A new player in the compact crossover market, the Kia Stonic was a strong competitor to the Nissan Juke and the Renault Captur.
The Kia Stonic was Kia’s smallest SUV, smaller than both the Sportage and the Sorento. The Stonic had the same mechanical underpinnings as the Kia Rio hatchback with which it shared its platform.

Aesthetically, the attention was drawn by the Tiger nose grille that gave the Stonic a sporty look. The most interesting part was the targa-style body-coloured wraparound C-pillar, specific to the First Edition trim level available with a selection of contrasting roof colors.

Inside, the cabin’s design matched the sporty feeling give by the exterior look. The cockpit was not overly flashy and controls were intuitively placed and easy to action. While the quality of the materials used was not the best, everything looked well put together.

A variety of interior colors were available for further personalisation.

Space wise, the Stonic easily accommodate 2 adults and a child in the rear seats. While the cargo area wasn’t the biggest in the class, with the rear seats folded flat, the cargo capacity increased considerably.

A range of lightweight turbocharged gasoline and diesel were available, all of them paired with a manual transmission to maximise driver engagement.

The lowest emission in the line-up were offered by the efficient 1.6-liter Diesel engine.

The Kia Stonic came with a stellar warranty of 7 years or 160,000 km.