2017 Kia Stonic - Will the all-new crossover be a-Stonic-shing?
This autumn sees the birth of an all-new B-segment crossover. We take a look at its vital signs
Kia will launch an all-new B-segment crossover this autumn, called the Stonic to rival the Nissan Juke and Fiat 500X.
It’s a five door SUV and follows in the footsteps of the Kai Rio launched early in 2017. The new crossover is instantly recognisable as a Kia thanks to the ‘Tiger Nose’ grille that it adopts from the rest of the Kia range.
It gets a rugged look with a low down plastic finish to the bumpers and side skirts alongside front and rear skid plates. Deeply profiled door and boot lid surfaces provide some design character.
The Stonic has been designed in Europe in collaboration with Kia’s Korean design studio, it’s constructed with a lightweight platform and body shell with up to 51% of the materials used being Advanced High Strength Steel.
Powering the crossover are a selection of lightweight petrol and diesel engines. There three petrol options made up of a 1.0-litre T-GDI, 1.25-litre and a 1.4-litre, while there is one 1.6-litre diesel on offer. All Stonics, at least at its launch, will be front wheel drive.
If recent evidence is anything to go by with the Rio, the Stonic should be good to drive. To aid this, Kia has tuned its steering and suspension in Europe.
Kia is promising that the Stonic will offer class-leading shoulder room and generous leg and head room. It gets a boot with 352-litres of storage capacity and a two-step boot floor.
As standard, it gets electric stability control and vehicle stability management, which includes torque vectoring by braking, straight line stability and cornering brake.
Safety features available include: autonomous emergency braking with pedestrian recognition and forward collision alert; blind spot detection with rear cross traffic alert; and lane departure warning system.
The Stonic is available with a choice of five roof colours, which combine to provide 20 different two-tone colour options. While smartphone integration comes as standard (Apple Carplay and Andriod Auto) the options list includes keyless entry, heated front seats and cruise control.
Michael Cole, Chief Operating Officer of Kia Motors Europe, said: “The Kia Stonic will be one of the most compelling new cars in this rapidly-expanding class, backed by Kia’s unique warranty, and the brand’s reputation for reliability, quality and contemporary design. As the segment expands, the Stonic looks set to become one of our best-selling cars.”
Prices and specifications for the new Stonic are yet to be confirmed but anticipated to start from around £15,000. Expect it to go on sale around mid-October with customer deliveries by the end of the year.
