Kia is a manufacturer well-known for producing cars ideally suited to their purpose and the Stonic is no exception to this principle. In fact, it goes over and above what we expect from the "compact crossover" or "B-class SUV".
Hats off to Kia for the Stonic. It's a versatile car that's made to please even the choosiest driver.
In traditional Kia-style, the engine choice is simple: there are three engines available across the Stonic range and all models have a 6-speed manual gearbox. The petrol versions are a 1.0-litre turbo, great for urban driving and short-distance travel; or a 1.4 litre 4-cylinder, a truly versatile car. For drivers who regularly hit the open road and rack up the miles, the 1.6 TDi has your name on it.
Check out these highlights from the 'bland-by-name but not-by-nature' Kia Stonic range:
Although the 2 is the entry-level version of the Kia Stonic, it's certainly not short on clever features. As well as 17" alloy wheels, this dynamic car has rain-sensing wipers, automatic lights, auto-fold door mirrors, all-electric windows, rear parking sensors plus a multitude of Kia surprises to unwrap.
Check out the 3 and you'll find leather-look upholstery, tinted windows, and automatic air conditioning on top of everything you loved about the 2. The alloy wheels remain at 17" but are wider and fitted with premium tyres. Added safety features for the 3 are AEB, lane-departure warning and a pedestrian detection system.
Aesthetics is the name of the game when we look at the 4 model. Two-tone paint, a leather steering wheel and stainless steel sports pedals give this model the edge. There's also heated seats, an adjustable boot floor, cruise control, rear parking camera and SatNav on the list.
Interestingly, Kia's engineers created a car that's light in the middle. This means although the Stonic is a front-wheel-drive vehicle, the re-jigging of the suspension makes it feel like a 4-wheel drive car. This makes the car feel very positive, agile and easy to handle on all roads - rain, wind or shine.
The Stonic's upholstery is ergonomically designed, with lots of driver seat adjustment and plenty of legroom for passengers in the rear. This car is incredibly comfortable, even on long journeys.
All Kia Stonic trims come with a well-appointed entertainment system with a 7" touchscreen, DAB radio, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay and Bluetooth connectivity. Models 3 and 4 also get a built-in SatNav with live TomTom traffic news.
All Stonic models benefit from rear parking sensors, six airbags, ISOFIX points for the rear seats, hill-start assistance and stability control. The 3 and 4 models also benefit from autonomous emergency braking and a lane-departure warning system plus blind-spot monitoring, rearview camera and rear cross-traffic alert.