small urban crossover with decent standard equipment, but it's only average to drive, and small when it comes to luggage and passenger space.

Test Car Specifications

Model tested: Kia Stonic 1.0 T-GDI First Edition
Price: £18,500 (approx). Stonic range starts at £16,295
Engine: 1.0-litre three-cylinder turbo petrol
Transmission: six-speed manual, front-wheel drive
Body style: Compact crossover
CO₂ emissions: 115g/km (£160 first year, £140 after that)
Combined economy: 56mpg
Top speed: 114mph
0-62mph: 10.3 seconds
Power: 120hp at 6,000rpm
Torque: 172Nm at 1,500 to 4,500rpm
Boot space: 352-litres (seats up), 1,155-litres (seats down)
Euro NCAP rating: Not yet tested

What's this?

It's the Kia Stonic, a gamble on winning sales in the small SUV segment. Well, actually that's not much of a gamble at all - sales in the sector are climbing like Concorde on full reheat right now, from 1.8 per cent of European sales five years ago, to more than seven per cent now. Car makers are introducing small crossovers as fast as they can, and buyers are scrambling over themselves to get them. With Kia having built major sales success on the basis of well-liked crossovers such as the Sportage and Sorento, the appearance of the Stonic was as inevitable as chips following fish (although it does mean essentially elbowing aside the likeable but slow-selling, and rather US-centric Soul).

The Stonic is based on the Rio supermini, and first and foremost it's good looking. Now, normally we look right past styling and into the mechanical reality of a new car, but here the mechanicals don't matter. According to the marketing fluff, buyers in this segment make their decisions on the basis of looks above all else, so the Stonic's primary mission is to look good. And it does. That 'Tiger' grille and uppercut bumper air intake look nice, the sides are sculpted to look less than slabby, and the way the C-pillars wrap around the roof for a 'targa' effect is nice. You can have it in bright colours (red is nice, yellow less so) but probably everyone will go for grey or white and there is also the option of a contrast roof (don't go for the odd-looking green option, here). 17-inch alloys are standard across the range.

Inside, all models get a seven-inch touchscreen, too, and like the rest of the interior, is lifted from the Rio. But that does reveal one of the Stonic's weak points. While the cabin has been nicely sculpted, and the optional contrast colour panels add a jaunty touch, there's just too much cheap, tinny plastic on show and under your fingers. We know that Kias are well-made and reliable, we know that they're backed up by a seven-year warranty, but the Stonic just feels too cheap in too many places. And like almost all its class rivals, it's too small. The rear seats are just about big enough for growing kids, but the 350-litre boot is going to be too small for family needs, or even for a big shopping trip. The Stonic looks like a 4x4 on the outside, but the front-drive-only SUV is a small hatch underneath, and don't you forget it.

Equipment levels are decent, but you need to upgrade to get safety items such as autonomous emergency braking, so don't assume that the Stonic is the bargain it initially looks.

How does it drive?

It's fine, and it's among the better cars in its class. The problem is that most cars in its class are just a bit rubbish to drive. It's almost as if adding extra weight and height to a supermini chassis doesn't end well. Who'd have thunk it?

The Stonic is fine as long as you don't expect too much of it. It has light and twirly steering that doesn't show any interest in telling you what's happening under the contact patch, but it does at least allow you to flick-turn the Stonic's stubby nose through urban assault courses. The Stonic feels pleasantly agile and nimble around town, and the well-controlled body motions mean your passengers won't start getting car sick while you're nipping around. On the open road, the Stonic cruises nicely, if a touch noisily at times, and it doesn't disgrace itself amongst bigger, faster motorway traffic. The ride is a firm and occasionally bouncy, though, and on rougher city streets that can become wearing.

The 1.0-litre T-GDI three-pot turbo engine is lovely, though. We've driven it before, in the Cee'd hatchback, but it feels right at home here in the Stonic. It can be noisy at times, but that sound is mostly a pleasant three-cylinder whirr, and the engine's peppy performance makes up for that. Plus it's only fractionally worse off in CO₂ terms than the 1.6 CRDI diesel, and is definitely the engine of choice for the Stonic.

Verdict

Given the way the small crossover market currently works, Kia could have put the Stonic's body on an Austin Allegro chassis and it would still have sold. Buyers in this sector don't care how their cars drive, hence car makers don't make them any better than they have to be. That the Stonic does no more dynamically than it needs to should be no surprise, but its handsome looks, customising options and welcoming (if cheap) cabin are really what matter to potential owners. However, as with all cars in this segment, the Stonic is undone by its lack of real practicality. And if you're looking for a family car, then you're far better off strolling across the showroom to the £2,000-cheaper Cee'd Sportwagon estate.

Exterior Design

Interior Ambience

Passenger Space

Luggage Space

Safety

Comfort

Driving Dynamics

Powertrain