I have recently got back from the Launch of the Kia Stonic in Amsterdam and what a stunning and sexy small car it is, so watch out Juke and Captur, Kia have you firmly in their sights.
Stonic
KIA showcased its offering, the all-new Stonic a crossover the Korean manufacturer intends to be one of its best-selling models when it goes on sale in the UK later this year.
The small SUV market is growing at a steady year on year increase and Kia has put down a marker that it wants a slice of the profits. The Stonic fits below the Sportage and Sorento and will look to grab part of the space occupied by rivals the Nissan Juke and Renaults Captur
Kia have been clever in making the new Stonic crossover stand out in the crowded marketplace with a promise that the Stonic will be the ‘most customisable’ car to date. Styling lends itself to a two-tone paint finish, and with 20 two-tone combinations available plus five unique colours for the roof.
Kia is famous for its contemporary vision and the Stonic holds true to this ethos, take for instance the ‘tiger-nose’ grille and strong, swept headlights which give the Stonic a face. But the face is distanced from the Rio hatchback on which it’s based. Kia have made the car appear modern and angular - sharp creases near the door sills give it an upward sweep, similarly the window line kinks upwards, too. Tough looking black plastic cladding runs in a ring around the bottom edge of the car and around the wheel arches, giving the crossover a somewhat aggressive stance while metal skid-plates front and rear complete the look.
Inside the Stonic look much more Rio-inspired, the dash is as all Rio while the switchgear is carried directly across. Kia though does promise customised colour schemes.
Kia has added masses of Tech, infotainment touchscreen, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to mention but a few, again giving the buyer plenty of opportunity to customise their ride.
Kia have been clever with leg and headroom, while back seat passengers get plenty of space thanks to the stepped floor allowing the owner to decide how much of the 352litre boot space they will use.
A range of downsized, turbo charged petrol and diesel engines are available, from a lightweight 1 litre T-GDI engine pushing out 120ps or 1.4 litre MPI petrol engine. A 1.6 diesel completes the line up.
And don’t forget Kia’s 7 year warranty, this is transferable from owner to owner for the full 7 years
The Stonic promises to be a class leader in the small crossover – watch this space.
Tagged in motoring news Kia Motors